The Impact of Patent Activity on the Performance of Start-Ups. A Data-Driven Analysis

Master's Thesis from the year 2024 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, University of Münster, language: English, abstract: This master thesis investigates the impact of patent activity on the financial performance of startups, with a particular emphasis on revenue growth. Using a fixed effects Generalized Least Squares (GLS) regression model, the research analyzes how fluctuations in the number of patents correlate with revenue growth across various industries, countries, and time periods. Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the findings indicate that patent activity often has a statistically significant negative effect on revenue growth. While some positive effects are observed at industry and country levels, they are overshadowed by the overall negative trend. The study highlights the necessity for further research to assess delayed patent effects, the quality of patents, and additional external business factors influencing startup success.