Born global firms

“Born global” refers to an organization that undertakes international business at or near its founding. The terms “international new ventures” and “global start-up” can also refer to the same concept. Internationalization can occur all along firms’ value chains, including sourcing, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution. When speaking of born global firms (“born globals”), however, scholars usually refer to outward internationalization in order to market and sell products or services in foreign markets. While the concept “born global” has gained wide usage, in fact, such companies are rarely “global” from inception. Such firms usually conduct business in a moderate number of countries, and the time period to initial expansion into foreign markets is typically three or fewer years, following the firm’s establishment in its domestic market.