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About
Sara Naseri har været en kæmpe hjælp med projektet. Tak Sara - du er den bedste!Vision, Mission & Strategy
SCALEit is a Danish growth initiative. We have one simple vision: Help technology companies scale globally! This is followed by a simple mission: Connect scalable technology companies to the Silicon Valley ecosystem. Our strategy? A three step model: Inspire, Ignite & Accelerate!Even though the world is more connected than ever, some places are just better global access points. What Paris is for fashion Silicon Valley is for entrepreneurship, especially in technology. This is where Google, Facebook and Twitter were raised and where Danish companies such as Podio, Zendesk and Unity have come to build a global company.
With one third of the world's venture capital and an exceptional interconnected ecosystem, this place is ideal for companies to grow their business.
SCALEit is born to find and bring the new kids to the block! We bridge Denmark with Silicon Valley and provide a unique opportunity for tech companies to access a world class network they will need to scale.
Through our 3-step program over the next three years, we will engage more than 1,000 entrepreneurs in Denmark and provide more than 100 Danish technology companies with the opportunity of going to Silicon Valley.
We would love to talk with you!
Leaving for Silicon Valley, may seem like a big step for you and your company. If you have any questions about the program, about your company and SCALEit, the process, how to apply or what to expect, please contact us:
Søren Therkelsen, co-founder
US Phone: +1 415 702 8935
DK Phone: +45 2536 1620
Mail: [email protected]
Skype: 'sorent.dk'Lene Sjørselv Schulze, co-founder
US Phone:+1 415 812 6646
Mail: [email protected]
Skype: 'lsjorslev'3-step program
The program consists of 3 steps, each qualifying the best-equipped companies to accelerate through Sillicon Valley and become global growth companies.Our first step, Inspire, takes place in Denmark where we will inform and prepare companies on how and what they need to do to make it in Silicon Valley - and to enroll in the next steps of our program. Second step is an eye-opener, a one-week-trip to the Valley where companies will take a deep dive in to the ecosystem and get feedback from mentors relevant for the specific company. To scale, raise funding and grow globally our 3rd step is a 12 week program to scale your company through Silicon Valley.
Our program is buildt to accelerate the success rate for Danish companies in the Valley. We will provide each company with its own networking platform to quickly growth, acquire costumers/partners, find the right advisors and if necessary - seek venture capital. We will strengthen their global position magnificently!
Organizing partners
SCALEit was founded at Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK) in Silicon Valley in 2011 by Lene Sjorslev Schulzte and Søren Therkelsen. The program is organized by ICDK and Yggdrasil.me and is funded by The Danish Foreign Ministry and the Danish Business Authority.Program partners
The program is developed and powered by a number of important partners:Execution
Selection process
Community
What is Silicon Valley?
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Posts
- Silicon Valley touring Denmark
The event already took place - you can find the slides here: http://ge.tt/49ot3NH?c
To many Silicon Valley is a myth. The holy grail of tech! A place where tech giants are born, where you can build the next googfacetweet and where investors hail you in from the streets to make you their next big investment! Or is it…?
Through a tour around Denmark the team behind SCALEit will bring Silicon Valley to your doorstep to inspire you and show how you can take advantage of the many possibilities.
If you have the desire to become a tech entrepreneur or if you are running a tech company, you should join one of the events in
o Odense and Ringsted, April 30th, 2012
o Aarhus and Herning, May 1st
o Aalborg, May 2nd
o Copenhagen, May 3rdWe will share war stories and deliver insider knowledge on how you can obtain that huge investment from a leading kick-ass investor or land that first important U.S. order. Finally, we will tell how SCALEit delivers access to all of this. And yes, cokes will be served!
See you there!
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Posts
- One week Bootcamp in Silicon Valley
To share the world’s entrepreneurial epicenter with you, we have arranged a one-week bootcamp in Silicon Valley with you.
A group of 12 companies will come to the U.S. to learn more about Silicon Valley’s ecosystem. This trip will help you imagine your business in a more focused global context. We are confident that this will forever ignite your ambition to build companies with far reaching impact.
