StepOne Ventures Organizes Strategic Meetings for Madrid Technology Companies
Program part of larger effort to bring Spanish companies to the Bay Area
October 19, 2009 (San Francisco, CA)— StepOne Ventures, with offices in both Madrid and Silicon Valley, will bring 13 Madrid-based technology companies to San Francisco and Silicon Valley as a part of a larger effort to expose Spanish companies to the Bay Area. The event starts October 19th and is hosted by PromoMadrid, the Madrid Confederation of Employers and Industries (CEIM) and the Enterprise Europe Network, in collaboration with StepOne Ventures.
“It is a meaningful time to host Madrid-based technology companies as they contemplate expansion into the United States,” said Jennifer Aquino, CEO of StepOne Ventures. “Our efforts intend to reverse the trend of decline of technology company exports to the United States while exposing the U.S. market to the strong talent, services and innovation coming out of Spain.”
Companies from a wide variety of technology sectors will meet U.S. experts and form international business partnerships with key U.S. companies. Events planned as a part of the MadriTech Bridge Trip include group visits to Google and PlugandPlayTechCenter, as well as a group panel, hosted at Orrick, on VC funding and conducting business in the United States. Each Spanish company will also have its own tailored schedule of strategic meetings with U.S. companies. The MadriTech Bridge Trip will conclude with a cocktail event at the John Colins Lounge in San Francisco on October 22nd. The events scheduled for the tour are meant to build relationships and networks, and create possible partnerships between the Madrid-based and U.S.-based companies.
“In most cases, the success of foreign companies launching in the United States is hampered due to a lack of thorough knowledge of the U.S. market,” said Koldo García, Co-founder and CEO of Mad Pixel, one of the companies participating in the trip. “We are looking forward to presenting our interactive online video technology in the U.S. and discussing other innovative tools and services we have developed at Mad Pixel. We have a lot of confidence in StepOne Ventures, which has provided us excellent counsel and leveraged relationships with some of the top companies in the United States.”
The goal of StepOne is to fill the gaps that hinder the implementation of Spanish technology projects in the United States. StepOne assists Spanish firms in managing the entire process of internationalization: from the preparation and alignment of strategy and business plans, to the preparation of management teams to face U.S. business culture, through to the identification and meeting with appropriate targets and matching of strategic and venture funding in the North American market.
About StepOne Ventures
StepOne is a company that helps Spanish technology firms succeed in the US market. Founded by Bernardo Hernández (Director of Consumer Marketing at Google and founder of Idealista and Tuenti), StepOne provides the talent, experience, and access to essential companies to open the doors to the US market for companies in the IT, Internet, Biotech, and Cleantech sectors.
About PromoMadrid
PromoMadrid is a regional, government-owned company founded in 2004 for the purpose of economically promoting and developing the Region of Madrid internationally. PromoMadrid acts under the authority of the Madrid Regional Ministry of Economic and Financial Affairs. PromoMadrid’s objectives are to support local companies with their globalization efforts, to attract and retain foreign investment, to carry out and support actions which enhance the international reputation and economic potential of the region, its companies and institutions, and to protect the Region’s cultural heritage.
About CEIM
CEIM and the Madrid Confederation of Employers and Industries (CEOE) was founded 30 years ago with the purpose of representing Madrid’s business owners in various government bodies.
About Enterprise Europe Network
The Enterprise Europe Network offers support and advice to businesses across Europe and helps them make the most of the opportunities in the European Union. The network itself is made up of close to 600 partner organizations in more than 40 countries, promoting competitiveness and innovation at the local level in Europe and beyond.
Press Contact:
US: contact-usa@stepone.com
Spain: contact-spain@stepone.com
3 Jul, 2009
StepOne Promotes Successful International Expansion for Spanish Companies
Bernardo Hernández affirms that one of four Spanish Companies has the potential to thrive in the US
Santander, June 29, 2009 .-Bernardo Hernández, Co-Founder of StepOne Ventures and Head of Consumer Marketing at Google, began today’s summer course with encouragement and advice, “It is very important for Spanish Companies who want to make the leap to the US to adapt their business and strategic models to the external market. In fact, 25% of Spanish tech companies that we have analyzed have potential for success in the U.S. market; the corresponding figure for cleantech companies is 50%.” And so the StepOne Co-Founder, along with fellow Co-Founder Germán Loperena, inaugurated the summer course entitled “Challenges Awaiting Spanish Companies in the US” that is taking place in the Magdalena Palace in Santander, Spain.
The objective for the course is to address the many challenges that Spanish Companies face when making the jump to the US market. StepOne created the sessions of the course with practicality and interactive exchanges in mind. Experts in international expansion will be revealing the insights learned from their acquired experiences. Indra, Iberdola, Acciona, Fotowatio, Bodaclick, Softonic and Pharmamar are some of the European companies who will sharing their stories of the challenges they faced competing in the US marketplace.
