Early and Fast Internationalisation of High-tech Start-up Firms

This paper analyses the research problem of the significance of early and fast internationalisation and how and why high-tech start-up firms (HSFs) from small and open economies (SMOPECs) differ in their internationalisation speed. For this purpose, the paper samples Switzerland as a developed economy and Paraguay as an emerging economy. This paper is based on the conceptual framework of the ‘born global firm’ (BGF) theory and the reviewed and updated Uppsala internationalisation process model.Design/methodology/approach: The research questions will be answered using a comparative multiple case study research design. Data will be collected through multiple sources of evidence, including semi-structured, in-depth, individual face-to-face interviews with subject-matter experts (SMEs), field notes, corporate brochures, business plans and reviews, culminating in a reflection of the data collected. After drawing a random sample from a database of Swiss and Paraguayan HSFs, some typical cases are selected. The Swiss (Paraguayan) sub-sample comprises 20 (12) SMEs who are CxOs, owners and founders. These people have expertise and knowledge as entrepreneurs and managers in technology management as well as fundraising.Findings: The results of the research reveal that the speed of internalisation is influenced by factors such as the skills of an entrepreneur and the management team, their international networking and learning skills, the business model and the pricing strategies of the HSF, market selection, the market entry mode, the successful implementation of a structured market-development process, uniqueness of the technology and the product portfolio, availability of market opportunities and the size of the home market. Furthermore, the results show significant differences between HSFs from developed and emerging SMOPECs concerning the importance of these factors for early and fast internationalisation.Research/practical implications: The implications for practice, applications and consequences are identified. The outcomes will support policy makers, educators, investors as well as founders and managers to identify the respective key success factors for successful internationalisation and provide the required resources, including capital, processes and know-how. Future research can analyse the effect of location in cross-national studies with additional emerging and developed SMOPECs.Originality/value: The findings of this qualitative multiple case study research project contribute to the field of research on international entrepreneurship because they will help researchers to better understand the significance of early and fast internationalisation and how and why HSFs from emerging and developed SMOPECs differ in their speed of internationalisation. In addition, the findings contribute to managerial practice because they will help managers and founders of HSFs from emerging and developed SMOPECs to develop new foreign markets earlier and faster.