•Data driven innovation is opening a new digitalization frontier.•We confirm the antecedents and effects of data driven innovation capability (DDIC).•We show how DDIC influences market agility and strategic performance. In the race to achieve market dominance and stay competitive in a disruptive and rapidly changing business environment, many firms have invested significantly in data-driven innovation capabilities (DDIC). Surprisingly, the role that strategic market agility plays in achieving a firm's competitiveness through DDIC is understudied. Addressing this gap, we conceptualize the DDIC research model using the resource-based view, dynamic capability, market orientation and disruptive innovation theory. We empirically test the model with survey data from 312 Australian managers. We illuminate the significance of strategic market agility as a key mediator between DDIC and strategic competitive performance. We discuss the implications of our findings for theoretical contributions and managerial implications.