High-growth firms and scale-ups: a review and research agenda

Purpose This paper aims to conduct an extensive review and advances a framework for the literature of high-growth firms (HGFs) and scale-ups. Design/methodology/approach This paper takes the form of a literature review. Findings The author makes three specific contributions. First, he presents a broad review of high growth in firms, shedding light on the different levels of analysis. Second, he advances a characterization of scale-up companies to enable a better basis for discussion. Finally, he identifies gaps in the existing literature and suggest paths for future research. Originality/value The interest in HGFs and those referred to as scale-ups has increased considerably in recent years. Despite this trend, existing studies still have conceptual divergences and a gap separating theoretical inputs from the actual experiences of entrepreneurs.