How defining startup companies can help to set the stage for an entrepreneurial ecosystem : an overview

In recent years the construction of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem has attracted the interest of academics and those working in the world of business and finance. To be able, though, to set the right actions in the startup culture and education fields, it is fundamental to understand what startup companies and their needs are. In this paper we shed light on the definition of startup companies (with the help of two different life cycle theories), and most importantly we try to provide the reader with some basic knowledge on why these innovative, high growth firms are so important to fuel such an ecosystem. [Publisher's text].