Presentation materials about various business topics mainly for Finnish entrepreneurs

1. 26/07/2018 1Team Finland / Silicon Valley

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3. Our Locations in USA
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4. Team Finland Focus in U.S.
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• Virtual teams around
• ICT / Digitalization
• Digital Health
• Cleantech
• Creative industries
• Number of active growth programs
• Both proactive and on-demand support
• One of the Invest in Finland focus countries

5. Services for Finnish Companies in U.S. Market
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• Advice, connections (including https://expertsearch.finpro.fi )
• Business opportunities, sales leads (www.marketopportunities.fi )
• Guidance on the market, ecosystems, partnering, business practicalities, etc.
• Trade missions, delegations, activities in the market
• E.g. at CES, SXSW, IRCE, Health 2.0, TU-Automotive + demand-based activities
• Market entry programs (e.g. Gazelle – currently being ramped up)
• Also through partners like GAP, Nordic Innovation House (TINC), ERA, etc.
• https://www.businessfinland.fi/en/for-finnish-customers/services/go-to-market/market-
access/International-accelerator-programs/
• Funding through our office in Finland
• https://www.businessfinland.fi/en/for-finnish-customers/services/funding/in-brief/

6. Some Funding Numbers
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• Total funding from Business Finland in 2017: 510 million Euros (612 MUSD)
• Of which to companies: 398 M Euros (480 MUSD)
• Of which to startups: 142 M Euros (170 MUSD)
• 2,300 companies received funding
• FOR COMPARISON: Startup investments in SF Bay Area in 2017
• Roughly 30 BUSD in 1,700 companies!

7. Global Access Program - GAP
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https://www.businessfinland.fi/en/for-finnish-customers/services/go-to-
market/market-access/global-access-program-gap/

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9. What’s Hot and What’s Not in Silicon Valley
26/07/2018 9Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• First off, check http://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends (only 294 slides :-)
• Data science, Machine learning, deep learning
• Voice interfaces (esp. Alexa, but Google Home getting serious traction as well)
• Instant gratification – and other changes in retail (like online to physical stores)
• Augmented Reality
• Blockchain (across many industries)
• IoT – or whatever it means
• Advertising is still changing – and people will block it
• Going, going, gone (from VC funding perspective)
• Food delivery services, on-demand transportation (exception: e-bikes, e-scooters)
• IFTF in 2017
• Who is controlling the data, Future of media, The workers of the future

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13. CASE: Beddit
International Success Years in the Making
26/07/2018 13Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Founded in 2006, won McKinsey business competition in 2007
• U.S. was target market early on
• (Almost) Initial focus: Patient bed monitoring through licensing deal -> pivot 1
at the end of 2008
• Consumer beds through licensing model -> pivot 2
• Take 3: Own products, started with prosumer model
• Indiegogo campaign in 2013
• Bed Bath & Beyond deal through a distributor
• Partnership deal with Misfit (relationship changed after Misfit acquisition)
• Available in Apple Stores from fall 2015
• CEO moved to U.S. in 2015
• Apple acquired Beddit in 2017

14. CASE: Thuuz
Not Easier for Local Companies Either
26/07/2018 14Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Initial idea: An app to alert you when great game is on TV
• Founded in 2010
• Founders have excellent VC and media pedigrees
• Initial media traction with Android TVs and with Dish
• The BIG deal with NBC in 2016
• NBC Sports Scores app is powered by Thuuz
• Raised $5.5M to date
• Currently supports wide variety of sports

15. Keys to Success in U.S. (or in any market)
26/07/2018 15Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Be there. Get to know people.
• Understand the business landscape and problems looking for
solutions
• Commit enough time and resources
• No instant wins
• Be the best damn solution for a singular problem
• You cannot win alone: Partnering and utilizing service providers
• Think Big!

