Startup Studio
Also Known As
A startup studio is synonymous with venture studio—an organization that builds multiple startups internally by providing resources, teams, and capital from idea to launch.
Startup Studio Definition
Startup studio is often used interchangeably with "venture studio" to describe organizations that systematically build companies from scratch. The term emphasizes the creative, iterative nature of company building—similar to how a film studio produces multiple movies.
Origin of the Term
Bill Gross founded Idealab in 1996, pioneering the startup studio model. The "studio" terminology draws parallels to Hollywood studios that have infrastructure, talent, and processes to produce multiple films. Similarly, startup studios have the infrastructure to produce multiple companies.
Startup Studio vs Venture Studio
While often used interchangeably, some practitioners distinguish:
- Startup Studio: May not have an attached VC fund; builds companies with studio resources
- Venture Studio: Often combines a startup studio with a venture capital fund for investment
In practice, both terms describe the same model of systematic company creation.
Example Usage
“The startup studio model allows serial entrepreneurs to work on multiple ideas simultaneously.”