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STEPUSA



STEP USA New York Program Nov. 7 – 12, 2021

November 7, 2021

********** ANGEBOT FÜR STARTUPS DEUTSCHLANDWEIT **********

Anmeldung: HIER

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STEP USA = Venture Capital | Investorenmeetings | Kundenmeetings | Workshops U.S.-Markteintritt

STEP USA ist ein 5-tägiges Startup Reiseprogramm, welches deutschen Startups den Markteintritt in die USA erleichtert. Es wurde bislang 26x veranstaltet, das Alumni-Netzwerk umfasst mittlerweile 360 Startups aus ganz Deutschland, 65 U.S.-Firmengründungen sind daraus hervorgegangen und über 30 Startups erhielten ein Series A / B Investment in den USA. Seit August 2020 gibt es auch das STEP USA Virtual Programm, welches wir 3x erfolgreich durchgeführt haben.

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Die Reise umfasst ein 5-tägiges Startup-Programm in New York.  In dieser Zeit erhalten die Teilnehmer einen faszinierenden Einblick in das dynamische New Yorker Startup Ökosystem. Ziel ist, sie mit passenden U.S. Venture Capital Investoren, amerikanischen Kundenund Experten rund um das Thema Markterschliessung zu vernetzen und den Unternehmen einen entscheidenden Vorteil zu geben.

In passgenauen Workshops werden diese Themen behandelt (Auswahl):

          1. Wirtschaftlicher Überblick USA – Chancen für Startups während Corona 
          2. Erfolgreich U.S. Venture Capital einwerben: Best Practices
          3. Rechtliche Grundlagen des U.S. Marktaufbaus
          4. Insights zu den Startup-Ökosystemen New York, Boston & Silicon Valley
          5. Wirkungsvolle PR- und Marketingmaßnahmen, die in den USA funktionieren
          6. Erfolgreiche Vertriebsstrategien & Product Market Fit

Ergänzt wird das Programm um:

          1. Netzwerk Events mit passenden VC – Investoren
          2. Startup Insights: in New York erfolgreich etablierte Startups geben einen Einblick in ihre Geschäftsstrategien
          3. Fireside Chats mit etablierten Partnern im New Yorker Startup Ökosystem
          4. Besuche von Acceleratoren und wissenschaftlichen Einrichtungen vor Ort

Upgrade: Intros zu passenden Geschäftskontakten:

           1. Shortlist mit bis zu 10 Firmenkontakten zu passenden US-Geschäftspartnern (Basispreis + EUR 250)
           2. Shortlist mit bis zu 10 Firmenkontakten zu passenden US-Geschäftspartnern und 2 arrangierten Treffen vor Ort (Basispreis + EUR 500)

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Basispreis: EUR 3000,- (zuzüglich Flug, Verpflegung und Unterkunft)

Ort: New York City

Maximale Delegationsgröße: 15 Startups (pro Startup dürfen 2 Personen teilnehmen)

Voraussetzungen: skalierbares Geschäftsmodell, klare internationale Ausrichtung

Anmeldung: HIER

Anmeldeschluss: 30.9.2021

Rückfragen: Andrea Diewald, adiewald@gaccny.com

Tagged With: business, GACC NY, innovation, internationalization, startup, STEPUSA, VC



STEP USA New York Program Sept. 26 – Oct. 1, 2021 (Saxony Startups only)

September 26, 2021

STEP USA = Venture Capital | Investorenmeetings | Kundenmeetings | Workshops U.S.-Markteintritt

STEP USA ist ein 5-tägiges Startup Reiseprogramm, welches deutschen Startups den Markteintritt in die USA erleichtert. Es wurde bislang 26x veranstaltet, das Alumni-Netzwerk umfasst mittlerweile 360 Startups aus ganz Deutschland, 65 U.S.-Firmengründungen sind daraus hervorgegangen und über 30 Startups erhielten ein Series A / B Investment in den USA. Seit August 2020 gibt es auch das STEP USA Virtual Programm, welches wir 3x erfolgreich durchgeführt haben.

