Abstract This paper examines what can explain and facilitate scale-up firms and explore how their growth is connected to scalable business model innovation (SBMI) and internationalization. The main findings of the study were that a clear product-market fit is found to be an important prerequisite to SBMI. Our analysis shows a strong link between global mindset, customer switching costs, product-market fit, and SBMI. We posit that SBMI significantly predicts firm internationalization and growth. Using Norwegian scale-ups as the empirical context, we provide empirical evidence of the role of SBMI in the internationalization and growth of entrepreneurial firms. Regarding the characteristics of entrepreneurs, we found that a proactive and global mindset is crucial for being able to seize opportunities, scale the business model, and reach international markets.