The role of digitization in developing startup companies: Yassir Company’s experience
Keywords:
digitization, entrepreneurial ecosystems, knowledge spillovers, emerging markets, AlgeriaAbstract
This study examines digitization's dual role as both an internal operational tool and an external ecosystem catalyst, a mechanism poorly understood in emerging market contexts. Through a descriptive-analytical case study of Yassir, an Algerian startup founded in 2017, the research identifies three inter-organizational influence mechanisms: knowledge transfer via technical consulting, collaborative partnerships through infrastructure sharing, and competitive demonstration effects accelerating digital adoption among peer ventures. Yassir's digital infrastructure, encompassing GPS integration, AI-driven personalization, and data analytics, enabled rapid multi-service expansion while generating positive spillovers for the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, including technical training programs and partnership opportunities for resource-constrained startups. Theoretically, the study extends digitization frameworks beyond firm-level efficiency gains to encompass ecosystem-level network externalities and knowledge diffusion dynamics. Empirically, it provides detailed documentation of these mechanisms within an understudied Arab market characterized by regulatory challenges and institutional constraints. Findings indicate that entrepreneurs should leverage digitization as a knowledge-sharing platform, while policymakers should design support mechanisms that incentivize collaborative digital initiatives to accelerate collective ecosystem development.
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