We examine the rise of cloud computing in China and its impact on industry dynamics. We find that industries which depend more on cloud infrastructure experience a higher increase in firm entry and exit after cloud computing expands in China. The positive relation with firm exit is driven by the increased exit through business failure and adjustments as well as the increase in the exit of less productive incumbents. Despite the large numbers of firms that exit, the number of firms increases as entryaccelerates and the competition increases in industries with more exposure to cloud infrastructure. The average age of firms also becomes younger in industries with more exposure to cloud infrastructure. Finally, we show that equity financing increases for industries impacted by cloud computing and the positive impact is more pronounced
for younger firms. These findings point to increased competition and increased industry churn through the technological effects of cloud computing.
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