Silver entrepreneurship: a new trend in startups

Purpose of the paper: This study is framed in the debate on entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial behaviour. It aims to investigate the motivations behind the choice of people over the age of 50 to become entrepreneurs through the founding of startups and the background of so-called silver entrepreneurs. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative approach. A matrix is built according to two key topics from the literature review and used to report case studies to describe the dynamics of silver entrepreneurs and so clarify the reasons behind their rather unique choice. The case studies are classified according to the technical skills and entrepreneurial experiences of 29 founders of startups. Findings: The results attempt to highlight the ways in which mature entrepreneurs seek the benefits of starting new careers through their startups. The results also show the interplay between the entrepreneurial and technical skills that the silver entrepreneurs possess. The proposed scatter plot depicts the predominance of three combinations of technical skills and entrepreneurial competences. Research limits: The study will require further information on the resources and skills available to, and needed by, entrepreneurs over 50 who are forming new startups. Practical implications: This research deepens the understanding of the potential local economic impact of entrepreneurs over 50 who have founded startups. We also identify that entrepreneurial training programmes enable the proliferation of new business ventures in the startup ecosystem. While this might be self-evident, it is found that such initiatives are most relevant for silver entrepreneurs with backgrounds other than being businesspeople, managers, or business owners. Originality of the paper: Through this study, the authors propose a new combination of interrelated variables such as skills, business background, and motivations to start new businesses for people over the age of 50, shaping the dynamics of silver startups and startuppers; this also supports a conceptual clarification in an intricate scholarly debate.