Startups born global de créditos de carbono no Brasil: o papel do networking na construção da cadeia de valor relacional para vendas internacionais

Abstract

The carbon credit market has increasingly consolidated as a strategic instrument for climate change mitigation by integrating environmental sustainability, economic efficiency, and international cooperation. Within this context, the emergence of Brazilian digital startups structured as Born Global firms can be observed, as they engage in international markets from the early stages of their development, leveraging both the country’s environmental potential and the growing global demand for climate solutions. However, the internationalization of these startups takes place in an environment characterized by high institutional complexity, regulatory fragmentation, and strong reputational sensitivity, making the construction of trust and legitimacy a central strategic challenge. Against this backdrop, this dissertation aims to analyze how Brazilian Born Global carbon credit startups build and mobilize networking within value ecosystems to enable the commercialization of carbon credits in cross-border markets. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative approach, employing a research strategy based on the analysis of multiple startups and the inclusion of different actors within the carbon credit ecosystem, including founders, sales professionals, and auditors. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the ATLAS.ti software, based on analytical categories grounded in the literature on Born Global internationalization, network theory, and value ecosystems. The findings demonstrate that networking plays a structuring role in the internationalization process of the analyzed startups, functioning as the primary mechanism for accessing international markets, reducing informational asymmetries, and building legitimacy. Relationship networks involving certifiers, investors, clients, and digital platforms constitute the infrastructure of the carbon market’s value ecosystem, within which the value of carbon credits is relationally co-produced. Furthermore, the study shows that the construction of reputation, trust, and legitimacy occurs through mechanisms of relational governance, which are particularly relevant in a market frequently affected by credibility crises. By integrating theoretical insights with empirical evidence, the study proposes an analytical framework that systematizes the relational logic of the internationalization of Born Global carbon credit startups, articulating early international orientation, interconnected strategic networking, relational governance, and value creation. The conclusion is that the internationalization of these startups cannot be understood in an isolated or linear manner, but rather as a relational and ecosystem-based process in which networking constitutes a central strategic asset for enabling international carbon credit sales and for consolidating Brazil’s role in the global green economy.