University vs. Corporate Startups: A Tale of Two Entrepreneurial Paths (Prof. Alex Coad)

The seventh episode of season two features Professor Alex Coad (Faculty of Commerce), whose new study compares the motivations, cultures, and performance of entrepreneurs emerging from universities versus those from the corporate world. In conversation with host & PhD student Fabian Johannes (Graduate School of Economics), Professor Coad challenges the assumption that cutting-edge academic research naturally leads to high-performing startups, highlighting the cultural hurdles and identity shifts university-based founders often face. The episode also explores global entrepreneurial ecosystems, Japan’s evolving startup landscape, and how the Waseda Business School and Professor Coad’s seminar classes equip aspiring innovators with both theory and practical tools—offering listeners a compelling look into what it takes to turn ideas into real-world impact.
This episode is based on the following research: 
Coad, A. “The company I keep is not corporate enough”: exploring the specificities of University startups. J Technol Transf (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-025-10228-4

About the Guest

Professor Alex Coad is a highly-cited scholar in the areas of firm growth, entrepreneurship and innovation, and has published over 80 articles in leading international peer-reviewed journals. Prof. Coad is an editor at the journals ‘Research Policy’ (Financial Times Top 50 list of journals for Business Schools) and ‘Small Business Economics.’ Previously he obtained a joint PhD from Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Sant’Anna School, Pisa, Italy. In December 2016, Prof. Coad received the 2016 Nelson Prize at University of California Berkeley.

Link to the transcript:  https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/86797