Scaling Stateside

USXP
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

Scaling Stateside is a podcast dedicated to helping UK and European venture-backed tech founders successfully navigate US market expansion. Hosted by David Rose and Matt Oxley from USXP (US Expansion Partners), the show addresses the critical knowledge gaps that exist for founders entering the US market for the first time. Scaling Stateside - founding partners : USXP and Wilson Sonsini. supporting partners : HSBC Innovation Banking, Frazier & Deeter, Carta, Dealroom, London & Partners.

  1. Sep 9

    How a German SaaS Moved 70% of Its Revenue to the US | Tomas Fandrich, quantilope

    Dr. Thomas Fandrich co-founded quantilope in Hamburg and led its US expansion from 2018. Today around 70% of company revenue is American. In this episode: how he tested the US market from Germany before moving, the milestone his board set before approving the move, why their UK expansion underperformed, what he would do differently on pricing and hiring, and the personal cost of the move. What you'll learn: – How to test the US market before you relocate: US hours, US outreach, from home– The milestone his board set before approving the move: 30 opportunities in one quarter– The three-day trade show sprint that filled the funnel– Why "German understatement" does not travel, and what to change instead– Why their UK expansion underperformed their US one (no founder on site)– What he would do differently: pricing, US HR, onboarding– Why not to hire too senior in your first US team– The personal side: eight months apart, visa delays, a spouse who could not work CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:59 Meet Tom and what quantilope does 03:55 Recording from a van next to a volcano in Ecuador 04:55 First job: selling keyboards at Toys R Us 08:05 Why the US, and the Series A behind it 10:04 The Hamburg task force: running US hours before moving 13:05 The "30 opportunities" milestone the board set 13:46 What surprised a German team in America 17:00 Why New York: the scorecard approach 18:25 The personal cost nobody talks about 21:20 Why the UK expansion went worse than the US 25:57 What he would do differently: pricing, HR, onboarding 29:21 Leading a US team vs a German team 31:52 $1M ARR in year one, 70% of revenue today 32:55 His three rules for US expansion About the guest: Dr. Thomas Fandrich is co-founder of quantilope, a consumer intelligence platform that uses agentic AI to automate end-to-end consumer research. He has served as CEO, US President, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Customer Officer, and led the company's US expansion from 2018. He is now a board member and strategic advisor. He and his wife are currently driving the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Argentina. About Scaling Stateside:Scaling Stateside is the podcast for founders navigating US expansion. Hosts David Rose (CEO, USXP) and Matt Oxley talk to founders and investors who have made the jump, to surface the real playbooks, pitfalls, and best practices. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Dr. Thomas Fandrichhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-thomas-fandrich-00b546165 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion, from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co Scaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #USExpansion #Startups #Founders #SaaS #GoToMarket #ScalingStateside #Neolane #Adobe

    How a German SaaS Moved 70% of Its Revenue to the US | Tomas Fandrich, quantilope

  2. Aug 19

    How to Raise From US VCs as a European Founder — Marc Cohen, Investor, Unbundled VC

    Marc Cohen built AI systems, traded for banks, and then ran a fund with one thesis: only back UK tech companies going after the US market. In this episode: the speculative trip where he met 38 US funds in 3.5 weeks, the "will you move?" test he applies to founders, why "profitable in two years" kills a US pitch, the 3,000-email outreach mistake, and how to actually pick your US city.

    How to Raise From US VCs as a European Founder — Marc Cohen, Investor, Unbundled VC

  3. Aug 5

    What European Founders Get Wrong Before Expanding to the US | Stephan Dietrich (Neolane, Adobe) | part 2

