Entrepreneurship in the age of the digital economy

The growth of digital technologies in the economy has created new opportunities for entrepreneurs and organisations (Berman, 2012). The digital world environment, supported by technological devices (e.g., mobile computing) and social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram), has opened new ways to create new digital business models and media channels (Vasconcelos & Rua, 2021; Ciasullo & Lim, 2022; Miháldinecz & Rua, 2022; Rodrigues et al., 2022). Multinational organisations, but also small companies, do all or most of their business on the web (e.g., Google, Amazon, Facebook) (Capatina & Rancati, 2017; Jeansson et al., 2017; Pinto & Silva, 2019). The unique characteristics of digital technologies have provided entrepreneurs and organisations with many tools that can be used to innovate and create new ventures (Berawi et al., 2020). For example, open innovation and crowdsourcing facilitate co-creation and customer feedback in the development of new products, services, websites or applications (Gassmann et al., 2010; Musiello-Neto et al., 2022; Rua et al., 2023). Similarly, crowdfunding platforms (e.g. Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Go Fund Me) have made it easier and faster to finance a social or business project (Bernardino & Freitas Santos, 2020). Because of the internet, new digital business models (e.g. freemium, subscription, on-demand, affiliate, drop shipping, consulting, advertising, blogging, digital media) exist and could be used to sell products and/or services. In addition, business models (features and value of offerings) would continue to evolve even after launch due to competition and environmental changes. Digital entrepreneurship is the practice of pursuing new venture opportunities offered by new media on internet technologies (Antonizzi & Smuts, 2020). Therefore, entrepreneurs and organisations in a digital economy need to be aware of market opportunities to develop new ideas and business models and communicate their value propositions to potential customers and investors (Nambisan, 2016). This special issue aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the digital economy, while addressing the question of how entrepreneurs and organisations are dealing with an increasingly digital world. The papers in this special issue present research findings from a variety of contexts. In the first article, Silva, Moutinho and Paço examine the relationships between entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship policies and e-commerce. In the article, the a