StepOne Blog

After three intensive and enlightening days, the summer course, “Challenges Awaiting Spanish Companies in the US” ended Wednesday, July 1. The course took place over three days at the Palacio Magdalena, a royal castle that is the most visited site in Santander, Spain.

In attendance were government representatives from multiple Spanish and US bodies, serial entrepreneurs from Spain and the US, business executives, venture capital investors, Stanford University representatives, and of course, StepOne co-founders Bernardo Hernández and Germán Loperena.

Students attending the course mostly came from the Spanish tech community and were considering making the move to the US within the next two years. The prestigious UIMP Summer Course curriculum provided with critical insights into the challenges they will face when they decide to make the move. The course was a success for all. Many thanks to those who were viewing the content live on the web, and particularly to those who were able to contribute questions to the presenters.

Lectures and roundtables from the course can be viewed here.

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At the UIMP summer course currently taking place in Santander, Spain, Jennifer Aquino, Director, International Advancement at Bentley University, USA and advisor to StepOne, weighed in one of the most important things Spanish entrepreneurs should keep in mind – get to the point. Whether you are pitching to Venture Capitalists, or simply presenting your technology to gain feedback, Americans tend to expect very succinct presentations. In her response, Jennifer cited an article from the Small Business section of the New York Times that came out June 11, 2009. The article has some great recommendations for all entrepreneurs seeking to present their idea to others.

At the summer course entitled “Challenges Awaiting Spanish Companies in the US Market,” at the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Palayo and currently taking place in Santander, Spain, Beto Juarez of StepOne USA gave his assessment of the current Venture Capital environment in the US.  The presentation, entitled “US Venture Capital – Realistic Optimism,” tells the story of the somber mood for investing in Silicon Valley, and the long-term optimism that remains for investing in entrepreneurs. For the time being, venture capitalists seem to be investing much less, and forcing their companies to go into “survival mode.” The presentation reveals a difficult, but ultimately optimistic outlook on US Venture Capital. The current investing environment is important not only for Spanish entrepreneurs, but anyone hoping to bring their technology to market.