This paper investigates foreign market entry considerations for a German technologically oriented solar energy start-up considering entering the U.S. The eclectic theory of entry mode choice model is complemented with other perspectives for an exploratory analysis. According to our single qualitative case-study, a start-up within this context typically chooses to enter the U.S. through strategic collaborative arrangements. The most significant risk comes from the foreign institutional environment and national differences, yet the existence of institutional and knowledge safeguards protects the proprietary firm-specific advantage in collaborative arrangements, moderating the risk. International experience of management and a sustained firm-specific technological advantage are important moderators of the risk from entering the foreign market with higher resource commitment and control. Industry-specific relevant international management experience is critical to ensure success from foreign market entry into the U.S. for a technologically oriented renewable energy start-up. Experience leverages existing foreign customer network, developing sustainable collaborative relationships for organisational learning opportunities, and hiring talent to nurture evolving technological organisational capabilities while investing continuously in R&D for developing firm-specific advantage. Growth orientation within the start-up enables risk appetite at an early stage of operations. The premise for such growth orientation lies in a unique firm-specific competitive advantage.