Organisational wellbeing and performance in startups: the role of AI patents and social marketing orientation

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship between organisational wellbeing (OWB) and startup performance, exploring how this link is associated with internal social marketing orientation (SMO) and external regional AI patents activity. Design/methodology/approach Using a comprehensive sample of nascent enterprises across diverse sectors, this research uses a quantitative approach combining cluster segmentation, analysis of variance and regression techniques to analyse the associations between OWB, SMO and regional patent data. Findings The analysis indicates that higher levels of OWB within an incubator programme are associated with superior average performance metrics. Furthermore, while SMO relates positively to the link between OWB and revenue, regional AI patent density – despite its positive association with revenue – does not moderate the OWB–performance relationship. Originality/value This study advances accelerator research by moving beyond selection-based models centred on fixed founder traits, positioning OWB as a programme-configurable capability rather than a static characteristic.