Zombie Startup
정의
A zombie startup earns enough to survive but not enough to grow into venture outcomes, leaving investors stuck and founders grinding without a path to exit or scale.
투자유치 시 활용 방법
The zombie state usually follows raising venture money for a non-venture-scale business; the honest exits are profitability on purpose, sale, or wind-down.
자주 묻는 질문
How do startups become zombies?
Product-market fit in a market too small for the capital raised, or growth that plateaus after the preference stack already assumes scale.
What should a zombie startup do?
Choose deliberately: restructure toward profitability, seek acquisition while the team has value, or return remaining capital, rather than drifting.