16. What is Your Product, Your Business Model?
Who is Your Paying Customer?
26/07/2018 16Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• A global product vs. answering local needs?
• When expanding to a new market, product often needs to change
• Business model changes are even more common
• Knowing the local ecosystem and understanding the local problems looking for
a solution is important
• Food for thought: These products could not have been invented in Finland
• Paypal
• BetterDoctor (both 1st and 2nd incarnations)
• Uber / Lyft
• Sift (Shopinbox) / Tally
• Thuuz
• OTOH, these products require substantial market making in U.S.
• Smartum, Optiwatti

17. Doing Business in U.S.
26/07/2018 17Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• From breadth to focus (both product & customer segment)
• Takes time, resources, money and commitment
• From product to solving a real customer problem
• Finnish references are worth very little
• Business model changes (especially in education and health)
• Agility, communication, semi-independence
• Differences in employee compensation & benefits
• Understand the role of marketing
• Understand that the opportunities are of different shape

18. Practical Problems
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• Business Model
• Who is the real customer?
• Office location
• Incorporation
• Hiring
• Immigration + family settling in
• …

19. Are States Different?
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• In short: yes!
• California would be the 5th largest economy if it were an independent state
• Taxation: corporate tax levels, income tax levels, VAT, etc.
• Incentives: https://www.selectusa.gov/programs-and-incentives
• Cost levels: Salary differences, rents, cost of living, population
• Politics, culture, regulation, etc. (including employment agreements)
• Corporate law: E.g. Delaware has corporate-friendly legislation

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21. Incorporation
26/07/2018 21Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Use standard deal (= Delaware C Corp)
• Fast, but getting certain paperwork, like certificate and FEIN might take some
time
• Use lawyer – any mistakes will cost you later
• Whole package: $2,000 to $5,000 - equity or payment schedule possible as well
• State you incorporate in, and state you do business in can be (and usually are)
different
• You need business license(s)
• At one point you might need to flip, start preparing that in advance

22. When to Incorporate?
26/07/2018 22Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Well, it depends…
• What are you selling? Software? Services? Physical goods?
• Additional viewpoint: Who is responsible for the products and liable for them?
• How are your clients paying you?
• Note: Still 50% of B2B payments are done with checks...
• Are you hiring? Do you need visas for personnel?
• Are you looking for funding? What kind of funding are you looking for?
• Clients or contracts might require an U.S. entity
• Often the answer is: The sooner the better.
• Brings additional responsibilities and costs like accounting, tax returns, etc.

23. Setting up an Office
26/07/2018 23Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Where?
• Most importantly: Close to first customers or partners
• Forget the state incentives & lower taxes in the beginning
• Consider time differences to Finland, flights
• Silicon Valley, NYC are really expensive
• Industry clusters
• http://www.clustermapping.us
• Start with virtual office – you need an address!
• Silicon Valley: GSV Labs, Nordic Innovation House, WeWork, Galvanize, etc.
• New York: Nordic Innovation House NY, WeWork, etc.

24. Immigration
= growing past occasional business trips
26/07/2018 24Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Get a real visa, do not gamble with ESTA
• Note that different visas treat spouse differently!
• B1 is a lightweight way to start
• “Salesperson” visa, your family stays in Finland
• Reserve time for non-immigrant visa application (likely L1, E1, O)
• Average 4 months
• Use lawyer
• Use premium processing
• Green card / Diversity Visa Lottery
• Free to participate in lottery, 2-year timeframe
• https://www.dvlottery.state.gov
• Startup Visa still not available – see next slide

25. Working with Service Providers
PR, Lawyers, Business Development…
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• Good service provider is very, VERY valuable for a foreign startup
• Connections, local business understanding, culture, etc.
• WYPIWYG (What you pay is what you get)
• Do not try to do everything yourself!
• No, really do not!
• Success fees do not usually work
• Use referrals
• Team Finland, fellow entrepreneurs, other service providers (for example lawyers have
usually good networks)

26. Why Lawyers?
Legal Risks
26/07/2018 26Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Commercial liability
• Personal injury liability
• Regulatory violations
• Employee-related claims
• Intellectual Property related claims
• Data privacy violations
• Litigation
• Tax consequences
• Immigration violations
• Transferee (imputed) liability to European entity
• Officer and Director liability

27. Lawyers
26/07/2018 27Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Lawyers are not only for legal issues but also resources for example for
networking
• Use different lawyer for different tasks
• If some lawyer promises to handle wide variety of tasks -> RUN!
• Referrals
• Smaller firms and individual lawyers are less expensive
• Bigger and well-known firms have their benefits
• Name recognition for example in fundraising
• More aggressive in litigation
• Being sued is more common than in Finland but not THAT common
• Validation: You have arrived!

28. Lawyers (ctnd.)
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• All the contracts needs to be in writing and drafted and/reviewed by
knowledgeable lawyers
• Obtain necessary licenses and permits
• Control the legal risks through insurances
• Proper IP strategy
• Trademarks, patents, trade secrets, confidentiality agreements (NDAs)
• Before committing to U.S. market – search the USPTO Trademark database!

