A glimpse at team composition and intention to grow in academic spin-offs

Starting from the description of the main traits of the academic environment within which this peculiar form of new venture is born, the authors question-in light of the presented results about the growth rates of a national sample of academic spin-offs-whether and how the intention to grow expressed by the academic entrepreneur influences the composition of the team, and more specifically the integration of nonacademic knowledge and experience-as a vector of a higher growth rate within the target market. In particular, the research question to be answered is: Does the integration of nonacademic team members in the early stages tie with a higher intention to grow of the academic entrepreneur? The contribution is configured as a work in progress, and it introduces an advancement about team formation process. Implications for practitioners relate to the key role of team composition in fostering growth of academic spin-offs.