Co-entrepreneurs in high-tech Born globals

Abstract

In the last few years we witnessed an enormous growth in the number of firms doing abroad since inception labelled as born globals or international ventures. Extant literature on SMEs internationalization as well as on born globals highlights their liabilities of newness and smallness. In order to overcome the lack of resources, these firms anchor their international operations on entrepreneurs’ social networks, especially in embryonic stages of their life cycles. Recognizing the relevance of personal ties for firms internationalisation, in present study we are interested on a deeper analysis, particularly in the roots and roles played by those relationships. Based on four case studies of high-tech born globals, the study shows how firms use the relationships for different purposes: opportunity framing; techlogical resource developeing; market facilitating; and credibility provision. Relationships are rooted in several environments, especially in the academia, friendships, business relationships, most part of them originated in entrepreneurs’ personal ties. The study also provides evidence concerning the dynamism of such relationships, same of them evolving from loose ties to very tight networks.