29. Selling in U.S. – Things to Keep in Mind
• What is your online strategy?
• Own online store vs. 3rd part online store vs, Amazon (with or without Amazon Fulfillment)
• Check regulation – including import rejection laws and trade barriers
• Sources & regulatory agencies vary depending on your product (Homeland Security, USDA, FDA,
FCC, etc.)
• Brochures, sell sheets, and websites are considered part of your packaging and subject to
regulations (where applicable) – they also need to be “Americanized”
• Set-up your own business (incorporation, business licenses)
• Aspects: Exposure (accounting, taxation, liability), site selection, etc.
• Sales taxes when selling to states you have physical presence (then what about Amazon
fullfillment services and their physical locations?)
• Customs issues are complicated so talk to a customs lawyer first and consider using a
customs broker
• Licenses, taxes, duty fees, etc.
• Get necessary licenses (note: samples have their own processes)
• Prepare for customer support and handling returns
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30. Selling in U.S. – ctnd.
• Many stakeholders involved – know what each does and will not do (for
example – most retailers do not import)
• Importers, distributors, brokers, and retailers
• Shipping is getting more costly (Fedex, UPS, USPS, etc)
• Retailers have websites for vendor (=you) requirements
• For example: Target, Best Buy
(https://www.extendingthereach.com/wps/portal)
• Learn the importing terminology (Inco 2010)
• Check into local political, religious, and social issues, including action groups
that could impact your business
• Determine your competitors’ access and hold on to your distribution and retail
channels
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31. Additional Thoughts about Retail
26/07/2018 31Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Prepare for substantial return rates
• ~10% for brick and mortar, close to 30% for online
• Many online stores offer free returns
• Many returns for online purchases are done at physical stores
• On average, retailers spend about 8% of sales processing returns
• Pricing
• Comparison shopping is very popular, affects also physical stores
• Price guarantees (either stores or credit cards)
• Price structure is quite different from Europe (more margins needed)
• 3-3.5x your cost (if you target brick and mortar also)
• Remember exchange rates!

32. Online Shopping
Simplicity, Speed, Experiences, Prices
• All about seamless user experience
• Do not lose a customer before checkout and make customers return
• Recommendations, shopping cart handling, backend processing, etc.
• Easy and fast shipping
• Note: Costs are going up!
• Amazon Prime subscription a strong incentive to stay in Amazon ecosystem
• Failed for Jet.com
• Rise of discount online stores
• Like Gilt, The Clymb, LeftLane Sports, etc.
• Hyper dynamic pricing
• Especially around big shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday
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33. Family
26/07/2018 33Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• For the first 6 months your productivity is well below 100%
• New environment, new customs, new everything
• New place is a new place for the whole family!
• From working spouse to “stay at home” spouse
• Remember your responsibilities at home, share of chores
• Not all visas work the same way for the spouse
• Does the spouse get it at all, can the spouse apply for a work permit, etc.?
• Schools, school districts, hobbies
• Some families decide to move back because of family reasons

34. Interactions with People in U.S.
26/07/2018 34Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Americans are uncomfortable with silence
• Put them at ease!
• Google them – find a hook
• Small Talk doesn’t have to be SMALL!
• Start small
• Move onto something interesting
• “What do you do when you’re not working?”
• Good topics: sports, travel, food, music, movies, books
• Avoid: religion, politics, anything controversial (gun control, abortion, gay
marriage)
• Sports metaphors are everywhere! If you don’t know, ASK!
• Build long term relationships, pay it forward!

35. Product Crowdfunding
26/07/2018 35Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Nowadays maybe too crowded market
• Really hard process, requires lots of work before, during & after
• Best for tangible products
• Do not use this as a last resort if everything else fails!
• Kickstarter still effectively forces you to open a U.S. bank account (basically
U.S. corporation) and U.S. SSN of a person
• Also certain types of projects are blocked from Kickstarter
• Indiegogo is more flexible but possibly also more unreliable (from the
customer perspective)

36. Note:
U.S. VCs only invest in you after you
have gotten traction in U.S.
-> Get the money for U.S. market entry from Finland / Europe
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37. What are VCs looking for?
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Much better
product
Scalable
business
Huge,
growing
market

