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This study aims to analyze the university environment’s role in the intention–action gap (IAG)of highly successful startup founders in an emerging market.

Using multiple regression analysis, this study analyzed data collected from 314 founders representing 99 successful startups (289 valid observations), renowned for their high funding and value operating in an emerging market, Brazil.

The results demonstrate that extracurricular activities and exchange programs lead to a reduced IAG while living in a significant economic center extends it. Computer science and industrial engineering students show reduced IAGs. Studying together with future co-founders also leads to reduced gaps.

The study contributes to the microfoundations theory by presenting new interactions between students and the university environment that influence entrepreneurial action. Limitations are related to the sample, limited to Brazilian founders and selected only through venture capital firms’ filters.

This study also provides practical insights to the universities’ leaders on how they can create programs that improve the rate of startup creation, potentially leading to successful companies.

This study investigates the association between the university role and the entrepreneur’s IAG in emerging markets. The entrepreneur’s IAG is still a relatively new phenomenon explored in entrepreneurship. Even less understanding and limited empirical data exist on successful startups from emerging markets. This study drew on the microfoundations literature to answer how universities in emerging markets could address specific resources and entrepreneurship programs to reduce the IAG among students and alumni.