The European Startup Embassy, a new community project based in San Francisco, aims to connect Romanian and other European entrepreneurs with business opportunities in the United States that facilitate rapid scaling, access to capital, and strategic partnerships.
The Embassy will provide startups and investors, especially from Central and Eastern Europe, with a base from which to work, create networks, and expand into the American market. This will open the way for them to enter the US while also allowing American funds and companies to discover opportunities in Europe.
The project is the initiative of several Czech and Slovak startups and capital funds, including Apify, Boost.space, Valka.AI, Keboola, and Rockaway Ventures. Also participating is the Romanian fund Underline Ventures.
“During our fundraising, we approached over 1,300 investors worldwide and determined that obtaining American investment without an established company and branch in the US is practically impossible. Very similar rules apply in enterprise sales. For any significant growth and expansion into Western markets, a physical presence in the United States is an absolute necessity,” said one of the founding partners, Tadeáš Marek from Boost.space.
“Therefore, we will offer startups from the Central and Eastern European region a stable base directly in the heart of the Bay Area in San Francisco, from where they can work, meet with mentors, gain contacts, and build strategic partnerships that will accelerate their growth,” explained Vladimíra Činčurová, CEO of European Startup Embassy.
The Bay Area is already home to a large diaspora from the Central and Eastern European region, though it does not yet function as a connected community. That is why local partners from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine, and Hungary have joined the project, and Poland and other European countries should soon follow.
The first Embassy facility has already been established in San Francisco, functioning as both a coworking space and a community center. Startups can use workspaces here, participate in thematic meet-ups, and connect with mentors and investors who have been active in Silicon Valley for longer.
The physical hub in San Francisco will be complemented in the future by an online platform, which will serve as a place where community members can follow current opportunities, arrange meetings, and share experiences, both locally and remotely.
Luca Stirbat, who has experience with accelerators in Romania and Poland, is responsible for the operation of the house and its community program.
The 15 founding partners of the project will also play a key role in community development. These include technology companies Keboola, Apify, Valka.AI, Boost.space, Navigara, ReactorX, and Oddin.gg, Czech VC funds Rockaway Ventures, United Founders, American VC fund Almaz Capital, Romanian fund Underline Ventures, Ukrainian-American fund SID Venture Partners, Hungarian VC fund Lead Ventures, German fund Picus Capital, Czech law firm specialized in startups Sparring, accelerators Future Unicorns and Moonshot, and the California-based consulting firm Telegraph Hill Advisors.
The project is still open to new partners who want to strengthen its impact.
(Photo source: Europeanstartupembassy.com)
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