38. Thoughts about VCs
26/07/2018 38Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• VCs and Angels are looking for higher returns than in Europe
• Foreign HQ limits your options
• LP agreements, VC attitudes, etc.
• Flipping is a transaction and could generate tax consequences
• European-style cap table might limit your options
• Team & being close is important
• What you need?
• Short intro (you need to be introduced!), one-pager, pitch deck
• Forget business plans but do business planning (like business model canvas)
• Intelligence work on partners

39. VC process
26/07/2018 39Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Prepare for denial
• Cold calling / cold emailing does not generate results
• You need a good and trustworthy introduction
• Initial meetings with junior associates / junior partners
• Immediate and future value!
• Meeting with the partner responsible for your industry
• Meeting with partners
• Mondays are usually partner meeting days
• Every VC firm works slightly differently, so ask early on how they make
decisions; what is the process
• Understand what is a “VC no”
• Be on time.

40. Few Presenting Tips
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• Tell a story
• Talk slower
• Long is easy, short is hard
• Use pauses, intonation, different volume levels to raise the interest
• Focus your eyes
• Your performance = You, your story, your words, your slides
• Your spoken words <> text on the slides!

41. Your Story
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• What is your core message? What you need to get through to the audience?
• Keep things relevant to your audience, for your business
• Build your story from ground up around your core message
• Creates a more cohesive story than removing bits and pieces from a longer story
• What makes you interesting?
• What makes you different?
• In this case your story is not the story of your company but the story of your
business / product / solution

42. Communicating About Your Company:
Materials in Real Life
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• Elevator pitch in English and in Finnish
• To raise interest, get the first meeting
• 15-40 seconds, meetups & networking
• Can you describe your company in 7 words?
• Short written intro
• To raise interest, get the first meeting
• Others can use this to make introductions
• Executive summary
• Provide background for the first meeting
• Pitch slides (-> decks)
• Meetings, pitches, pitch competitions, etc.

43. Pitch decks
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• Everyone has a different opinion on optimal pitch deck
• 10-20-30 –rule (Guy Kawasaki)
• 13 slides (Bill Joos)
• Etc.
• Find your own voice, evaluate feedback and choose the parts which make
sense
• But don’t do averages!
• Avoid sharing pitch deck to VCs before meetings as the deck only part of the
whole package (slides + speech)
• Pictures are worth a lot
• Allows discussion on multiple levels

44. Docsend’s study of pitch decks
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• https://docsend.com/view/p8jxsqr

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46. Pitch Deck Guidance by Forbes
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• https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2017/03/04/how-to-create-a-great-
investor-pitch-deck-for-startups-seeking-financing/#66528e002003
• Slides to include:
• 1) Company Overview, 2) Mission/Vision of the Company, 3) The Team, 4) The Problem,
5) The Solution 6) The Market Opportunity, 7) The Product, 8) The Customers, 9) The
Technology, 10) The Competition, 11) Traction, 12) Business Model, 13) The Marketing
Plan, 14) Financials, 15) The Ask

47. Communicating About Your Company: Style
26/07/2018 47Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Passion
• Tell a story / stories
• Learn from TED presenters
• Presentation skills
• Avoid jargon
• But use right terms
• Pictures are valuable – allow conversations in different levels
• Long is easy, short is hard

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http://bestpitchdecks.com

49. Pitching skills
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• Presentation skills
• Prepare
• Practice
• No, really, practice!
• Improve based on feedback
• Debating & conversations skills
• Listen
• Handling conflict
• Use “and” not “but”
• Medium is the message
• Visuals
• Remember that pitch night pitches are beauty competitions, not examples of
real pitches to a single investor

50. When Pitching to a Real Investor
26/07/2018 50Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Know the audience
• Have backup slides
• Work the numbers bottom up
• Engage the investor – this is not a monologue
• Allow the investor to bring some solutions on the table (even if you have thought
through those things)
• Keep control of the discussion so that you have time to get your message through

51. Funding Data
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• Pitchbook
• Accurate data, good global coverage, expensive
• CB Insights
• Good global coverage, interesting industry analysis, expensive
• Crunchbase
• Good global coverage, crowd-sourced, free & affordable options
• Mattermark
• Focus on additional content, curation of interesting articles
• PWC Money Tree
• Quarterly analysis

52. Accelerators
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• Too widely used term, means nothing and everything nowadays
• In many cases it is just repackaged, renamed “group consultancy”
• 500 Startups Accelerator -> 500 Startups Seed Program
• Accelerator or launchpad?
• 500 Startups/Ycombinator/Techstars or Blackbox/TINC/LandInChicago
• Investment or payment?
• 3 months+ or 1-4 weeks?