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Die Reise umfasst ein 5-tägiges Startup-Programm in New York.  In dieser Zeit erhalten die Teilnehmer einen faszinierenden Einblick in das dynamische New Yorker Startup Ökosystem. Ziel ist, sie mit passenden U.S. Venture Capital Investoren, amerikanischen Kundenund Experten rund um das Thema Markterschliessung zu vernetzen und den Unternehmen einen entscheidenden Vorteil zu geben.

In passgenauen Workshops werden diese Themen behandelt (Auswahl):

          1. Wirtschaftlicher Überblick USA – Chancen für Startups während Corona 
          2. Erfolgreich U.S. Venture Capital einwerben: Best Practices
          3. Rechtliche Grundlagen des U.S. Marktaufbaus
          4. Insights zu den Startup-Ökosystemen New York, Boston & Silicon Valley
          5. Wirkungsvolle PR- und Marketingmaßnahmen, die in den USA funktionieren
          6. Erfolgreiche Vertriebsstrategien & Product Market Fit

Ergänzt wird das Programm um:

          1. Netzwerk Events mit passenden VC – Investoren
          2. Startup Insights: in New York erfolgreich etablierte Startups geben einen Einblick in ihre Geschäftsstrategien
          3. Fireside Chats mit etablierten Partnern im New Yorker Startup Ökosystem
          4. Besuche von Acceleratoren und wissenschaftlichen Einrichtungen vor Ort

Upgrade: Intros zu passenden Geschäftskontakten:

           1. Shortlist mit bis zu 10 Firmenkontakten zu passenden US-Geschäftspartnern (Basispreis + EUR 250)
           2. Zwei passend arrangierte Treffen mit US-Geschäftspartnern vor Ort (Basispreis + EUR 500)

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Basispreis: EUR 3000,- (zuzüglich Flug, Verpflegung und Unterkunft)

Ort: New York City

Maximale Delegationsgröße: 15 Startups (pro Startup dürfen 2 Personen teilnehmen)

Voraussetzungen: skalierbares Geschäftsmodell, klare internationale Ausrichtung

Anmeldung: HIER

Anmeldeschluss: 30.6.2021

Rückfragen: Andrea Diewald, adiewald@gaccny.com

Tagged With: business, GACC NY, innovation, international, internationalization, networking, startup, STEPUSA, VC



STEP USA New York Program June 6-11, 2021

June 6, 2021

********** ANGEBOT FÜR STARTUPS DEUTSCHLANDWEIT **********

Anmeldung: HIER

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

STEP USA = Venture Capital | Investorenmeetings | Kundenmeetings | Workshops U.S.-Markteintritt

STEP USA ist ein 5-tägiges Startup Reiseprogramm, welches deutschen Startups den Markteintritt in die USA erleichtert. Es wurde bislang 26x veranstaltet, das Alumni-Netzwerk umfasst mittlerweile 360 Startups aus ganz Deutschland, 65 U.S.-Firmengründungen sind daraus hervorgegangen und über 30 Startups erhielten ein Series A / B Investment in den USA. Seit August 2020 gibt es auch das STEP USA Virtual Programm, welches wir 3x erfolgreich durchgeführt haben.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Die Reise umfasst ein 5-tägiges Startup-Programm in New York.  In dieser Zeit erhalten die Teilnehmer einen faszinierenden Einblick in das dynamische New Yorker Startup Ökosystem. Ziel ist, sie mit passenden U.S. Venture Capital Investoren, U.S. Kunden und Experten zu vernetzen und den Unternehmen einen entscheidenden Vorteil zu geben.

