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14 - What Lies Ahead for Unicorns from Emerging Economies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2025

Veneta Andonova
Affiliation:
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
Diego Finchelstein
Affiliation:
Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina)
Juana García Duque
Affiliation:
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
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Summary

On the basis of the previous chapters, we summarise the dimensions along which unicorns from developed and emerging economies differ, recognising the relative strengths of the constituent elements of the entrepreneurial ecosystems of China, India, MENA, Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Russia as described in this book. This overview serves as a point of departure for researchers and policymakers in further assessing and understanding the transformational potential of unicorns for countries of the Global South. We offer a list of conjectures that require additional data, analysis and validation to find an answer to the overarching question: Will unicorns from emerging economies be able to materialise into significant and tangible economic and social improvements?

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