Thesis purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate which circumstances technology entrepreneurs believe facilitate innovation, in the context of developing countries, and in Ghana in particular. Additionally, to explore the institutional and environmental factors that enable or prevent innovative activity from taking place in the technology startup ecosystem. Methodology: Multiple case qualitative research study of the Ghanaian technology entrepreneurship ecosystem. Data collection by conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 technology entrepreneurs in Accra, Ghana. The data collection and analysis process is inspired by the phenomenography approach. Theoretical framework: Theoretical concepts found in the literature on entrepreneurship and innovation. The institutional pillars of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, developed by GEDI (Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute), are discussed and applied in the analysis of the interview results. Conclusions: This paper identifies a number of areas where the majority of the entrepreneurs reported having similar experiences and challenges. Many of the challenges are related to institutional factors such as regulation and bureaucratic processes. Despite this, the technology entrepreneurship system in Ghana is growing, and the country offers a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurs. Ultimately, to facilitate innovation further, the institutional environment requires change in a number of areas, in order to better support technology entrepreneurs, and to create an enabling environment in which they can act on and take advantage of the opportunities that exist.

Globalization and the advancement in the use of information technology tools, coupled with a higher level of customer demand, has created a greater competitiveness among organizations in all corners of the world. In this context of competitiveness, innovation practices are gaining relevance, whereby organizations insert new products, processes and management forms into the business market with the aim of optimizing production processes, attracting, retaining and retaining customers. However, it is not enough that organizations recognize the importance of innovation for the success and survival of their businesses, it is also necessary that they are attentive and apt the selection and implementation of the best strategies of innovation. In this scenario, where innovation and business organizations seem to go hand in hand, some business modalities stand out because of their potential for implementing innovations, such as startups. Startups are technology-based companies with broad potential for growth and development of innovations by the insertion of new products and services into replicable businesses. In accordance with the context presented this dissertation aims to identify the main strategies for innovation used by information technology startups in the Northeast region of Brazil. Through a descriptive, explanatory and exploratory study, with quantitative approach, this research aimed specifically to check which type of innovation is most used by startups; to report how innovation processes are performed; to analyze the degree of innovation in startups according to the innovation radar methodology (SAWHNEY; WOLCOTT; ARRONIZ, 2006; BACHMANN; DESTEFANI, 2008); to associate degree of innovation and innovation strategies in the startups researched and; to analyze comparatively the similarities and distinctions, as far as the strategies for innovation, in startups of information technology of the Northeast region. Data collection was performed using the innovation radar form, with some adaptations, for the quantitative step, and the use of a semistructured interview script for the qualitative step. Still in the quantitative stage the data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics evaluations, identification of means and of the standard deviation of the data collected. In the qualitative step the data were analyzed through content analysis. In the quantitative stage the analysis of results indicated the predominance of innovations in processes as a systemic practice in the startups consulted, as well as the predominance of startups with few and occasional practices of product innovation. With regard to the strategies, the prominence of partnerships with clients and other organizations as the main practices to foster innovation, internationalization was the least verified strategy. As for the degree of innovation of information technology startups, only six companies were considered systemic innovators, most of them located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. In general it was verified that the startups consulted are inserted in the group of occasional innovators, according to the innovation radar methodology. The main evidences collected in the qualitative stage indicated the role of the client as the main external agent influencing the innovation process. At this stage, startups implemented informal partnerships with clients, formal and informal with other organizations, seeking to obtain greater recognition of clients and overcoming internal deficiencies. In addition, in the qualitative phase, there were significant differences in the way innovations of marketing and organizational innovation are implemented. / A globalização e o avanço no uso de ferramentas de tecnologia da informação, associados a um maior nível de exigência dos clientes fez surgir uma maior competitividade entre as organizações em todos os cantos do mundo. Nesse contexto de competitividade ganha relevância as práticas de inovação, pelas quais as organizações inserem no mercado empresarial novos produtos, processos e formas de gestão com o intuito de otimizar processos produtivos, atrair, reter e fidelizar