In passgenauen Workshops werden diese Themen behandelt (Auswahl):

          1. Wirtschaftlicher Überblick USA – Chancen für Startups während Corona
          2. Erfolgreich U.S. Venture Capital einwerben: Best Practices
          3. Rechtliche Grundlagen des U.S. Marktaufbaus
          4. Insights zu den Startup-Ökosystemen New York, Boston & Silicon Valley
          5. Wirkungsvolle PR- und Marketingmaßnahmen, die in den USA funktionieren
          6. Erfolgreiche Vertriebsstrategien & Product Market Fit

Ergänzt wird das Programm um:

          1. Netzwerk Events mit passenden VC – Investoren
          2. Startup Insights: in New York erfolgreich etablierte Startups geben einen Einblick in ihre Geschäftsstrategien
          3. Fireside Chats mit etablierten Partnern im New Yorker Startup Ökosystem
          4. Besuche von Acceleratoren und wissenschaftlichen Einrichtungen vor Ort

Upgrade: Intros zu passenden Geschäftskontakten:

           1. Shortlist mit bis zu 10 Firmenkontakten zu passenden US-Geschäftspartnern (Basispreis + EUR 250)
           2. Shortlist mit bis zu 10 Firmenkontakten zu passenden US-Geschäftspartnern und 2 arrangierten Treffen vor Ort (Basispreis + EUR 500)

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Basispreis: EUR 3000,- (zuzüglich Flug, Verpflegung und Unterkunft)

Ort: New York City

Maximale Delegationsgröße: 15 Startups (pro Startup dürfen 2 Personen teilnehmen)

Voraussetzungen: skalierbares Geschäftsmodell, klare internationale Ausrichtung

Anmeldung: HIER

Anmeldeschluss: 16. 05. 2021

Rückfragen: Andrea Diewald, adiewald@gaccny.com

Tagged With: business, GACC NY, innovation, internationalization, networking, startup, STEPUSA



STEP USA Virtual Program March 8 – 11, 2021

March 8, 2021

STEP USA Virtual: 4-day boot camp on how to enter the U.S. Market 

Get a head-start on your future U.S. market expansion!

Register here: http://www.stepusa.io/registration

The German American Chamber of Commerce New York introduced the STEP USA program in 2014. Since then, more than 300 companies participated in the program and are now part of our Alumni Network. Following the proven track-record of STEP USA, we created STEP USA  virtual, a 4-day immersion program for startups and entrepreneurs uniquely designed and adapted in direct response to the current needs of startups to enable companies to join and work from anywhere.

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Your package includes:

Participation in the basic 4-day virtual program (up to 2 people from one startup) from March 8 – 11, 2021

STEP USA VIRTUAL program participation fee: EUR 750,- per company

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STEP USA VIRTUAL Agenda at a Glance:

March 8 – 11, 2021 

 

Monday
15:00 – 16:00 Welcome & Founder Introductions 
16:00 – 16:30 U.S. Economic Update
This session will provide insights and a snapshot of changes in the current U.S. economy.
16:30 – 17:30 Legal, Employment & U.S. Incorporation
A holistic view of the fundamentals of doing business in the U.S. and important factors to consider.
17:45 – 18:45 Insights into U.S. Tech Ecosystems: Boston, New York & Silicon Valley
Regional experts will discuss top innovation outposts in the U.S. and share insights on how these world-class startups thrive.
Tuesday
14:45 – 15:00 Daily Check-in
15:00 – 16:30 Power of Messaging & Storytelling
Learn to develop a clear and direct message and achieve a well-crafted sales, marketing and fundraising pitch.
16:30 – 18:00 IP Law: How to protect your product / service in the U.S.
17:45 – 18:45 Founder Networking & Best Practices Exchange
Wednesday
14:45 – 15:00 Daily Check-in
15:00 – 16:30 Sales & Productivity Market Fit
Get expert advice on your product and if it’s delivering the needs of your target customers.
16:45 – 18:00 Why Startups need PR?
Thursday
14:45 – 15:00  Daily Check-in
15:00 – 16:15 Investor Insight and Current State of Funding & Raising Capital
Deep dive into how international companies raise money from U.S. investors and current investment landscape from expert investors.
16:30 – 18:00 Networking with U.S. based founders & industry experts 
18:00 – 19:00 Wrap-up & Evaluation

Please note that the agenda is subject to change and will be adapted to the needs of the participants. All times are in German time zone. 

