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The chapter is structured as follows: in the first part, we provide the framework for the analysis of the formation of the born global firm, whereas the entrepreneurial, strategic, and network-based factors are conceptually linked and leading toward a global champion. The analytical model proposes the analysis of strategic choices as defining factors at the level of entrepreneurial behavior, firm strategy, and network. The case study methodology is provided in the second part of the chapter. The third part provides the empirical linkages of entrepreneurial, strategy based, and network factors’ manifestations and underpinnings in R&D intensive entrepreneurial born global firms. These are followed by discussion and conclusions enclosing empirically grounded framework that explains the emergence of R&D intensive entrepreneurial-hidden champions from the perspective of entrepreneurial firm and network theories.

Born global firms undertake international business at or near their founding. In general, they are a type of highly international small and medium-sized enterprise. In the past two decades, born globals have emerged in substantial numbers worldwide, in conjunction with evolutionary trends in globalization and advanced information and communications technologies. In this paper, I summarize extant literature on born globals. I also address their role in the emergent field of international entrepreneurship and the linkage to national competitive advantage. Finally, I suggest numerous research directions on born globals, especially in the context of emerging markets.

The main aim of this research is to provide initial evidences on the internationalization process of the Internet of Things (IoT) firms, seeking to understand which international model could better capture their behavior in the exploration of new business opportunities. A web-based questionnaire has been developed and sent to a sample of IoT managers in order to understand how these firms set up new business in a global landscape. Findings show that the well-known Uppsala model seems to be exceeded in explaining the internationalization process of the IoT firms. These firms seem to be born-global firms in nature with a gradual approach to inter­nationalize. In particular, IoT firms seek to get a leading position within the domestic market before exploring foreign markets. Finally, the IoT managers confirmed these first evidences, highlighting that IoT firms are born global in nature with a gradual approach in exploring and exploiting new business opportunities abroad.

This chapter explores the role of diversity in the emergence of circular business models by focusing on circular economy innovative born-global start-ups. Diversity refers to a wide range of characteristics that differentiate an individual or group. These include legally protected and/or demographic characteristics, such as age, as well as identity-shaping characteristics, such as cognitive traits and experience. Diversity in organizations has been mostly explored in terms of the former, i.e., culture, age or ethnicity as a key factor in organizational innovation and enhanced performance. This chapter offers a more holistic view on the role of diversity in relation to emerging circular business models. It shows how diversity of previous knowledge, experience, ethnicity and the shared ideation of the organization's founders can be used as compatible and complementary inputs, which can lead to the emergence of a global circular business model by using integration, coordination and fast scaling up. The analysis is on the level of firm micro-foundations. Using data from three circular born-global companies from a single country context, the study identifies different types of diversity as contributing to the emergence of these business model and their configuration. We conclude that circular born-global business models are nurtured by the shared ideation and values of the business model founders, while the design of the business model is enabled by the diversity of competences and capabilities stemming from the founders' knowledge, past experience and diaspora networks. Such a perspective suggests that managers need to adopt a holistic approach in employing diversity in business model configuration in relation to common drivers and ideation, and organizational purpose.

While earlier research discussed networking and alliance strategies of born globals on a strategic level, this paper investigates and analyses the specific organizational skills that enable the firms to successfully initiate, manage and finish their R&D alliances with Multinational Enterprises (MNEs). It is discussed how the specific aspects of the alliance capability can help born globals to counteract the challenges and risks of collaborating with MNEs. A longitudinal process study of a Danish technology born global with three embedded cases of its R&D and marketing alliances with Asian MNEs is discussed. The organizational skills comprising the alliance capability are defined to be internal and external assessment skills, need detection and coupling skills, asset protection skills, project management skills, termination skills and the learning processes to build the alliance capability further. A set of propositions is developed to tie these organizational skills to alliance performance.

Using a series of case studies, we show that global mindset is at the heart of global growth and opportunity for entrepreneurial ventures. We review how having an entrepreneurial mindset and international experience influence the rapidity of internationalization by discussing the entrepreneurial process and how the global mindset of founders of born global firms influences their choices in the competitive landscape. This chapter closes with a discussion of a continuum — globalization frustrated (focusing on firms with entrepreneurs that have global mindsets but cannot internationalize) to globalization mandated (focusing on firms that are forced to be global).

The aim of this study is to examine how knowledge-intensive born global firms operating in international markets develop and maintain long-term relationships with their customers that insure their continued growth beyond the initial stage of internationalization. The study adopts a case study approach, focusing on two Indian born global firms operating with the knowledge-based services sector. The study shows that getting to know the customer intimately helps firms to retain customers over long periods of time. Customer-relationship management strategy is in line with the entrepreneurial orientation of the firms under consideration.

To analyze the internationalization pattern of newly established firms in view of Johanson and Vahlne’s (1977, 2009) contributions.

We analyze all 2,390 Norwegian new ventures established in 2003 that export in the period 2003–2011.

We find three different groups of exporters in this cohort: the True Born Globals that start exporting the same year as they are established, and that export further away and to more countries than the other groups. We surmise that these firms fit the revised version of the Uppsala school of internationalization (Johanson & Vahlne, 2009) and are less hindered by “liability of outsidership.” The second group, Born Regionals, export already the second year after foundation, but to countries closer to Norway but to more than one country. Late-comers – starting three years after foundation or later – follow a more traditional path to international markets more in accordance with the original contribution by Johanson and Vahlne (1977).

Our analyses are based on secondary data provided by Statistics Norway. Whereas this gives us data on the total population, we lack information on more specific factors that may explain this pattern more precisely.

This is to our knowledge the first contribution that tests elements of the Uppsala school (pace of international expansion and psychic distance) in a country’s total population of newly founded firms.

Is a born-global strategy reflective of high performance or are there merits in a regional strategy? In studying a sample of 32 internationalizing small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we find that many of the early internationalizing firms that formally meet the accepted “born-global criteria” are actually regional. With this concept as a starting point, this study aims to contribute to the literature on early internationalizing firms by comparing how born globals (BGs) and born regionals (BRs) differ in terms of the liability of foreignness, networking activities and performance. Our results indicate that both liability of foreignness and knowledge development in networks is more challenging for BGs than for BRs, and for this reason, BRs are likely to perform better than BGs. Hence, we identify a “born global disadvantage” stemming from a lack in the capacity of acquiring relevant foreign-market knowledge and tackling foreign-market institutions. The implications of the study highlight the need for researchers and practitioners to be more careful when using the concept of BG and to acknowledge that differences do exist between regional and global business strategies.

The purpose of this study is to advance our understanding of the difference between born globals and non-born globals. An Australian sample of 315 internationally active firms is surveyed using the mail questionnaire approach. After comparing born globals with other international firms, the results show about a quarter of the samples was born globals. The main differentiating attributes of the born globals versus non-born globals were their international performance, greater international commitment (willingness to invest resources into international ventures), smaller size of firms, and speed to market. Alternatively, there were several marketing capabilities, such as market orientation and brand adaptation, which were not superior for born globals.