While previous studies focused on incremental internationalization of SMEs, Early Internationalization in developing countries received limited investigation. This study aims to comprehensively identify factors influencing Early Internationalization of Iranian SMEs under resource constraints. This qualitative study used twelve semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis yielded 655 initial codes, condensed to 52 axial themes and nine main themes. Early internationalization is attainable despite resource scarcity and influential factors are categorized into three levels: founder characteristics at the level of individual factors; product value creation features, market opportunity exploitation, marketing capabilities, operational and production infrastructures, networks and relationships, internal organizational competencies, and resource bricolage at the level of business capabilities; and external drivers at the level of environmental factors. This research uncovers new factors influencing internationalization in developing countries that were previously less emphasized on developed markets. The originality of this study lies in its focus on the early internationalization within the resource-constrained and institutionally void context of an emerging economy. By comprehensively examining the interplay between individual, business capability, and environmental factors, this research extends the current understanding of SME internationalization beyond traditional incremental models by providing empirical insights from a developing country perspective.