In a finance realm that is becoming more technologically and digitally driven, academic research on alternative finance is consistently gaining momentum by contributing to the understanding of the dynamics of these new financing channels and their effects on the growth of new ventures. This special issue is a response to this almost overlooked aspect in the rapidly growing entrepreneurial finance literature and is targeted to give orientation to scholars about recent developments in this field. In particular, it intends to significantly enlarge and thicken our understanding of whether and how the introduction of digital innovations in finance can reshape the existing entrepreneurial finance realm and lead to major changes in legislations, in investors-investees behaviors and social capital dynamics. It also aims at detecting in which direction fintech advances are shaping the strategies of entrepreneurs in building connections with external investors, not only in those contexts where investors pursue an economic gain but also in socially oriented domains.

Access the editorial here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0040162521002006