AI as a Boost for Startups Companies: Evidence From Italy

Innovative startups are growing everywhere; clearly, digital transformation is imperative for all businesses to compete, or better survive. Institutions prompt companies and businesses to adopt digital transformation tools, providing funds too, especially to startups (MISE, 2019).In particular, this study analyzes Artificial Intelligence, understanding its implications, ties and features in startups. No commonly agreed definitions are given about AI and startups, thus the tie between them should be deepened. One of the most cited definitions considers startup as a temporary organization looking for scalable business models (Blank, 2013). In literature little attention has been paid to the connection between startup and AI. The flurry of interest in AI is triggering a variety of reactions, as the capacities to favour startups (Agrawal et al., 2017), making them more scalable (Rinzwana, 2019). Ten case studies were selected in a qualitative research, due to the early stage this field of study is in and to adopt a wider perspective. From a practical perspective, this research shows the potentialities of AI in changing markets, business activities, and ways of serving customers. This research describes how AI can trigger novelties through startups creation and the engine of novelties in markets