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Branded Accelerators Accelerators with funds
(Verticals & General ones)
Launchpad programs for
international startups
Getting familiar with
Silicon Valley –trips
Examples Salesforce, Microsoft, Nike,
etc
500 Startups, YCombinator,
Hax, Alchemist
Blackbox.vc, TINC ScaleIT, TarmacSF, SV
Academy
Tech focus Narrow Varies: Broad or Narrow Broad Broad
Duration Typically 3-5 months Typically 3-5 months 2-4 weeks 1-2 weeks
Price Equity Typically equity (6-8% for
100k-150k)
Company pays 10k-20k +
travel & housing
Company pays 2-5k +
travel & housing
Additional
Benefits
Can have sponsors like
AWS, Google
Can have sponsors, like AWS,
Google
Useful to who? Companies with ties to
certain ecosystems
Company with product,
looking for market entry /
expansion
Company with product,
looking for market
understanding
Company looking for
inspiration
Cohort? Yes Yes (No - e.g. Austin Tech
Incubator)
Yes Yes
Selection Competitive Very competitive Varies No

54. Beauty contests…
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• Are artificial
• Bring short-lived visibility to participants and especially to winners
• Might have some monetary rewards but are mainly for the glory
• Will not provide sustainable income
• Might feel like a goal in itself but really are not, they are just stepping stones
• Gives some kind of idea where you are in relation to your competition
• Preparation helps you learn valuable skills like…
• Presenting yourself, how to walk, how to handle stage fright, etc.
• And the all participants are really looking for…
• Modeling contracts, hostess gigs, movie deals, etc.

55. Pitching contests…
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• Are artificial
• Bring short-lived visibility to participants and especially to winners
• Might have some monetary rewards but are mainly for the glory
• Will not provide immediate funding
• Might feel like a goal in itself but really are not, they are just stepping stones
• Gives some kind of idea where you are in relation to your competition
• Preparation helps you learn valuable skills like…
• Presenting yourself, how to handle stage fright, telling a story, needed materials…
• And the all participants are really looking for…
• Visibility / access to investors, funding deals, customers…

56. • Artificial time limit
• 2-5 minutes
• Compulsory elements
• Problem, solution, market, traction,
team, secret sauce, etc..
• Artistic packaging
• Tell a story, engage the audience, some
wiggle room for ordering
• Judging is subjective
• You need a lot of practice
• You learn skills you can utilize elsewhere
Pitching Competitions =
Figure Skating Programs
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57. Prepping for a Pitching Competition
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• Know your sh*t
• Company, product, market, competition, business model, financials, etc.
• Be yourself
• Build a separate deck – do not re-use your real pitch deck
• You can use bits and pieces of your other materials
• This is an own, individual performance
• Use less words – both on slides and in your talk
• Include the mandatory pieces
• Respect the time limit
• Learn from great presentations – like TED talks
• PRACTICE -> GET FEEDBACK -> IMPROVE

58. Prepping for Q&A
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• Practice
• Be conversational, learn to handle conflict
• Short, focused answers
• Listen and respect the opinions, statements and feedback from the judges
• Use ”and”, not “but”
• You can buy time
• “This a great question!”, “Thank you for asking this…”
• If you did not get the question, do not guess but ask for clarification
• “Sorry, what did you mean exactly?”, ”Can you clarify?”

59. Monthly Silicon Valley Events:
Something for Everyone
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• Pitching events
• VC Taskforce
• Pitch-force
• Shark tank
• Etc.
• Stanford’s Entrepreneurial Though Leaders –seminar (weekly)
• Mobile Mondays
• Industry-specific
• Connected cars, AI, machine learning, server-side programming, front end, mobile,
health tech, sports tech, etc.
• Check: http://www.meetup.com

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61. Reading
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62. Listening & Watching
26/07/2018 62Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Podcasts
• Startup Podcast (by Gimlet Media)
• a16z
• Pitch
• This Week in Startups
• 20 minute VC
• The Full Ratchet
• Venture Studio (more New York –focused)
• How to Start a Startup by Sam Altman

63. Thanks!
Hartti Suomela, Business Finland, hartti.suomela@businessfinland.fi
Paula Salomaa, Business Finland, paula.salomaa@businessfinland.fi
26/07/2018 63Team Finland / Silicon Valley

64. Backup slides
Work in Progress
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65. Additional VC Materials
26/07/2018 65Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Ivan Nikkhoo’s VC investment presentation
• https://www.slideshare.net/secret/v01N30VjCOWzRY
• Very dense with information!

