In new venture creation, entrepreneurs often lack resources and management knowledge which contributes to the high failure rate startups experience in the early stages of development. In response to this challenge, entrepreneurial support organizations came into existence. Of these organizations, the Business Incubator is one of the most well-known examples. In recent years a new form of business incubation, the so-called Startup Studio, started to gain popularity in both the industry and popular media. A startup studio focuses on building multiple startups in an almost factory-like manner. The approach of startup studios towards new venture creation seems to be drastically different from what has been previously observed in business incubation.  

Despite the increasing number of startup studios over the last decade, academic research on this type of organization remains lacking. Only a few startup studios have been researched so far, and due to conflicting definitions of the concept, any findings in prior academic research on this form of incubation can be hard to generalize. Currently, there still is a limited understanding of the startup studio’s practices, objectives, and differentiation factors.  

In order to create clarity in the startup studio incubation model, this thesis strives to gain insights into the general startup studio trend and the heterogeneity of the startup studios’ practices. To gain these insights, a multiple case study on eight startup studios in Europe has been conducted. Common characteristics with other incubation models have been found, thus verifying the startup studios as an incubation model, and three unique characteristics have been determined (Period of involvement, Origin of idea, and Equity stake), which help distinguish startup studios from other incubation models. Furthermore, the differences between startup studios have been categorized into five main startup studio archetypes: Performance, Bootstrap, Educator, Subsidiary, and Agency model. Lastly, a potential new concept in business incubation (Venture Building as a Service) has been found. 

The empirical findings of this research establish a consensus on the startup studio. An overview of the general trend and insight into the startup studios’ internal heterogeneity is provided. Furthermore, the typology illustrates that the type of startup studio influences both the entrepreneurs they attract and the startup studio’s approach towards the new venture creation process. The findings of this thesis support scholars in their effort to advance business incubation literature by laying the necessary foundation of the startup studio concept and by providing frameworks to create more coherent findings in future research efforts.  In new venture creation, entrepreneurs often lack resources and management knowledge which contributes to the high failure rate startups experience in the early stages of development. In response to this challenge, entrepreneurial support organizations came into existence. Of these organizations, the Business Incubator is one of the most well-known examples. In recent years a new form of business incubation, the so-called Startup Studio, started to gain popularity in both the industry and popular media. A startup studio focuses on building multiple startups in an almost factory-like manner. The approach of startup studios towards new venture creation seems to be drastically different from what has been previously observed in business incubation.  

Despite the increasing number of startup studios over the last decade, academic research on this type of organization remains lacking. Only a few startup studios have been researched so far, and due to conflicting definitions of the concept, any findings in prior academic research on this form of incubation can be hard to generalize. Currently, there still is a limited understanding of the startup studio’s practices, objectives, and differentiation factors.  

In order to create clarity in the startup studio incubation model, this thesis strives to gain insights into the general startup studio trend and the heterogeneity of the startup studios’ practices. To gain these insights, a multiple case study on eight startup studios in Europe has been conducted. Common characteristics with other incubation models have been found, thus verifying the startup studios as an incubation model, and three unique characteristics have been determined (Period of involvement, Origin of idea, and Equity stake), which help distinguish startup studios from other incubation models. Furthermore, the differences between startup studios have been categorized into five main startup studio archetypes: Performance, Bootstrap, Educator, Subsidiary, and Agency model. Lastly, a potential new concept in business incubation (Venture Building as a Service) has been found. 

The empirical findings of this research establish a consensus on the startup studio. An overview of the general trend and insight into the startup studios’ internal heterogeneity is provided. Furthermore, the typology illustrates that the type of startup studio influences both the entrepreneurs they attract and the startup studio’s approach towards the new venture creation process. The findings of this thesis support scholars in their effort to advance business incubation literature by laying the necessary foundation of the startup studio concept and by providing frameworks to create more coherent findings in future research efforts.