During this intense week, you can expect to find out if your company has a play “over there” or know if you must rethink your product/business model in order to become attractive in the global marketplace. You will meet experienced advisors and companies and have the unique opportunity to pitch in front of top investors. Our one-week program is modelled after the successful pilot project SCALEit Bootcamp that took place in June 2011 with 20 Danish companies (you can expect a similar program in 2012).
Who are we looking for? As in everything we do and work with - entrepreneurs who run tech companies with a scalable potential! You will need to have a product in play, at least beta and we would really like to see some revenue.
Entrepreneurs, full trip: DKK 9.500 pr. company (for 2 people - excl. flight and accommodation)
Influencers in the Danish ecosystem (targeted program): DKK 15.000 pr. person (excl. flight and accommodation)
Dates: June 4th - 8th, 2012
Application deadline: May 20, 2012
If you have any questions, please contact Søren ([email protected]) or Lene ([email protected])
- SCALEit program (from 2011)
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Posts
- Accelerating in Silicon Valley
Our SCALEit Accelerator is designed to accelerate Danish tech companies with a potential for rapid and global growth.
It is a 12 week program with 3x2 weeks stay in Silicon Valley. We will give up to 10 promising Danish tech companies a focused entrance to the hotspot of Silicon Valley.
The program will connect participating companies to an array of valuable business support from experienced and dedicated mentors. Combined the SCALEit mentors have more than 200 years experience in scaling companies globally through Silicon Valley. Their goal is to give you easy access to the U.S. market and help propel you to successful global growth.
The 10 most promising startups will be selected by an experienced group of local professionals. The criteria for selection is their best bet for you to make it big in Silicon Valley.
In cooperation with the dedicated SCALEit mentors each company will define a number of strategic objectives and receive significant feedback on product, concept and strategy.
Through the program participants will be introduced appropriate service providers resources and services and by helping them setup a US presence, create strategies for the US market and if necessary become investor ready.
The program is built to make it possible for you to keep your company in Denmark whilst scaling through Silicon Valley and we will advise you on how you can reap the benefits of a Danish-American business setup.
Full 3 month program in DK and U.S.: DKK 70.000 pr. company (excl. travel and accommodation)
Period: August 15th to November 9th, 2012 (kick-off in Silicon Valley, September 3rd)
Application deadline: July 13th, 2012
If you have any questions, please contact Søren ([email protected]) or Lene ([email protected])
- Have you asked yourself this before?
If you have considered the option of establishing a subsidiary in the U.S., you might recognize question like these:
I need a top industry mentor - where do I get that? Who should be my U.S. lawyer? Do I need an accountant? I need to hire a U.S. COO, CFO and crack sales team - where to look? Is my business model right for the U.S. market? What about a visa, how do I obtain one? Should I incorporate in the U.S. - how do I do that? How can I get a meeting with Google or any other large strategic partner/customer? Where should my office be? And where should I live? How do I effectively build my network? I want to pitch a large group of investors, how? And is my pitch sharp enough? How to improve my pitch? Businessplan, is this necessary? What about simple stuff: drivers license, insurance, personal bank accounts, new cellphone, new business cards - and where is a good place to meet with my potential investor?
It takes a lot of experience and specific knowledge to make this happen. Shortcut your way through all of that and focus on what is important: build a sustainable global business.
Join SCALEit.
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People
The people behind the program is the real value of SCALEit. They make all the difference! Without them, we wouldnt be able to build the program we are.
The people is a combination of local people and danes - making it all happen in the Silicon Valley. If you as a company are involved with SCALEit, theese are the people you at various times will get to meet.
Sara Naseri har været en kæmpe hjælp med projektet og er ja, faktisk en del af teamet. Tak Sara - du er den bedste!
