Start-ups are often described as a driving force for economic development and employment growth. Promoting start-ups is a permanent task of economic policy. However, the number of start-ups in Germany is declining or stagnating. Consequently, the question of a change in the promotion of start-ups arises: What starting points can be found in recent start-up research? The examination of eight top journals of entrepreneurship research showed that the founder and financing issues are currently of great research interest. A comparison of the research topics with the current challenges of start-up support shows great similarities. Economic policy can benefit from research if, when formulating support measures, it takes into account not only individual factors that influence start-ups, but above all their causal relationships.