Digitalisation has disrupted society and academia, especially in international management with respect to resource exchange, value propositions and innovation processes. The connection among actors in open platforms is an example of how this challenge can drive innovation and improve ecosystems' viability. This research investigates how innovation practices have arisen from connectivity and actor engagement. We use a crowdfunding context to address how the linkages can be strategically designed to join actors and resources in service ecosystems. The paper describes how actors connect in crowdfunding ecosystems by highlighting three kinds of linkages that result in actor engagement, trigger innovation and impact ecosystem viability. Managers in international settings can facilitate the design of engagement platforms, and craft strategies that increase resource exchange and integration, to engage actors in innovation practices in order to impact the service ecosystem's viability.