Tagged With: GACC NY, innovation, internationalization, networking, startup, STEPUSA, webinar

STEP USA Alumnus MyPostcard ranks 28th in the Technology Fast 50 – Germany’s fastest growing technology company.

January 7, 2021

With 267,48 percent growth, STEP USA alumnus MyPostcard ranks 28th in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 in 2020, making it one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Germany.

Berlin, December 2nd, 2020 – MyPostcard receives the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award. Rankings are based on the percentage of sales growth over the last four financial years (2016-2019). MyPostcard achieved growth of 267,48 percent in this period. The self-developed technology of the Berlin company contributed significantly to this sales growth.

The MyPostcard app allows its users to design and send personalized greetings featuring their own photos as real printed postcards. MyPostcard takes care of printing and international delivery. With three million downloads, the Berlin-based company is now the most successful and, with a rating of 4.6 stars, the most popular postcard app, making it the German market leader in the postcard app sector. MyPostcard brings the good old postcard into the digital age.

Marco Hülsmann, COO and CTO of MyPostcard, considers the turnover growth rate of 267,48 percent over the last four years to be particularly positive. “One of our particular strengths has always been our clear focus on technology. However, the last year in particular has shown us that innovation and flexibility are important attributes for scalability. That and our first-class team are the reason why we were able to further expand our market leadership, ”says Hülsmann.

“The winners of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 show how innovation and entrepreneurial success can be combined through their products and services”, explains Dr. Andreas Gentner, Partner and Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications EMEA at Deloitte. “I wish our participants and award winners all the best for their entrepreneurial future. Their success makes the future look bright for Germany as a tech location. “

About STEP USA

STEP USA is a 5-day startup boot camp launched and organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce New York (GACC NY). A highly successful program, it focuses on facilitating U.S. market access for young innovative companies and takes place four times a year. It also exists in a virtual format. STEP USA prides itself on having created a network of more than 300 STEP USA alumni, more than 60 U.S. incorporations, and 35 investment rounds. It is tailored to the needs of startups who intent to scale their business internationally.

About MyPostcard

The postcard of tomorrow: MyPostcard is Germany’s most successful postcard app, letting customers send their own photos as real printed postcards. The app is currently available in ten languages and is home to the world’s largest collection of postcards for sale with more than 50,000 designs available. With the help of an international network of printing houses, MyPostcard takes care of printing and delivering the personalized postcards. Founder and CEO is Oliver Kray, a designer and serial entrepreneur. The company is headquartered in Berlin with an additional office in New York and currently employs 30 staff. It is ranked among the top 1000 fastest growing companies in Europe according to the Financial Times, even achieving place 19 in the ecommerce sector.

 

Filed Under: In the Media, News, STEP USA Ambassador, Success Stories Tagged With: alumni stories, business, GACC NY, internationalization, networking, startup, STEPUSA

The STEP USA program has opened many doors for us!

January 5, 2021

STEP USA is a 5-day startup boot camp launched and organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce New York (GACC NY). A highly successful program, it focuses on facilitating U.S. market access for young innovative companies and takes place four times a year in New York. It also exists in a virtual format. STEP USA prides itself on having created a network of more than 360 STEP USA alumni, around 65 U.S. incorporations, and 35 investment rounds. It is tailored to the needs of startups who intent to scale their business internationally. 

The GACC NY is featuring selected STEP USA Alumni, calling these founders “STEP USA Ambassadors”.

“The STEP USA program has opened many doors for us!”

