Social Media and Stakeholder Engagement in High-Tech Healthcare Start-Ups: An Exploratory Study

In recent years, the literature has increasingly recognized social media as a potential strategic driver for small entrepreneurial ventures. High-technology healthcare start-ups, in particular, represent highly fragile actors within the business landscape due to their young age and limited access to financial and social resources. Despite the fact that approximately 60% of start-ups fail during their early life cycles, research examining how high-technology healthcare start-ups strategically use social media and integrate it into their business models remains limited. The thesis aims to address the following research question: How do high-technology start-ups use social media to enhance stakeholder engagement? To answer this research question, an exploratory study was conducted using a qualitative methodology. Primary data were collected through 45 semi-structured interviews with 14 high-technology healthcare start-ups. In addition, secondary data were also collected. The data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis, which led to the identification of five main themes. These themes are: (1) the benefits of social media; (2) personalization of communication strategies; (3) the impact of social media on the business model; (4) metrics and performance measurement; and (5) challenges in tailored communication. Based on these findings, the study develops a conceptual framework illustrating how social media supports stakeholder engagement in high-technology healthcare start-ups and proposes a set of theoretical propositions to guide future research.