Innowacyjność startupów w przemyśle 4.0 – perspektywa inwestorów

Purpose | Economy 4.0 as a contemporary macroeconomic environment is conducive to the creation of startups, especially if they have innovative technological solutions. The aim of the article is to identify the role that investors financing the initial stages of their development attach to the innovativeness of startups in the area of Industry 4.0. Research method | For the purposes of the article, 6 individual in-depth interviews (IDI) were conducted with investors representing venture capital funds. Respondents were selected based on surveys verifying knowledge of the basic assumptions of the functioning of the Industry 4.0. Results | The innovativeness of a startup is not a key criterion when deciding to invest in startups. Industry 4.0 has been considered an attractive investment, but startups entering this area are usually extremely cost-intensive at the research stage, and especially the implementation stage, and at the same time difficult to diagnose in terms of technology. Originality / value / implications / recommendations | Understanding the perspective of investors interested in capital support for startups regarding involvement in innovative projects within the sphere of Industry 4.0 is a valuable starting point for creating effective investor materials.