How Does Data Factor Allocation Drive the Niche Leap of Startups? The Mediating Role of Digital Capability Integration and the Moderating Effect of Data Governance Maturity

Against the backdrop of the digital economy reshaping the global competitive landscape and the urgent demand for sustainable development, how data factors drive startups to break through resource constraints, achieve a niche leap, and realize long-term sustainable growth has become a critical issue of common concern in academia and policy circles. Drawing on resource orchestration theory and the dynamic capability view, this study constructs a theoretical framework of “Data Factor Allocation → Digital Capability Integration → Niche Leap → Sustainable Growth” and conducts an empirical test, using 412 technology-based startups as samples. The findings are as follows: (1) Data factor allocation (encompassing scenario-based access, lightweight tool penetration, and ecological sharing) exerts a significant inverted U-shaped relationship impact on both digital capability integration and the startup niche leap (range of quadratic term coefficients for core dimensions: −0.165~−0.203, p < 0.01), with turning points between 3.41 and 3.72 on a 5-point scale. Excessive data investment may trigger risks of capability hollowing and niche lock-in, hindering sustainable growth. (2) Digital capability integration (including technology application, resource coordination, and dynamic adaptation capabilities) plays a non-linear mediating role, with mediation proportions ranging from 18.7% to 32.4%. Among them, the technology application capability exhibits the highest transmission efficiency between lightweight tool penetration and the niche leap (32.4%), thereby promoting sustainable value creation. (3) The moderating effect of data governance maturity is heterogeneous: governance adaptability significantly strengthens the mediating path of the technology application capability (β = 0.187, p < 0.01) and security compliance enhances the transmission efficiency of the resource coordination capability (β = 0.165, p < 0.01), while the moderating effect of open sharing is insignificant. These findings provide a dynamic framework for the non-linear and sustainable leap of startups by integrating two core theories. They offer a decision-making basis for enterprises to optimize data allocation strategies (e.g., controlling allocation thresholds to avoid resource waste) and for governments to improve governance policies (e.g., data vouchers, trusted data spaces), thereby facilitating the implementation of the “Data Factor × Innovation and Entrepreneurship × Sustainable Development” initiative and promoting the sustainable growth of the digital economy ecosystem.