Purpose - The purpose of this study is to assess the process of early pre-internationalised and pre-market established born global company and to provide viable advice as to how to internationalise the Indian market which is psychically and geographically distant from the Swedish market.

Design/methodology/approach - This study follows a qualitative research approach with an inductive single case study design in order to examine in-depth the Swedish start-up, TurtleCare AB, throughout its internationalisation process. In terms of data collection, a triangulation method has been employed comprising both primary and secondary data.

Findings - The evidence suggests the entrepreneur partly acts under the effectuation logic, in the sense of reaching out and attempting to create network and partners, however, more notable is the market research and step-by-step causation process carried out by the decision-maker. Hence, the effectiveness of logic (causation or effectuation) applied is heavily dependent on the situation the company finds itself in. Among the possible market segments to be addressed in India, the most prominent ones are hospitality and tourism together with healthcare. In fact, the Indian market presents numerous opportunities for the foreign brand, however, crucial cultural factors influencing consumer behaviour must be considered when formulating a market entry strategy.

Research limitations - Research biases stem from chosen method and nature of data gathering as well as the extent of company research on foreign market/market entry and short observation time might have limited the outcome.

Practical implications - A real-life example of an entrepreneur's journey may not only serve as inspiration for future entrepreneurs but also, provide several insights for further research on born global internationalisation, particularly, in what concerns customer segmentation and market entry strategy within a challenging yet promising international business context.

Originality/value - The originality dwells in the assessment of the processes happening in a pre-internationalised Swedish born global firm that attempts to enter the Far East market, with a focus on entrepreneurial actions, opportunity perception and decision-making logic.