Research background and purpose:
The lack of a uniform definition of a start-up, together with the diversity of research scopes and methodologies adopted, creates an unclear image of the phenomenon, limiting the ability to identify the factors, regularities and processes that determine start-ups. The goal of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to analyse, evaluate, and systematise knowledge about research on start-ups and the definitions used therein. The review will not only classify existing findings, but also identify areas for future research that could improve our understanding of how start-ups can thrive and achieve success.

Design/methodology/approach:
This study includes a four-stage procedure covering a systematic literature review of start-up publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) from 2000 to 2025. The main analysis phase involves examining the co-occurrence and total link strength of keywords in 12 620 start-up publications in the fields of business, management, and accounting. Several cluster maps were created using the VOSviewer software. The next step will focus on evaluating the definition of a start-up and analysing the key findings from the most-cited publications.

Findings:
Our study identified six clusters grouping 126 keywords with at least five time of occurrence. We also identified emerging trends from the analysed literature Based on a review of various proposals, we have also identified common features of the start-up definition with use of ‘Mentefacto Conceptual’ model including superordination, exclusions, and infraordinations. This has resulted in the proposal of an original start-up definition.

Value added and limitations:
This article makes an important theoretical contribution by offering a foundation for the reliable assessment of start-up research. It provides entrepreneurs, investors and decision-makers with guidance on understanding the phenomenon, its characteristics and the key findings about the development and survival of start-ups.