<p>Empirical research on small ventures’ coopetition is scant, and little is known about trust in between small venture coopetition partners. We examine both proactive and reactive motivation for coopetition and the role of partner trust among 527 small ventures from multiple industries. We find both types of motivation to be directly and significantly related to mutual benefits and no difference in strength between the two relationships. We find that trust in coopetition partners as a moderating factor acts in interesting ways. We illustrate how these findings add new insights into and enhance our understanding of competition among small ventures.</p>