    In Part 2 of our conversation, Stephan Dietrich moves to the other side of the table. After building Neolane and selling it to Adobe for around $600 million, he now invests his own money in growth-stage software companies and sits on the boards of six of them. David Rose and Matt Oxley dig into the investor mindset: why he refused to start a VC fund, how he judges whether a European company is truly ready for the US, the single biggest mistake he made in his own expansion, and the hard truths about talent, capital, and timing that most founders learn too late. If you missed Part 1 (Stephan's founder journey and the two-mile talent playbook), listen it here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/7cbfe0d4 In this episode: Why he invests his own money instead of raising a fund"Smart money": why coachability is his top investment criterionThe readiness test: $10M+ ARR, product-market fit vs go-to-market fitWhy European products are often too sophisticated for the USThe red flag: "we'll just hire a local head of US"Choosing a US city: why New York can cost 30 to 50% more than NashvilleHis biggest mistake: going to the US too lateDiscipline: $35M raised, $20M burned, ~$600M exitThe real cost of doing business in the US (and why founders under-commit capital)Lessons from the Adobe acquisition and integrationFounder "expiration dates" and the hardest board conversation CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro and Part 1 recap  01:07 From operator to investor: the mindset shift  03:06 A health scare and a family decision  03:51 Why he refused to start a VC fund  05:02 His guiding principles: evergreen, invest forever  07:06 Investing as "smart money": coachability first  08:11 Sitting on the bench: the hardest adjustment  11:24 How he assesses US readiness (PMF vs GTM fit)  14:11 Organizational readiness: English and anti-Americanism  16:10 Choosing a US city: why not default to New York  17:45 You can't crack the US on $5M anymore  18:46 Don't half-ass the US  20:58 His biggest mistake: going too late  23:23 Go big, but stay disciplined  24:01 The one gap to master: talent  27:17 The real cost of doing business in the US  29:43 Lessons from the Adobe acquisition  35:11 Founder expiration dates and altitude sickness  39:34 Final advice: don't wait, go big About the guest: Stephan Dietrich is a serial founder and now an Operating Partner at Lead Edge Capital, where he helps European enterprise software companies scale in the US. He guest lectures at Harvard Business School. He co-founded and led the US business of Neolane (acquired by Adobe in 2013), which became Adobe Campaign. About Scaling Stateside: Scaling Stateside is the podcast for founders navigating US expansion. Hosts David Rose (CEO, USXP) and Matt Oxley talk to founders and investors who have made the jump, to surface the real playbooks, pitfalls, and best practices. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Stephan Dietrich  LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephandietrich/  🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose  LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley  LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI  This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion, from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co Scaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #USExpansion #Startups #Founders #SaaS #GoToMarket #ScalingStateside #Neolane #Adobe

    What European Founders Get Wrong Before Expanding to the US | Stephan Dietrich (Neolane, Adobe) | part 2

  4. Jul 21

    How a French Founder Sold to Adobe for $600M (On a $6M Budget) | Stephan Dietrich (Neolane, Adobe)

    Stephan Dietrich built Neolane in Paris, entered the US with a $6M round, and sold the company to Adobe for around $600 million. In this episode of Scaling Stateside, he breaks down exactly how a European software founder wins in the most competitive market on earth, without outspending the incumbents. David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Stephan to unpack the operator playbook most founders learn the hard way: how to choose your US city, how to hire when you can't read the culture, and why talent, not product or market, decides whether your expansion works. This is a masterclass in "outsmart, don't outspend." What you'll learn:– Why 50% of the world's enterprise software is bought in the US, and what that means for your go-to-market– The "two-mile" talent play: setting up next to your biggest competitor on purpose– How to spot a fake sales record in a single interview (the "call Rick" test)– Why front-door reference checks are useless, and what to do instead– The country-brand tax on European software founders (the "Portuguese wine in Burgundy" problem)– Hiring in a culture you can't calibrate: the C to B to A sequence– Why the best founders love a downturn CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:00 Meet Stephan Dietrich01:30 From roofer to tech entrepreneur05:47 Meeting his co-founders at Ecole Centrale Paris09:29 Selling his first company to Peregrine Systems11:00 How three co-founders divide their lanes14:37 The twice-a-year founders retreat16:06 Building the toolkit: MBA, big deals, and the US22:15 Cubic Soft: a Palantir before Palantir23:23 Why Neolane was an American business from day one27:54 How Neolane got its name29:42 Near death in 2003, and why he loves a downturn33:02 Landing in the US: what he got wrong34:52 The one number that settles the US question37:35 The hardest part: finding talent38:51 The "call Rick" test for fake sales reps40:32 Front-door vs backdoor reference checks41:24 Lead gen and the Portuguese wine problem44:11 Boston and the two-mile talent play46:32 Wrap and what's coming in Part 2 About the guest:Stephan Dietrich is a serial founder and now an Operating Partner at Lead Edge Capital, where he helps European enterprise software companies scale in the US. He guest lectures at Harvard Business School. He co-founded and led the US business of Neolane (acquired by Adobe in 2013), which became Adobe Campaign. About Scaling Stateside:Scaling Stateside is the podcast for founders navigating US expansion. Hosts David Rose (CEO, USXP) and Matt Oxley talk to founders and investors who have made the jump, to surface the real playbooks, pitfalls, and best practices. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Stephan Dietrich LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephandietrich/  🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion, from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co Scaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #USExpansion #Startups #Founders #SaaS #GoToMarket #ScalingStateside #Neolane #Adobe