clientes. Contudo, não basta apenas que as organizações reconheçam a importância da inovação para o sucesso e sobrevivência de seus negócios, é preciso também que estejam atentas e aptas a seleção e implementação das melhores estratégias de inovação. Neste cenário, em que inovação e organizações empresariais parecem andar juntas, algumas modalidades de negócios se destacam por seu potencial para implementação de inovações, como é o caso das startups. As startups são empresas de base tecnológica, com amplo potencial de crescimento e desenvolvimento de inovações pela inserção de novos produtos e serviços em negócios replicáveis. Em conformidade com o exposto esta dissertação tem como objetivo identificar as principais estratégias para inovação utilizadas por startups de tecnologia da informação da região Nordeste do Brasil. Por meio de um estudo descritivo, explicativo e exploratório, de abordagem quantiqualitativa, essa pesquisa pretendeu, especificamente, conferir qual a tipologia de inovação mais adotada por startups; relatar como são executados processos de inovação; analisar o grau de inovação em startups segundo a metodologia do radar da inovação (SAWHNEY; WOLCOTT; ARRONIZ, 2006; BACHMANN; DESTEFANI, 2008); associar grau de inovação e estratégias de inovação nas startups pesquisadas e; analisar comparativamente as similaridades e distinções, no que se refere às estratégias para inovação, em startups de tecnologia da informação da região Nordeste. A coleta de dados foi realizada pelo uso do formulário do radar da inovação, com algumas adaptações, para a etapa quantitativa, e pelo uso de um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado para a etapa qualitativa. Ainda na etapa quantitativa a análise dos dados consistiu em avaliações de estatísticas descritivas, identificação de médias e do desvio padrão dos dados coletados. Na etapa qualitativa os dados foram analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo. Na etapa quantitativa a análise dos resultados indicou a predominância de inovações em processos como prática sistêmica nas startups consultadas, assim como a predominância de startups com poucas e ocasionais práticas de inovação em produtos. No tocante às estratégias avultou-se a proeminência de parcerias com clientes e outras organizações como principais práticas de fomento a inovação, a internacionalização foi a estratégia menos verificada. Quanto ao grau de inovação das startups de tecnologia da informação, apenas seis empresas foram consideradas inovadoras sistêmicas, a maior parte delas localizadas no estado do Rio Grande do Norte. De modo geral verificou-se que as startups consultadas estão inseridas no grupo de inovadoras ocasionais, segundo a metodologia do radar da inovação. As principais evidências colhidas na etapa qualitativa indicaram o papel do cliente como principal agente externo influenciador do processo de inovação, nessa etapa constatou-se que as startups implementam parcerias informais com clientes, e formais e informais com outras organizações intuindo obter maior reconhecimento de clientes e superação de deficiências internas. Além disso, na etapa qualitativa constatou-se expressivas diferenças na forma em que são implementadas inovações de marketing e inovação organizacional. / São Cristóvão, SE

Of late, technology entrepreneurship has been receiving growing importance as a means of contribution to national economic growth, both from Empirical Researchers and Policy Makers. According to NASSCOM, India has emerged as the third largest base for high-tech start-ups in the world. Although there is a surge in start-up creation rates in India, very little is known about the vital factors that are required for these star-ups to survive, sustain and grow into large enterprises. This study reviews the entrepreneurial, firm-specific and external environment specific aspects that influence the key lifecycle stages of high-tech star -ups and identifies the key factors that influence each of the milestones. There are very few studies in this domain that have examined the unique features and influential factors of different lifecycle stages of start-ups in the context of emerging economies like India. This limited exploration on the structure, process and strategies adapted by high-tech start-ups has resulted in insufficient understanding about the high-tech start-up lifecycle. This study therefore, attempts to fill these gaps. Accordingly, the objectives of this study are to determine the factors that influence the creation, survival and growth of the high-tech start-ups operating out of India. Further, an examination of what factors influence and impact the entire lifecycle of high-tech start-ups is also carried out – to obtain an integrated perspective on the lifecycle of high-tech start-ups. Primary data gathered from 275 high-tech start-ups, operating at different stages of the lifecycle formed the basis of the present study. To obtain additional insights on the factors influencing the milestones of the high-tech start-up lifecycle, the available data are analyzed against three segments – based on the target market segment that these start-ups focused on (B2B or B2C), based on the region of operations of the start-ups and based on whether the founding team had transnational work or start-up exposure or not. Our findings indicate that age and technical education of the entrepreneurs (from entrepreneur-specific perspective), the R&D and financial capitalization capabilities of the start-ups (from firm-specific perspective) and the external ecosystem parameters such as a robust SDP growth rate, presence and occurrence of VC funded deals in the region of start-ups operations have an influence on the high-tech start-up lifecycle in India. The findings of the study formed the basis to derive implications for entrepreneurs, other ecosystem stakeholders and policy makers.