Abstract
Explanations of internationalization focus on knowledge and experience accumulation over time. Research on international new ventures (INVs) suggests that young companies may follow an accelerated expansion strategy, mainly based on the knowledge of the entrepreneur or that of associated outsiders. Research on the role of venture capitalists' knowledge in the internationalization process has been sparse, despite their acknowledged role as providers of knowledge and networks in addition to financial capital. By deconstructing knowledge types relevant to internationalization, we explore their source in the entrepreneur-venture capitalist dyad. We utilize the literature on ambidexterity as a lens through which we examine potential substitution effects, and suggest a number of propositions as a basis for future empirical research.