This is an on-going study in which we explore inductively start-up coaches’ role in developing an entrepreneurial identity in researchers and having impact in research institutions. Our initial working hypothesis was that start-up coaches can play a relevant role in embedding an entrepreneurial mindset in researchers, or steering researchers towards an entrepreneurial horizon. Contrary to our working hypothesis, we found that start-up coaches’ strong commitment with neutrality prevents them from doing so. Coaches’ work consists on helping researchers to reflect on their main intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to create a start-up, and on both the impact and consequences of creating a start-up. After such reflection researchers have to decide whether they want to engage in a process of creating a start-up. During this reflexive process coaches adopt different coaching approaches depending on researchers’ intrinsic or extrinsic motivations to engage in commercializing their own research. Governmental funding to support the transfer of research to society allows both researchers and coaches to enter into a transitional process of venture creation during which researchers may or may not adopt an entrepreneurial identity. Based on our findings, we suggest that start-up coaches contribute to societal impact of research in several ways.