New ventures in Cleantech : opportunities, capabilities and innovation outcomes

Facing the challenge of climate change, innovations that imply environmental benefits create business opportunities for entrepreneurs. This paper analyzes innovation capabilities of startups in Cleantech and how the innovation outcomes of those startups develop over time. Based on the Mannheim Foundation Panel and applying propensity score matching, a cohort of 566 Cleantech startups is analyzed and compared with a control group of non-Cleantech startups. We find that startups in Cleantech have, on average, higher innovation capabilities compared with all startups. However, Cleantech startups are a heterogeneous group including ventures using common technology and those developing new technology. Our econometric evidence shows that, ceteris paribus, Cleantech startups are more likely to combine existing technology in a novel way. Finally, we find that Cleantech startups do, on average, develop more market novelties in later years compared to theirs peer