Today, during the first session, the General Director of Talent, Innovation and Strategy at Indra analyzed, in detail, the challenges and difficulties that she faced from the time that Indra decided to expand internationally. Later, representatives from Fotowatio, Solarpack and AEE participated in a roundtable discussion where they reflected on the trends and opportunities for Cleantech in the US.
In the afternoon, Dan Ripp, President of Bradley Woods & Co., shared his expertise in the Obama Administration’s clean energy policy with the students.
The first day of classes ended with perspectives on the current situation in Silicon Valley from both a Spaniard and an American - Javier Oliván, Director of International Expansion for Facebook, and Beto Juarez, member of the StepOne team in Silicon Valley.
The three-day gathering, organized by StepOne, started today in the Magdalena Palace and will continue through Wednesday, July 1st. Bringing their experience in global expansion as well as common errors companies face, entrepreneurial experts and government representatives such as Luis Pérez del Val, CEO of Boda Click, Carlos Martínez de la Serna, of Pharmamar and Santiago Araño of Softonic, Icex, Promomadrid, CEPYME-CEOE Catabria, and Red.es brought valuable insight to both students in Santander, and viewers on the web.
According to Bernardo Hernández, who directed the course, “StepOne’s end-goal is to become the link between available government and institutional resources and the American market; That’s where the need to put on events such as these stems from.” He continued, “Now the students at this course will be able to attain, first-hand, necessary information to enter the largest economy in the world with success.”
“Moreover, there is an entrepreneurial spirit to the execution of the course,” added Bernardo Hernández, who directed the course. “All those who want to, will be able to access this network of globally-expanding entrepreneurs directly. What’s far is in fact very near.”
About StepOne
StepOne is a company that helps Spanish technologies firms succeed in the US market. Founded by Bernardo Hernández (Director of Consumer Marketing at Google and founder of Idealista and Tuenti) and Germán Loperena (member of technology teams at Safelayer Secure Communications and Alfa Multimedia). StepOne provides the talent, experience, and access to essential companies to open the doors to the US market for companies in IT, Internet, Biotech, and Cleantech.
Press Contact:
Beatriz Reza
steponeprensa@gomezacebo.com
+34 637-787-650
13 Apr, 2009
StepOne Brings Spanish Technological Innovation to Silicon Valley
25% of Spanish tech companies analyzed by StepOne have potential for success in the U.S. market; the corresponding figure for cleantech companies is 50%
Madrid, March 27, 2009 .- With the support of D. Carlos Martínez Alonso, the Spanish Secretary of State for Innovation, the formation of StepOne Ventures was announced today at the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas). StepOne Ventures is a Spanish company that guarantees other Spanish technological firms a successful introduction to the US market.
With offices in Madrid and Silicon Valley, StepOne Ventures will provide its services to Spanish companies specializing in Information Technology, Internet, Cleantech and Biotechnology. StepOne strives to serve Spanish companies that, despite their innovative potential, have failed or are reluctant to make the jump into the heart of global innovation.
“Although investment in innovation in Spain has increased, exports of tech companies to the U.S. market have declined over the past five years to less than half of what they once were,” says Germán Loperena, co-founder of StepOne. “Therefore, the mission of StepOne is to change this trend, by helping those companies that can really succeed in this market. And,” he ended, “25% of Spanish tech companies analyzed by StepOne have potential for success in the U.S. market; the corresponding figure for cleantech companies is 50%.
The goal of StepOne is to fill the gaps that hinder the implementation of Spanish technology projects in United States. StepOne assists Spanish firms in managing the entire process of internationalization: from the preparation and alignment of strategy and business plans, to the preparation of management teams to face U.S. business culture, through to the matching of strategic and venture funding in the North American market.
“I believe in the ability of StepOne to translate success from the potential of Spanish technology companies and bring that success to the forefront of the U.S. market,” says Bernardo Hernandez, co-founder of StepOne. “In many cases, however, success is hampered by the lack of a thorough knowledge of the US market and the appropriate preparation for success,” added Hernandez.
“Working with StepOne, a Spanish company with great new talent, as exemplified by the two co-founders, Bernardo Hernández and Germán Loperena,” notes D. Carlos Martínez Alonso, Secretary of State for Innovation, “is evidence of the stable cooperation businesses and government agencies have to achieve a common goal: to foster technological innovation and globalization. This combined effort will ensure the success of Spanish technology companies in the United States, and thus, the economic revitalization of Spain in these times of global recession.”
The two founders of StepOne were also accompanied by Mrs. Ellen Lenny-Pessagno, the American Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Mr. Miquel Valls, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona, and Mr. Alvaro Lopez Medrano , CEO of the Spanish company TOT, a firm that is in the process of internationalization with StepOne.
Press Contact:
Rosa Gómez-Acebo
(Consultores de Comunicación)
steponeprensa@gomezacebo.com
+34 91 564 28 78