How to Scale Your Startup Across Borders w/ Simon Grigenas of 500 Global

Good morning everyone,
📹New Episode Alert📹
In today’s episode of @Unlocking Venture Capital Podcast💼🔓, we sit down with Simon Grigenas, Programs Lead at @500 Global (500 Startups), as he shares his insights on growing the Canadian startup ecosystem, expanding into the U.S. market, and the challenges founders face when navigating cross-border fundraising. In this episode, Simon will:
🌟 Discuss his journey from being a founder to a venture capitalist and his experience scaling 500’s operations in Canada.
🌟 Dive into the contrasts between the Canadian and U.S. startup ecosystems, exploring the challenges Canadian founders face in fundraising and the role of government support through initiatives like @Alberta Innovates.
🌟 Explain how private equity and government partnerships have accelerated the growth of tech hubs in cities like Calgary and Edmonton, which were once considered underdeveloped markets.
🌟 Share his perspective on the differences in the seed-stage fundraising process between Canada and the U.S., highlighting how U.S. founders often have an advantage in raising capital early on.
🌟 Talk about why Canadian founders looking to expand to the U.S. need to understand the importance of customer validation, sales efforts, and the role of cultural differences when entering the U.S. market.
🌟 Explore how understanding the venture capital model and doing proper research on investor fit can help Canadian founders successfully raise capital both locally and in the U.S.
🌟 Highlight some of the tools and resources, like @Crunchbase and @PitchBook, that founders can use to evaluate potential investors and refine their fundraising strategies.
🔥 Simon’s deep experience in both the Canadian and U.S. venture ecosystems makes this episode a must-watch for any founder or investor interested in scaling internationally and navigating the challenges of cross-border fundraising.
🎧💡 Tune in to hear more about how Simon is helping founders scale and navigate the challenges of the Canadian and U.S. startup ecosystems.
🔗👇 Link to 500 Global provided in the comments below.
#venturecapital #vc #startups #fundraising #canada #growth #investment #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #privateequity #tech #innovation #startup

[@UnlockingVentureCapitalPodcast]

Simon’s thoughts on Canadian founders navigating the U.S. market are so insightful! How important do you think it is for founders to understand cultural differences when expanding internationally? Drop your thoughts below! 🌍💭 #crossborder #expansion #venturecapital

[@UnlockingVentureCapitalPodcast]

Learn more about 500 Global: 500.co