This paper provides an evaluative overview of the new venture survival literature. Since Stinchcombe’s primary attempt to explain the mortality rates of new ventures, different research fields, including entrepreneurship, management and sociology, have devoted considerable attention to the antecedents of new venture survival. Despite this lively research commitment, a comprehensive review of the literature on new venture survival – as one of the most essential performance measures for new ventures – is missing. Covering 54 years of research, this paper provides an overview of the factors affecting new venture survival and highlights important methodological aspects in this research field. The review concludes by discussing opportunities for future research.
