From inequality to innovation: Entrepreneurial strategies for bridging socioeconomic gaps through technological solutions

This study investigates how entrepreneurial strategies bridge socioeconomic gaps in emerging economies through technological solutions, examining the interplay of entrepreneurial ecosystem support (EES), technological innovation capacity (TIC), and inclusive design approach (IDA) in creating social impact potential (SIP). Using Turkey as a case study, we employ a moderated mediation model analysing survey data from 391 entrepreneurial actors to examine relationships between ecosystem support, technological capabilities, inclusive design, and social impact. The findings challenge prevailing technology-centric views of social innovation. While EES strongly predicts both TIC and SIP, TIC alone does not directly translate into social impact. Instead, inclusive design emerges as the most powerful direct driver of SIP, suggesting that technology's social value is unlocked through inclusivity, accessibility, and user agency rather than technological sophistication alone. The study reveals that how technology is designed matters more than how advanced it is for creating sustainable social value. This research contributes to sustainable development literature by providing an evidence-based critique of techno-solutionism in social entrepreneurship. It reconceptualizes entrepreneurial ecosystems as direct co-creators of social value and identifies inclusive design as a crucial dynamic capability for converting technological resources into equity-oriented outcomes. The study calls for a paradigm shift among entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers toward fostering "inclusive ecosystems" that embed co-creation and accessibility into business models, suggesting that sustainable development goals are better served by supporting socially-embedded design logics rather than pursuing technology-centric innovation policies alone.