Knowledge management and sustainable entrepreneurship: Insights and future directions for startups

Knowledge management (KM) is increasingly recognized as a critical enabler of sustainable entrepreneurship (SE), particularly for resource-constrained startups. This study conducts a systematic literature review of 76 articles (1651 cumulative citations) at the intersection of KM and SE, focusing on how KM is deemed to support startups in achieving sustainability. The descriptive analysis delineates publication trends, citation patterns, geographical distributions, and methodological orientations, while the content analysis identifies three dominant thematic clusters: (1) KM’s role in fostering innovation and sustainable competitive advantage, (2) sustainability practices linking green orientation to firm performance, and (3) entrepreneurial orientation driving adaptive KM in startups. Guided by the Antecedent-Mediator-Moderator-Consequence (AMMC) framework, KM emerges as a strategic orchestrator that aligns knowledge sharing, acquisition, creation, and application with sustainable objectives through adaptive resource reconfiguration. KM operates as an antecedent and mediator of sustainability outcomes, suggesting that startups prioritize direct KM implementation over contextual adaptations. These practices simultaneously advance economic, social, and environmental dimensions while catalyzing innovation, strategic governance, and organizational resilience across sustainability-driven, social-purpose, and technology-intensive ventures. However, existing KM frameworks often fail to address the specific challenges faced by startups. This study proposes a research agenda to adapt a KM framework explicitly aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, integrating digital tools and dynamic capabilities to guide SDG-driven performance metrics within startups’ agile knowledge routines. The study offers practical insights for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and educators, emphasizing the strategic importance of KM in driving sustainable growth and innovation in competitive markets, especially for startups.