In this episode of Building Value in Innovation Ecosystems, OneValley’s Sabah Baxamoosa sits down with Matt Dimarsico, co-founder of USA Launching Pad, to unpack what it really takes for global startups to successfully expand into the U.S. market.
Drawing on 25 years of experience scaling sales and marketing teams for disruptive technology companies, Matt shares lessons learned from guiding international founders through one of the most challenging—but potentially rewarding—growth steps in their journey: entering the U.S.
From Business School to Building a Launchpad
Matt’s co-founder, Gert, began building incubators and accelerators in Europe before being recruited to Silicon Valley to build a Smart Cities incubator. When European startups he had previously supported struggled to translate success abroad into traction in the U.S., he reached out to Matt. Together, they developed the foundation for USA Launching Pad: a programmatic way to help founders navigate cultural, operational, and strategic gaps in U.S. expansion.
Key Insights for Global Founders
- The U.S. is Not One Market
Founders often treat the U.S. as a single, unified market—but in reality, it’s a federation of micro-markets defined by regional, cultural, and industry-specific nuances. What resonates in Zurich or Singapore won’t necessarily work in Houston or New York. Entering the U.S. requires the mindset of launching a new company, not just scaling an existing one.
- Complex Decision-Making Structures
In Europe or Asia, a single doctor or executive may greenlight a deal. In the U.S., purchase decisions are often committee-driven, with multiple stakeholders (decision makers, technical buyers, influencers) each requiring tailored messaging.
- Storytelling and Confidence Matter
While many European and Asian founders emphasize technical features, U.S. buyers respond to storytelling, confidence, and clarity on “why you, why now.” Adapting to this cultural expectation is critical for building credibility.
- Engage Early with U.S. Customers
Matt stressed the value of early discovery interviews with prospective U.S. customers—not to pitch, but to test assumptions. For example, a European fintech AI company that led with compliance found U.S. buyers avoided compliance-heavy messaging, as it slowed the sales cycle. This pivot only came from engaging directly with the customer voice.
- Avoid Over-Networking at Events
At high-profile events like TechCrunch, founders can fall into the trap of collecting as many business cards as possible. Matt advises focusing on fewer, deeper conversations that lead to memorable follow-ups, rather than broad but shallow outreach.
Inside USA Launching Pad’s Programs
One of the most compelling aspects of USA Launching Pad is its structured continuum of support, designed to meet founders where they are in their journey and guide them step by step into (or away from) the U.S. market. Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, they’ve created four distinct programs aligned with startup maturity:
- Market Access (Immersion/“Technical Tourism”)
For founders exploring whether U.S. expansion even makes sense, these short visits (3–14 days) provide an introduction to the ecosystem. Startups are exposed to investors, potential partners, and innovation hubs in key geographies—FinTech in New York, MedTech in Boston, AI in Silicon Valley. The goal is to give founders a realistic sense of the landscape before they commit.
- Market Discovery
Once founders are more serious about the U.S., Discovery focuses on research and validation. Startups conduct interviews with potential customers, map the competitive landscape, and assess price elasticity. This helps founders answer critical questions: Is the U.S. truly the right market for us? How do buyers perceive our solution? The program culminates in a mastermind roundtable with experts and prospective customers.
- Market Activation
For companies ready to test their hypotheses, Activation is about taking insights into action. Founders refine messaging, pressure-test collateral, and begin building a U.S. sales pipeline through discovery interviews and pilot engagements. The emphasis here is on making early moves that de-risk expansion and sharpen positioning.
- Market Penetration
Finally, for more mature companies with early traction in the U.S., Penetration focuses on scaling sales and operations. This stage helps companies expand pipelines, build repeatable processes, and accelerate revenue growth with a stronger foothold in the U.S. market.
Across all four programs, customer voice and vertical specificity are key. Cohorts are often built by industry (FinTech, MedTech, AI SaaS), so founders learn alongside peers tackling similar challenges. And at every step, startups hear directly from U.S. customers, ensuring decisions are based on real-world feedback rather than assumptions.
Lessons for Ecosystem Builders
For accelerators, governments, and support organizations that want to better prepare startups for U.S. expansion, Matt highlighted three key strategies:
- Vertical specificity: Build cohorts by industry (FinTech, MedTech, AI SaaS) so founders can learn from peers facing similar challenges.
- Layered support systems: Offer structured programs aligned to company maturity—ranging from “technical tourism” (short immersion visits) to market discovery, market activation, and market penetration.
- Customer voice as validation: Continuously include real customer feedback at every stage to help founders validate decisions and de-risk expansion.
The Hard Truth: Sometimes the U.S. Isn’t the Right Market
Not every startup is ready for U.S. entry. USA Launching Pad uses data and customer interviews to uncover red flags—like a European locker room startup that discovered U.S. hospitals didn’t value their solution the same way. While a tough realization, a “quick no” saves founders years of wasted resources compared to a slow, painful market failure.
AI and the Future of Expansion
AI is lowering barriers to global growth, enabling leaner teams to engage customers abroad with fewer resources. But regulatory-heavy sectors like digital health still require local validation. Founders must balance speed with rigor, using AI to scale globally while still adapting to local compliance and customer expectations.
Final Takeaway
For founders, the U.S. market is both an opportunity and a risk. Success requires humility, customer discovery, and the willingness to rethink everything from messaging to go-to-market. For ecosystem builders, success comes from layered, vertical-specific, customer-driven programs. And for both sides, platforms like PassportOS provide the digital infrastructure to turn those insights into scalable, data-driven action.
