Exploring differences in university support practices and the effects on spin-off companies in Boston

This paper presents a comparative analysis of university-level support practices and entrepreneurial behaviour of spin-offs from nine universities in Boston. We explore the prerequisite to venture in the university, the entrepreneurs' attitude throughout the first years of activity, and discuss differences in spin-offs' outcomes. The investigation explores 81 academic spin-offs active since 2013. We found that two alternative behaviours are suitable to provide the right support to academic spin-offs. In top-academic institutions the availability of services and incentives to facilitate patent rights ownership, university equities, and venture capital is more likely to be found, while in lower-ranked universities spin-offs mostly rely on incubators services to overcome capital limitations.