Title: “I Foresee the Rise of the Next Hype”: The Impact of Digital Technology Hype Prophecy on Venture Investment Likelihood

Speaker: Yingzhu Fu, Assistant Professor, Central South University

Host: Shike Li, Assistant Professor, ACEM, SJTU

Time:13:30–15:00, Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Venue: Room B207, Antai Building, Xuhui Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Brief introduction of the content:

This study introduces the concept of digital technology hype prophecy (hype-prophecy), defined as an entrepreneurial narrative that frames a venture’s core digital technology around a prospective future hype rather than a prevailing one. Drawing on and extending entrepreneurial narrative theory, we argue that hype-prophecy increases the likelihood of securing venture investment. We further propose that this effect is strengthened by the relatedness of major digital technology hypes in a narrative, and weakened by the narrative’s relevance to a past prevailing hype. Using machine-learning-based text analysis of first-hand business plans, archival investment records, and investor evaluation data from two studies of 562 active and pioneering digital technology ventures in China, we find support for our hypotheses. These findings advance entrepreneurial narrative theory by elucidating how different forms of technological articulation shape investment outcomes and contribute to the hype in entrepreneurship literature by offering new insights into the effects of distinct hypes in entrepreneurial narratives and the contingencies that condition their impact.

Speaker's profile:

Dr. Yingzhu Fu received his doctoral degree from IE Business School in Spain and completed his postdoctoral research at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business Management, School of Business, Central South University.

His research focuses on entrepreneurial decision-making and behavior in the opportunity identification process, as well as digital innovation and entrepreneurship. His research contexts include independent entrepreneurs, corporate entrepreneurs, and investors. His work has been published in leading international academic journals in entrepreneurship, such as Journal of Business Venturing, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Journal of Management Studies.

Welcome all!