Title: Accelerating start-ups' internationalisation through networks: a comparative study

Authors: Hercules Kuster; Otávio Rezende

Addresses: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627 – Pampulha, Belo Horizonte – MG, 31270-901, Brazil ' Department of Creative Economy, Centro Universitário de Belo Horizonte (UNIBH), Av. Professor Mário Werneck, 1.685 – Buritis, Belo Horizonte – MG, 30575-180, Brazil

Abstract: With the global expansion of start-ups, seed accelerator programs have been gaining focus, and acting as a resource for the development and internationalisation of these companies. Concurrently, networks have been used as a tool, due to the benefits they bring along with the connections developed. This qualitative research seeks to understand the functionality of business networking for the internationalisation of start-ups, analysing how accelerators influence and manage this asset. For that, we have done a comparative analysis based on the perceptions of six business accelerators located in six different countries: Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Italy, Israel and Malaysia. The findings suggest that networks play an ultimate role in terms of acceleration of start-ups' internationalisation. It reduces uncertainties, fosters innovation, and eases access to partners and investors. Accelerators use institutional and business partnerships, as well as seminars and workshops to foster networks; they also reduce risks when entering new markets.

Keywords: business internationalisation; start-ups; seed accelerators; networks; comparative studies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSBA.2022.120054

International Journal of Strategic Business Alliances, 2022 Vol.7 No.1, pp.1 - 22

Received: 02 Mar 2019
Accepted: 06 Sep 2019
Published online: 06 Jan 2022 *

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