    How a French Founder Sold to Adobe for $600M (On a $6M Budget) | Stephan Dietrich (Neolane, Adobe)

  5. May 30

    Georgina Nelson: From Leveraged Finance Lawyer to a Billion-Rating Founder

    From psychology to leveraged finance law to scaling a billion-rating startup across continents – Georgina Nelson holds nothing back. Georgina is the founder of TruRating, the real-time consumer transaction data company behind 1 billion+ verified ratings, built with ~$40M raised through a deliberately unconventional path. In this episode, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Georgina to unpack the unfiltered reality of taking a UK company into the US: why she chose Atlanta over New York and Silicon Valley, the "euphoria-then-ghosting" cycle that catches every founder off guard, the at-will employment shock, and how she keeps one culture alive across multiple continents. Plus the origin story you won't forget – including buying the trurating.com domain hours after her C-section. In this episode: Why she left "the safety" to build TruRatingUsing Australia as a "Petri dish" before the USRaising ~$40M through angels and family offices – not the traditional VC routeThe neurochemistry of founders and "delusional optimism"Why Atlanta: payments, talent, and costLoneliness, culture, and finding your "American character"Being a British female founder in the USThe euphoria → ghosting go-to-market trapAt-will employment and the pace of US hiringThe hardest lesson no playbook teaches🔗 CONNECT WITH Georgina Nelson LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-nelson-11ab0631 TruRating ⮕ https://trurating.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion, from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co Scaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #ScalingStateside #DeepTech #VentureCapital #EuropeanFounders #USExpansion #PreSeed #FlyVentures #StartupPodcast

    Georgina Nelson: From Leveraged Finance Lawyer to a Billion-Rating Founder

  6. Apr 9

    Why European Founders Are Afraid to Sell the Future (And How to Fix It) | Deep Tech Investor Matt Wichrowski | Fly Ventures Partner

    In this episode of the Scaling Stateside podcast, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Matt Wichrowski, Partner at Fly Ventures — a first-check VC built for technical founders that other funds are afraid to back. Matt splits his time between California and London and has spent over a decade at the heart of European deep tech, from Entrepreneur First to co-leading the pre-seed round of WAVE, one of the UK's most ambitious autonomous vehicle companies.This one is packed with insight for any technical founder thinking about raising or expanding to the US. What we cover:- The "animal founder" — what VCs are really looking for and why there are no metrics for it- Why European founders go to the US too late — and why the staggered approach no longer works- How Fly Ventures does technical due diligence when there's no product, no revenue and no comps- Pre-seed valuation explained simply: why it's more like valuing art than running a DCF- The cultural gap between US and European founders — and why Americans learn to sell in kindergarten- Why the founder must be first on the ground in the US, every time- What to prioritise if you're 12 months away from making the move- Matt's advice for deep tech founders just getting started 👇 Don't forget to subscribe for more insights on scaling your startup in the US! 📍 KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction01:16 Meet Matt Wichrowski & Fly Ventures02:00 First paying job03:21 From Chicago to London: the transatlantic journey06:55 Why European capital holds founders back09:24 The animal founder — what great looks like14:00 Fly Ventures' investment thesis explained17:15 Deep tech timelines and what you tell LPs19:29 How to do technical due diligence at pre-seed21:34 Best sources of deal flow25:15 What to do 12 months before moving to the US31:04 US vs European founders: the biggest differences33:59 Coaching reserved technical founders to sell36:40 How VCs think about pre-seed valuation40:40 Advice for deep tech founders just starting out44:05 Events, sourcing and how to get on Matt's radar ABOUT OUR GUEST: MATT WICHROWSKIMatt Wichrowski is a Partner at Fly Ventures, a first-check pre-seed VC built for technical founders that other funds are afraid to back. Originally from Chicago, Matt has been embedded in the European startup ecosystem since 2015 — starting at Entrepreneur First, and now splitting his time between California and London as part of Fly's transatlantic investment approach.At Fly, Matt focuses primarily on deep tech and frontier technology — backing founders building at the cutting edge of what's possible, from autonomous vehicles to robotics to biotech. He co-led the pre-seed round of WAVE, one of the UK's most ambitious autonomous vehicle companies, and has spent years cultivating one of the strongest deep tech networks across the US and Europe.Outside of investing, Matt writes the Reshare newsletter, where he shares what he's reading and thinking about across frontier technology. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt WichrowskiLinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwichrowskiSite ⮕ https://www.mattwichrowski.com Fly Ventures ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/company/fly-venture 🔗 CONNECT WITH David RoseLinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt OxleyLinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/ 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINIThis episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion — from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.coScaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com  🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #ScalingStateside #DeepTech #VentureCapital #EuropeanFounders #USExpansion #PreSeed #FlyVentures #StartupPodcast

