The mentality and pitch expectations in Silicon Valley and San Francisco are different to those in Germany. We prepare the high-flyer start-ups intensively for this, so that the learning curve becomes significantly steeper during the trip and they get the chance to make completely different contacts and receive invitations.

The pitch training with Raitschin Raitschew (GLXY GmbH) and Jonas Mielck and the readiness seminar with Tim Jöhnk from the Northern Germany Innovation Office, Raitschin Raitschew and Axel Schulz (EUROCON Ewoldt & Rösler Consultants GmbH) provided valuable tips directly from the field, including

• Be prepared. The coffee queue can also be an opportunity to pitch.
• State your first name first. Take a short breath. Then start your pitch.
• Explain it to me as if I were five. Really short and easy to understand.
• What problem are you solving?
• What do you do better / smarter than others?
• Why did you choose this particular entry-level market?
• Follow investors on social media to identify points of contact.

From March 31, the high-flyers can QuantView, PEUKA, Metadine and MySpirulina test their pitch skills directly in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.