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Press
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Answered
- How do you choose which companies to accept into the Accelerator program?We will choose great companies who are proposing products that solve real problems or create meaningful innovations. A team of experienced Silicon Valley experts will evaluate each of the companies and pick the best. The best things you can do to strengthen your application are: - Round out your team with business, technical, and other necessary skills. - Make progress on your prototype or product and reference it in the application. This is important to us! - Show us you’ve really thought about your business and have good reasons for heading to Silicon Valley. Remember, we invest our time and Danish Government money in you. Your spot may be taken in front of someone else - so quality applicants are important to us. Please only apply if you can commit your company 110% to SCALEit!Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- Where will we live while we’re there?That’s up to you – we don’t provide a place to live. If you’re accepted into SCALEit, we will in the start of the program assign someone to help and advice you to find housing.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- What else does SCALEit provide? Office space, internet, legal, etc?Besides huge amount of mentoring, we provide working and meeting spaces with super fast and reliable wireless Internet access. Still, many of the companies can choose to work from their apartments or local coffee shops. It’s up to you. Basically, we’ll help you get everything covered with minimal expense. We want you to focus on creating a great product while you’re here, and not have to worry about all this other stuff. We want you to seek your opportunity in Silicon Valley and implement your company the best way possible. Scaling is the end goal!Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- Do I have to be in Silicon Valley during the full Accelerator program?No. It’s your company so you can come and go as you see fit. But we do require that you be primarily based "on site" during the program. This benefits you because you can take advantage of the numerous learning opportunities, networking and coaching that will be provided. SCALEit is a major commitment, and we expect you to be around most of the time.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- Is my company “too far along” to apply for the Accelerator?Probably not. As well as we seek small and outstanding teams, we also seek companies with $1M+ in revenue and $1M+ in funding. We seek companies to start with fully developed products and then we help with business models, introductions, financing, and more. Likewise, nothing is too early - as long as you have a developed product and we too believe you can scale it big!Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- SCALEit almost sounds too good to be true. What’s the catch?There’s no catch! Just ask any of the companies who’ve been through the program. We are value focussed, helping Danish companies to succeed as best and as fast as possible in Silicon Valley - without taking any equity (mmm, equity is not part of the equation....!)Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- What sorts of companies are you looking for?We seek technology oriented companies, typically these are web-based or other software companies, but we are also looking for companies that don’t quite fit that mold as well. We’re also looking for companies that can have national or worldwide reach. Specifically, we don’t take in biotechnology companies, restaurants, consultancies, or other local service oriented companies.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- Do we need to have a visa to participate in the programs?No. Any Danish company can apply. You do have to be legally in the U.S. during the program, of course, but this is done through existing visa programs. Once accepted, we can help with legal/immigration issues by leveraging our contacts and network to help. However, we cannot help with them in advance of acceptance to SCALEit.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- Do we have to move to Silicon Valley to participate in the Accelerator program?No. At least not yet! But dont exclude the option. The vision for the program is for Danish companies to have Research & Development in Denmark - Business Development & Marketing in Silicon Valley.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- How much access will we get to the mentors?Mentorship is a _vital part_ of the Accelerator program! You can expect 3-5 hours of tailored mentoring pr. week. The focus will be on your scale strategy and your execution process in the valley.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- How many companies do you accept per program?We accept up to 15 companies pr. bootcamp trip. For the Accelerator program we accept up to 10 companies.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 28, 12
- What is Yggdrasil.me?Yggdrasil is in ancient nordic mythology a tree. This tree has its roots in Denmark, but unfolds its branches globally through a networked digital world. The company performs consultancy, with a mission to bridge people to scale companies. Yggdrasil.me is based in Copenhagen and Silicon ValleyAsked by Formspring Feb 27, 12
- What is Innovation Center Denmark?The mission of Innovation Center Denmark is to build bridges between companies, research institutions and capital in Denmark and Silicon Valley. To accelerate the entry of Danish companies into Silicon Valley, promote US investments in Denmark, facilitate research cooperation and provide inspiration to help drive innovation in Denmark. Two Danish ministries work together at Innovation Center Denmark: the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.Asked by Søren Therkelsen Feb 27, 12