    Why European Founders Are Afraid to Sell the Future (And How to Fix It) | Deep Tech Investor Matt Wichrowski | Fly Ventures Partner

  7. Mar 31

    Scaling Stateside — 10 Episodes In: What We've Learned & Where We Go Next

    David and Matt sit down to reflect on Season 1 of Scaling Stateside — 10 episodes of real conversations with founders who've expanded to the US and VCs who are funding that journey. In this episode, they talk about what they've learned, what surprised them, and the patterns they keep seeing across every conversation. They also share some big news: Scaling Stateside is evolving from a podcast into a full platform — with live events, workshops, a US Readiness Assessment tool, and partners including Wilson Sonsini, HSBC Innovation Banking, and Frazier Deeter. If you're a European founder thinking about US expansion or raising from US VCs, this is the episode that lays out where we've been and where we're going. 🗓 First live event: US VC Fundraising Workshop — April 21st, London 🔗 Register at scaling-stateside.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/ 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion—from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co/ 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #SeriesA #SiliconValley #TechFounders #ScalingStateSide #DelawareFlip

    Scaling Stateside — 10 Episodes In: What We've Learned & Where We Go Next

  8. Mar 23

    Raising a Series A in 2026: What US Investors Actually Want | Daniel Glazer | Wilson Sonsini

    Are you a UK or EU founder trying to raise venture capital in the US? You might be pitching the wrong numbers. In this episode of Scaling State Side, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Daniel Glazer, Head of the London Office and US Expansion Team at Wilson Sonsini. Dan breaks down the exact math Silicon Valley VCs use to evaluate startups, the critical differences between US and European term sheets, and whether or not you *actually* need to do a Delaware Flip to secure funding in 2026. If you are planning to cross the pond to raise your Series A, this episode is your ultimate playbook for navigating American VC culture, dilution norms, and founder revesting clauses. ABOUT OUR GUEST: DANIEL GLAZERDaniel Glazer is the Founding Partner of Wilson Sonsini’s London office and Head of the firm's U.S. Expansion Group. As a leading American technology lawyer, Dan specializes in helping high-growth UK and European startups successfully navigate their U.S. life cycle, from initial expansion and securing Silicon Valley venture capital, to navigating U.S. exits (M&A/IPO). With decades of experience, he is the ultimate bridge for international founders looking to decode American VC norms and scale stateside. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Daniel GlazerLinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcglazer/Wilson Sonsini ⮕ https://www.wsgr.com/en/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH David RoseLinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt OxleyLinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/  🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINIThis episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion — from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co/  🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #SeriesA #SiliconValley #TechFounders #ScalingStateSide #DelawareFlip

    Raising a Series A in 2026: What US Investors Actually Want | Daniel Glazer | Wilson Sonsini
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Scaling Stateside is a podcast dedicated to helping UK and European venture-backed tech founders successfully navigate US market expansion. Hosted by David Rose and Matt Oxley from USXP (US Expansion Partners), the show addresses the critical knowledge gaps that exist for founders entering the US market for the first time. Scaling Stateside - founding partners : USXP and Wilson Sonsini. supporting partners : HSBC Innovation Banking, Frazier & Deeter, Carta, Dealroom, London & Partners.

Information

  • Creator
    USXP
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © US Expansion Partners, LLC
  • Show Website
    Scaling Stateside