Located in the heart of Hamburg, Nitrobox GmbH was founded in August 2012 and currently employs 40 people. In February 2020, the successful fintech company won Porsche Ventures and NeueCapital Partners as investors, raising a first institutional investment. Nitrobox is growing rapidly and has just won the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award – being one of the Top 10 growing software companies in Germany. In March 2019, CEO Henner Heistermann joined us for our STEP USA program in New York. Today he talks with us about their U.S. market plans and their most valuable take-aways from the STEP USA program in New York.

GACC NY: Henner – congrats on your investment! Tell us about what Nitrobox does and what makes you so successful?

Henner Heistermann: Good seeing you again – it’s been a while since we were in New York. Generally speaking, we are a fintech company located in Hamburg. We develop a SaaS solution that enables our enterprise customers to monetize digital business models such as subscriptions or pay-per-use very quickly. Nitrobox is a smart technology that combines all the necessary functions in a central platform and thus enables companies to handle their digital revenue and accounting processes from anywhere in the world – almost in real-time and very cost-effectively. Customers love about our product that they can integrate our software into their existing systems. We use state-of-the-art API interfaces that make it possible to quickly extract and process the necessary data from existing financial systems and providers.

GACC NY: How are things working out for Nitrobox in the current economic crisis?

Henner Heistermann: The Corona pandemic is taking its toll on all of us, both in our private and business lives – no doubt about that. In the beginning, our greatest concern was what impact the crisis would have on our customers. Because if they were affected, so would we. Some of our most important customers are well-known automobile manufacturers and mobility providers. And as we all know – the crisis had a massive impact on this industry. On the other hand, however, the crisis has boosted many digital projects in the automotive world.

GACC NY: Are there things going better for you than you expected?

Henner Heistermann: Oh yes, this also surprised us at first. Our customers’ digital projects, in which we had already been involved in the planning and expansion, all of a sudden experienced a real boost. Even additional projects such as online car sales were brought forward so that the crisis did by no means have a negative impact on our business. We are of course very pleased about this.

GACC NY: That’s really wonderful to hear. What do you consider the greatest success in your company’s history?

Henner Heistermann: About two years ago, we won Porsche as a new customer. Porsche recognized the importance of digital business models early on and saw our solution as a strategic building block for their company. During the initial talks, it very quickly became clear that we share the same ideas and visions. The implementation of various projects went very smoothly. It’s a great feeling that such a renowned company has chosen our product, believes in our vision and continuously handles further digital business models via our platform. In early 2020, Porsche together with a US venture capital fund invested in our company This is, of course, a fantastic success for the Nitrobox and a tremendous vote of confidence.

GACC NY: Looking back, is there ‘a lesson learned’ that you can share with us?

Henner Heistermann: Sure! For our product, we initially had a completely different target group in mind. At first, we didn’t offer our solution to the large enterprise companies that we count among our customers today. We were very active in the midmarket segment. But that was not as successful as we had hoped, because our solution suits large companies much better. Our product-market fit was simply not ideal. When we realized that, we had to completely realign our marketing and sales processes. That was a tremendous challenge, which we, fortunately, managed to master in a short time. In retrospect, we should have focused on large enterprises right from the start. That was an important learning experience for us.

GACC NY: Thanks for sharing this! Can you please tell us why the U.S. market is important for you?

Henner Heistermann: Well, in Germany, many companies are very reluctant to adopt new business models – although they should do so particularly right now. They still tend to rely more on so-called “good old German engineering”.

Companies in the U.S., however, are generally more open to new ideas. This is probably due to the fact that they recognized early on that new business models will establish themselves very quickly because customers are increasingly demanding flexible digital services. The most important thing on the US market is 100% customer happiness, a unique selling proposition that every company strives for: returning, happy customers who are then also willing to buy more.

Companies like Uber, Netflix, and Amazon are excellent examples of what the subscription economy has produced and made successful. We at Nitrobox are going a step further. We are enabling “pay by use” business models. Conventional American software products in that segment tend to usually be cumbersome, often too expensive, not very flexible, and designed for only one use case. Nitrobox, however, can be used worldwide in any language, in any currency, and with high flexibility to adapt – for any new business model. The best part is that there is no need for lengthy and cost-intensive adaptations to the client’s existing software systems.

