International Relocations of Startups from a Theory-Based View Perspective - Extended Abstract

Location shapes startups’ access to resources, legitimacy, and growth opportunities, yet little is known about what happens when startups relocate their main location across borders. We conceptualize international startup relocation as the movement of two core elements—the top management team and the legal seat—and develop a framework grounded in the theory-based view. The framework specifies four relocation scenarios (not triggered, necessary, desirable, rejected) and highlights how biases, coordination frictions, and execution barriers can create misalignment between normative implications and actual outcomes. By introducing international startup relocation as a distinct decision domain in international business and extending the theory-based view to international settings, this paper provides a foundation for research and offers practical insights for founders, investors, and policymakers.