Artificial intelligence and entrepreneurial finance: a guide for research

This chapter provides a research process-oriented framework to support scholars in fostering and conducting implication-rich research projects in artificial intelligence (AI) and entrepreneurial finance. A theory-driven literature review is conducted to look beyond existing research strands. AI-supported literature searches would most likely perform poorly in a theory-driven literature review due to the underdetermination that causes them to stick to known patterns. The authors’ framework finds that the existing research questions are already very nuanced. Important research strands are identified, such as: the concept of a “Homo economicus in your pocket” for decision making in entrepreneurial finance; the potential of agentic AI in principal–agent problems and stakeholder conflicts; the impact of AI on startups’ resource, market entry, signaling, and survival strategies; and behavioral aspects of AI as a coach for entrepreneurs. Because academic research projects have entrepreneurial characteristics, this chapter also has implications for how entrepreneurial finance researchers conduct their work.