Power asymmetries in collaboration with startups

Startups develop original, innovative knowledge in their initial trajectory. However, when startups partner with corporations, their innovation purpose is abandoned. Thus, the study outlined the main aspects of startup motivations and how the innovation trajectory changes in partnerships with large corporations. The methodology included a review of the literature to identify current knowledge gaps regarding the inhibitors of these partnerships, followed by a semi-structured qualitative questionnaire with founders of 18 startups and a qualitative content analysis to identify dominant patterns. The results demonstrated that, to build credibility and grow, startups begin to modify their original motivations, systematically altering their business models until they become closely aligned with those of corporates. These include the corporate bias dysfunction, the supervised creativity dysfunction, and the “bear hug.” Therefore, this article contributes by showing how understanding ecosystem dysfunctions can inform policies that foster more balanced innovation ecosystems.