Meta-entrepreneurship: An analysis theory on integrating generative AI, agentic AI, and metaverse for entrepreneurship

Metaverse entrepreneurship has emerged as an innovative topic alongside the development of generative AI, agentic AI and metaverse. This study conceptualizes meta-entrepreneurship as a novel form of entrepreneurial activity that enables value creation within virtual and physical realms and proposes an analytical theoretical framework based on a systematic literature review, observations, and focus group study. Our framework is structured around three layers (infrastructure, content, and experience) and two domains (metaverse-based operational domain and AI-based production domain), aims to conceptualize “what is meta-entrepreneurship” and identify new possibilities. The research highlights the multifaceted impact of meta-entrepreneurship on individuals, corporations, industries, societies, and countries. Further, we delineate three pathways to achieve meta-entrepreneurship, analyze nine critical challenges, and propose potential future research directions to contribute to the theoretical foundation of this emerging field.