On the Heterogeneity of Digital Infrastructure in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

Digital infrastructure represents for startups in entrepreneurial ecosystems an important asset but also a major risk. Drawing on studies about digital entrepreneurship and ecosystems, we examine the determinants of the heterogeneity of startups’ tech stacks in ecosystems. Using publicly available data from the data aggregators Stackshare and Crunchbase, we identify popular endogenous categories in startups’ tech stacks. Then we conduct a visual network analysis and a multivariate regression analysis, utilizing the identified technology categories to measure the heterogeneity of the startups’ tech stacks. The analysis supports the propositions that firm age and increased funding are positively associated with tech stack heterogeneity, whereas funding rounds are negatively associated with tech stack heterogeneity. Implications of our findings on digital entrepreneurship and ecosystems are discussed.