66. PR & Marketing
26/07/2018 66Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• PR & Marketing: marathon, not a sprint
• From CEO’s point of view
• Having a good PR person & company should cause you extra work (interviews, etc.)
• Measurement with Excel is hard
• But you will know when it is not working
• Beware of bait and switch

67. Special Focus: Canada
• E-tailing in Canada has evolved slower than in U.S
• Online commerce 6% of total retail spending vs. 9% in U.S. (2014, Forrester)
• Reasons (by e-tailers and experts):
• Transportation costs (geographically bigger than U.S. but only 11% of population)
• Web access & infrastructure a little lacking
• Ingrained shopping habits
• Lack of selection
• Forecast: 10% in 2019
• Canadian shoppers are buying beyond national borders
• More than half of the online spending is with sellers outside Canada
• Canada requires duties be paid on online purchases of CA$20
• Lately major moves by U.S based online retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, Wal-Mart)
• Amazon #1 (both .ca and .com), Wal-Mart investing heavily
• When entering Canadian market – some real thought on operations and logistics is
needed (including returns!)

68. Office practicalities
26/07/2018 68Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Bank account
• Use national bank or some startup friendly Silicon Valley bank (for example SVB)
• You need U.S. Inc., address, FEIN, paperwork, and open the bank account in person
• Accounting
• Quickbooks is de facto standard, you can save by keeping the books up-to-date yourself
and use accountant only for annual closing of accounts
• Payroll – needed immediately when you start hiring
• Insurance (liability, property, etc.)
• If you work with retailers, they have their own requirements

69. Accounting Essentials
26/07/2018 69Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• Pre-funding
• Bank account, Separate personal & business expenses, Keep record of receipts, collect
payments, payroll provider, stay on top of stock records
• Post-funding
• You have external stake-holders -> even more diligent with accounting
• Creating financials on regular basis (not only for you, but also to investors), manage
cash-flow, hire professionals (GAAP compliancy)
• Formalize your expense tracking -> accounts payable
• Place vendors on net 30 payment terms (could be hard with smaller vendors or consultants)
• Bill.com and others
• Formalize your invoicing process -> accounts receivable
• Payment terms in writing on invoices
• Payroll systems (early stage, low-cost, easy-to-use)
• Intuit (2 varieties), Gusto,

70. Accounting Essentials: Taxes
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• Correct legal entity
• Federal, state, city tax obligations, regional fees, registrations
• Sales tax collection for online sales (physical presence)
• Deduct business expenses
• Pay quarterly taxes
• Stay on top of payroll taxes and 1099s
• One important reason to use payroll company
• Require W9 from vendors before first invoice (hard to get later, no incentive)

71. Accounting Essentials: Valuation
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• IRS requires Fair Market Value Analysis (FMV) analysis for stock option grants
• By outside firm
• Valid for 12 months
• In case of major event, re-do
• Acquisition of a public company -> you will be audited by big accounting co for
compliance

72. Applying for NPI Number
26/07/2018 72Team Finland / Silicon Valley
• NPPES (National Pan & Provider Enumeration System) is keeping a list of
unique identifiers for all health care providers and plans
• https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/Welcome.do
• The identifier is NPI (National Provider Identifier)
• https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov
• Who needs it?
• https://questions.cms.gov/faq.php?id=5005&faqId=1849
• The list includes “durable medical equipment suppliers” so many Finnish companies are
affected
• Application can be done online
• Needs Tax ID (FEIN), which one can apply also for foreign entity

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• U.S. entities want to have this document filled in for foreign companies (this is
called W9 for U.S. companies)
• https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf for individuals
• https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8bene.pdf for companies
• In most cases Finnish companies are “Corporations” for section 4
• In the section 9b (Foreign TIN) one should enter ”FI” and the business ID number (y-
tunnus) from Finland (just remove the dash “-”)