As a result, we help our clients save up to 75% of their costs in the order-to-cash process – money they can invest in new digital business models. Many American companies are quick at starting innovative projects. In my estimation, Germany still needs about one to two years in this process.

GACC NY: Is that why you joined our STEP USA program in March 2019?

Henner Heistermann: Yes, absolutely. When we heard about the STEP USA program, my co-founder Sven and I were immediately thrilled. Within that one week I spent in New York, we got an excellent overview of the U.S. market. In the course of the STEP USA program, we got important introductions to potential partners and investors. When we came to New York, we already had the first customers using our product in the U.S. and it was clear to us that we wanted to enter the world’s largest market for business software in the medium term.

GACC NY: What is your most valuable takeaway from the STEP USA program as an entrepreneur?

Henner Heistermann: The STEP USA program was a great experience for us as entrepreneurs. We had the chance to learn firsthand what is important when establishing a subsidiary in the States, where the special challenges lie, and where to get support. A real highlight was the STEP USA Pitch Night at the “Deutsche Bank Labs” directly on Broadway in New York. As a comparatively young start-up from Germany, we had the unique opportunity to put all the experience and input we gained from participating in the STEP USA program directly into practice in order to convince potential partners and investors at the pitch. And, this much I can say, exciting discussions and contacts have developed, which now need to be intensified. We are therefore very confident about our business activities in the U.S. market.

GACC NY: In your opinion, what do startups generally underestimate when coming to the U.S.?

Henner Heistermann: I am convinced that the best way to be successful as a German company in the U.S. is by having a sustainable network with good local partners. I think that is underestimated by many entrepreneurs at the beginning of their U.S. business start. In all industries, the companies there are very well connected and form alliances to benefit from each other. As a German company, it is often not easy to find the right “door opener”. In addition, as a non-American, you first have to learn and understand the market, the culture, and the way of doing business. The U.S. market has many rules of its own and many unwritten laws that you have to know and understand. A local business partner can be very helpful and save you from unnecessary harm.

GACC NY: Is there a success story that has its roots in the STEP USA Program?

Henner Heistermann: Whenever we talk to potential customers from the U.S. today, the knowledge from the STEP USA program is of great benefit to us. In the course of the program, we have learned a lot of practical tools that work very well, such as: How do you pitch your company to an American investor? How does a conversation with an interested American business partner work? What legal hurdles could there be? This knowledge in the back of our minds helps us a lot in business conversations today and has already opened the door for more projects. I believe that without this important experience from the STEP USA program, we would have learned things the hard way much more. We are very grateful for this.

GACC NY: Wow, that’s wonderful to hear! So, what are your next steps?

Henner Heistermann: We have many plans for the upcoming year. Among other things, we will focus more strongly on the U.S. market. To this end, we are planning on opening an office in New York City. This is of course a big step for Nitrobox. Besides Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Cracow, New York would be our fourth location. That’s a big deal for us, and one in which we could certainly use some know-how and support. We also looking into strategically expanding our network in the United States, creating awareness for our company and our smart solution. We appreciate very much having the opportunity of being part of the STEP USA Ambassador Club. Thank you – that makes us very proud.

GACC NY: Henner, thanks so much for taking the time for this interview and all the best for Nitrobox!

Filed Under: Blog, Interview, NYC Ecosystem, STEP USA Ambassador, Success Stories Tagged With: alumni stories, business, GACC NY, innovation, internationalization, Interview, networking, startup, STEPUSA, VC

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  • STEP USA Alumnus Wealthpilot raises 8 mio EUR
  • STEP USA Alumnus MyPostcard ranks 28th in the Technology Fast 50 – Germany’s fastest growing technology company.
  • The STEP USA program has opened many doors for us!
  • “Change – it’s a chance, not a threat!”
  • STEP USA Alumnus Gridscale raises 7-digit investment

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