Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Research on Venture Capital, Startups, and Gender: A Bibliometric Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21682024Keywords:
venture capital, startups, gender, Women entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurial finance, Gender bias, Legitimacy, Entrepreneurial ecosystemsAbstract
Access to venture capital (VC) plays a pivotal role in startup growth; however, women entrepreneurs continue to encounter substantial barriers when seeking this form of financing. Although research on VC, startups, and gender has expanded considerably in recent years, the resulting body of knowledge remains fragmented. Accordingly, this study examines the intellectual structure and evolution of this research domain through a bibliometric analysis of 152 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. Using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny, the analysis incorporated scientific performance, citation, co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic structure techniques. The findings reveal a rapidly consolidating field organized around three major research streams: gender disparities in access to VC, investor bias and evaluation processes, and the role of strategic resources and entrepreneurial ecosystems. The analysis also highlights a transition from studies emphasizing financing inequalities toward perspectives centered on legitimacy, signaling, diversity, and financial inclusion. Finally, the study advances an integrative framework and identifies promising directions for future research.
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