Purpose Understanding the factors that contribute to the survival of startups has been gaining attention in entrepreneurship research over the last few years, given their high failure rates. This paper aims to explore the factors driving the survival of startups established through university business incubators in India. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of university-incubated startups in India and analysed using Gioia’s methodology. Findings The findings highlight eight significant themes, which include human resources and team building, strategic planning and execution, market understanding and adaptability, innovation and product development, funding acquisition, market analysis and strategy, networking and collaboration, and government support. Practical implications The study results provide valuable insights into factors contributing to academic incubatees’ survival and offer implications for entrepreneurs, incubator managers, investors and policymakers. Originality/value There is extant literature on the success factors of established organisations and general startups. Nevertheless, despite growing scholarly interest in academic entrepreneurship and new venture creation, there is a dearth of studies on startups incubated with the aid of academic institutions.
Azeem et al. (Wed,) studied this question.