Emergent way: corporate-startup synergies in shaping the future of innovation

While complex, the synergy between startups and corporations offers a wealth of mutual benefits. This relationship, often viewed as a two-way street, involves not just startups gaining from corporations’ resources but also corporations benefiting from startups’ innovation and agility. The interdependence between startups and corporations, while potentially leading to a power imbalance, also presents an opportunity for both entities to grow. To gain a deep understanding, we asked why, what, and how and then outlined the involved components in the relationship between startups and corporations. We developed a systematic literature review (SLR) in two phases. The first one contemplates the period from 2015 to 2019. The second phase was carried out from 2020 until 2024. We used 71 academic references from the Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) databases. From these references, we constructed an emergent way framework that outlines the main stages of the way, including the motivation and the critical characteristics of collaboration. The framework also brings the most frequently observed relational path through the second phase of the SLR. The paper’s contribution paper is recognizing that each partnership is unique, and the framework is a starting point rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. The stages of the relationship outlined in the framework must be adapted to the specific context of the partnership. In essence, while the framework offers a valuable relational path, the success of corporate partnerships hinges on deciding which aspect these agents must work on to find a better solution in which to assimilate their collaboration.