From Challenges to Impact: Drivers, Barriers, and Shared Resources in Sustainability‐Oriented Corporate‐Startup Alliances

Tomas Santa‐Maria, Nicole Dougnac, Leandro J. Llorente‐González and Martin Geissdoerfer

Business Strategy and the Environment, 2025, vol. 34, issue 6, 7488-7516

Abstract: Despite the growing importance of corporate sustainability, research on strategic alliances between corporations and sustainable startups remains limited. While corporations struggle with implementing radical sustainability‐oriented innovation, sustainable startups face challenges in scaling and validation. Given their complementary resources, partnerships between these entities offer significant potential to accelerate sustainable transitions. However, existing literature has largely overlooked the distinct drivers, barriers, and shared resources that characterize sustainability‐oriented corporate‐startup alliances, focusing instead on conventional or digital‐oriented collaborations. This study addresses this gap through a multiple case study of eight sustainability‐driven corporate‐startup partnerships in Chile. Using a grounded theory approach, we identify 21 drivers, 14 barriers, and 10 shared resource types, revealing the dual role of resource acquisition and legitimacy‐building in fostering sustainable collaborations. Our findings offer new theoretical insights and practical recommendations for enhancing the success of sustainability‐oriented alliances.

Date: 2025
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