Last week, the 15 EIC-backed companies taking part in the EIC Soft-landing Programme in San Francisco and Silicon Valley (19 – 24 May 2024) received exceptional and in-person support from top local domain experts and had access to specialised training, pitching, and networking activities. Additionally, they benefited from targeted market insights and warm introductions to key stakeholders, including leading investors and corporations. The great success of this programme is also due to the outstanding support of its partners, who engage in fruitful collaborations with the EIC to provide the companies with excellent mentorship.
For the latest edition of the Programme in the USA, the EIC counted with the support of the experienced investor and entrepreneur, Jillian Manus, Managing Partner at Structure Capital and U.S. Venture Advisor for the EIC. The Programme brought along key innovation partners in the U.S. such as Stanford University School of Medicine, INSEAD San Francisco Hub, NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center, San Francisco Bay Area Council, and the Commonwealth Club World Affairs.
Jillian’s work and support was crucial to guarantee the success of this last edition, as she leveraged her extensive network of contacts in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and offered her comprehensive expertise to prepare the 15 EIC awardees for the Soft-landing closing week. As she mentioned recently in her interview anticipating the Soft-landing week in May 2024, the exposure these companies receive is “invaluable”.
The engagement between the participants and the partners is, by itself, an exclusive and unique networking opportunity for the EIC awardees during the programme. But, the close contact and guidance from industry leaders also sets the tone for the level of quality and hard-work expected to enter international innovation ecosystems, such as Silicon Valley.
According to Jillian, there are 10 steps that must be followed in the internationalisation process within the US market, in particular:
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Market Research
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IP Protection,
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Product Development,
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Regulatory Compliance,
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Distribution Strategy,
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Marketing and Branding,
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Sales & Distribution,
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Customer Support, and
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Scaling and
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Nonstop Improvement.
Experts for each step educate the EIC-backed companies, while ensuring they receive personalised insights and relevant interpersonal skills that are vital in building trust with investors and potential partners.
The strong collaboration between the EIC and local partners strengthens the connection between European innovation and renowned international innovation ecosystems, and is key to attract scaleups looking to gain credibility and expand business prospects by the hand of worldwide experts.
About the EIC Soft-landing Programme
Following the EIC International Trade Fairs & USA Soft-landing Programme 3.0 success, the EIC Soft-landing initiative has now its own programme. This new exclusive business acceleration service provides customised guidance and the adequate tools for EIC awardees who have launched and gained traction abroad and want to expand to a new market without keeping their attention away from their main operations at home.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the programme and our open calls, please visit our page in the EIC Community.
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DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.