Primary criteria used by business incubators for the selection of new enterprises: analysis of selection notices

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the primary criteria used by Brazilian business incubators to select new enterprises. The research method used was a documentary analysis with 124 selection notices available in the websites of business incubators. These criteria were divided into 17 categories, and the most mentioned among them were: innovation level, economic feasibility, and team capability, corroborating the ideas mentioned by other studies. The results presented in this research may be of great value for incubator managers and academics. Incubator managers may use these results to critically analyze their criteria and/or complement them. Academics, in turn, may use these results as a starting point for future research.

Are the resources provided by Business Incubators suitable to the needs of their customers?

“…Concerning the incubator's Type and Model -according to Grimaldi and Grandi's paradigm, it was classified as a hybrid model between a technology-based incubator and a traditional incubator and of the type University Business Incubator -resource d.2 represents the incubator's vocation and 5 out of 7 incubatees understand that resource d.2 addresses an important business challenge -the need for innovation and differentiation -and that resource d.2 figures as a very important motivation to incubate. Indeed, companies that envision using scientific research as support to the creation of innovative products, processes or services are inclined to expect easy access to research groups of excellence through their incubator, in contrast to companies that intend to operate in traditional segments where knowledge is of public domain (Eschholz et al, 2018). Therefore, the incubated firms interpret the university's research units as their own RandD departments, and therefore as their main source of innovation.…”

Factors that lead to increased Burnout in digital entrepreneurs

“…Currently, Brazil is one of the most enterprising countries in the world with higher initial entrepreneurship rates than Germany and the United States of America, considering the total number of people involved with some entrepreneurial activity. However, the reason for most Brazilians to become entrepreneurs is necessity rather than opportunity, leading to small survival rates (Eschholz et al, 2018).…”

“…The Internet has allowed society to have uninterrupted communication, even between people from different places and, therefore, its use has expanded every day, generating changes in the cultural, social, economic and political spheres (Castells, 2003). ________________________________________________ Brazilians to become entrepreneurs is necessity rather than opportunity, leading to small survival rates (Eschholz et al, 2018).…”