Fundraising in the US as an international founder means navigating a complex system where success requires mastering three distinct games simultaneously—metrics, network, and narrative—while US-based competitors only need to focus on one. International founders face 3x longer fundraising cycles despite representing 23% of unicorn founders, primarily because they miss the unspoken rules that govern US
US product-market fit for international companies is a dangerous myth—your American success metrics are actually predictive of international failure. After watching 500+ international founders enter the US market, we’ve discovered that the stronger your home market fit, the harder your US expansion becomes. Picture this: A European B2B SaaS founder sits across from us, radiating
If there’s one place that can’t get out of the headlines, it is Silicon Valley. The birthplace of many technology giants like eBay, Apple, and Adobe, and a new startup seemingly every day, it is hard to ignore as a hotbed for entrepreneurial activity. But Silicon Valley is not the only place to found a