Asset-light construction of technology-driven startups: insights from case studies in China

The resource-efficient allocation advantages of asset-light operations have garnered considerable attention from technologydriven startups in China.Clarifying the construction pathways of asset-light operations is crucial for guiding the development of such enterprises.This study examines two asset-light, technology-driven startups in China to identify key elements of the asset-light operation process and comparatively analyze their heterogeneous construction pathways using imprinting theory.The findings reveal that the alignment of open demand and connectivity conditions forms the foundation for establishing asset-light operation partnerships, while shared logic facilitates collaborations.Establishing symbiotic relationships is identified as a key factor in the sustainable development of asset-light operations.Regarding resource integration pathways, relationship-based entrepreneurial teams typically form asset-light resource networks in a 0 n diffusion pattern by engaging in acquisitive resource integration behavior, exhibiting the characteristic of expansive resource capability.Conversely, technology-based entrepreneurial teams form 0 1 n bridging resource networks through accumulative resource integration, demonstrating exploratory resource capability.These findings contribute to the study of asset-light operations in independent entrepreneurship and offer differentiated asset-light construction pathway references for technology-driven startups