Digital Entrepreneurial Finance: Where are we?

Frame of the research. Digital technology has rapidly transformed the landscape of entrepreneurship and finance by creating new opportunities for funding, innovation, and global connectivity. The impact of digitalisation on entrepreneurial finance and funding sources for SMEs is a crucial area that warrants deeper investigation. While academic interest in Digital Entrepreneurial Finance (DEF) has dramatically increased recently, management research is still fragmented and needs to be systematised. Purpose of the paper. This paper establishes the state of the art and the emerging issues on DEF in the management literature to define and prioritise future research directions that will support scholars who wish to address the DEF topic. Methodology. A systematic review of the literature published between 2013 and 2023 was conducted using bibliometric techniques. Findings. From the study, three macro topics emerged: digital finance supporting environmental sustainability policy goals, entrepreneurship driven by digital finance, and social, cultural, and geographical aspects related to start-up fintech. Research limits. Future studies could analyse the single macro topics more fully to identify specific features of DEF in the various management research fields. Originality of the paper. As far as we know, this study is the first to systematise knowledge of the DEF in the management literature.