Anders Kjær from PreSeed Ventures shares his insights on international scaling

1. StartupTalk #25:
Get Your Startup in
Shape for International
ScalingBy Anders Kjær, Investment Director, PreSeed Ventures

2. Agenda
2
01
Brief intro to PreSeed Ventures and our Academy
02
Getting in Shape for International Scaling – Investor Learnings
03
Brief about our investment process

3. Agenda
3
01
Brief intro to PreSeed Ventures and our Academy
02
Getting in Shape for International Scaling – Investor Learnings
03
Brief about our investment process

4. PreSeed Ventures4
Sr. Inv. Director
Helle Uth
PreSeed
Ventures
Comm. and
marketing
coordinator
Thomas Kørschen
Operations&FundSupport
A powerhouse of
experts
ExternalsPartners(+400foundersfromPSV’s
portfolio,ecosystemvenues,community
buildersetc.)
Inv. Director
Alexander
Horten
Inv. Director
Anders
Kjær
Inv. Director
Anders
Waagstein
Head of
Communication
& Community
Alice Killemose
Office Manager
Bettina
Andersen
Assistant
Anna
Christensen
∟ A startup school deeply
rooted in PreSeed
Ventures’ experience and
competencies from 15
years of investing
∟ The PSV team often takes
the stage at PreSeed
Academy to share their
learnings from +400
startups journeys
∟ Members of the team are
available at the Academy,
providing answers to the
questions from current and
future entrepreneurs
Investmentteam
Attorney
Anne Cathrine
Wilhjelm
Consultant
Finn Winchler
Andersen
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
These are the people behind
PreSeed Ventures
Venture Analyst
Christian
Dalsgaard
CIO
Richard Breiter
CEO
Christel Piron
COO
Mads Klarskov
CFO
Martin Andersen
Program Manager
Louise
Mølgaard
Management

5. PreSeed Ventures
Friends
Small Angels
Big Angels
Accelerators
VC’s
Idea Pre-seed Seed A
Typical funding path
Maturity
Funding partner
5
PreSeed Ventures’ position in the market
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling

6. PreSeed Ventures6
∟ More than 15 years experience in repeatedly
identifying and investing in early-stage
companies, with high growth potential
∟ Vast network of national and international co-
investors to help take our portfolio companies to
the next stages
Last 5 years’ early stage
investments:
∟ +150 companies
∟ +400 founders
∟ DKK 330m invested
∟ DKK 4.5bn in syndication
∟ +350 syndication partners
∟ +2,500 startups screened
We have been part of some pretty cool journeys so far –
maybe some of you could be the next?
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling

7. PreSeed VenturesPreSeed Ventures
4000+
Signups
from the
ecosystem
52
Founders &
advisors
paying it
forward
57
StartupTalks
& Feedback
sessions
62
Videotalks &
articles
Actively strengthening Denmark as a
startup nation by educating the
entrepreneurs of tomorrow
∟Foster & support early stage talents
in the Danish ecosystem
∟Increase availability and quality of
knowledge, resources, advice, and
network for new entrepreneurs
∟Create a roadmap for building and
scaling a startup
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – Scaling out of DK

8. PreSeed Ventures
Roadmap for
building a startup
PROCESS/
COMPLIANC
E
ORGANISATIO
N & PEOPLE
GO-TO-
MARKET
VALIDATION
FUNDRAISING
PRODUCT
& TECH
Legal
aspects
From ides
to business
Finding product/market-
fit
KPIs & metrics
B2B sales &
marketing Apps &
platforms
Early
stage
funding
Teams &
people
strategies
Marketing
Automation
AI-strategies
8
Meassuring
product/
market-fit
Incentivizin
g talents
and teams
A roadmap for
minimising time
& risk
To maximize
success
∟ The mission: Create a
platform with a detailed
roadmap for building a
business – providing the
resources and network
you need
8
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling

9. Agenda
9
01
Brief intro to PreSeed Ventures and our Academy
02
Getting in Shape for International Scaling – Investor Learnings
03
Brief about our investment process

10. PreSeed Ventures
Scaling is something you do do because you are prepared
Some aspects to consider before you (try) scaling
10
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
Scale readiness - preparing for scale Scaling
Identify the right
metrics and hit the
required target
levels
Validating your
value proposition
and business
model in selected
market(s)
Expansion
playbook
Serious fundraising
demands proper
planning
”Go do!”
A
B
C
D

11. PreSeed Ventures
Identify the right metrics for your business and then
ensure your have runway to hit sufficient target
levels
11
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
B2B SaaS AI first SaaS Market place
Source: Point9 funding napkins for inspiration. Just Google it 
A

12. PreSeed Ventures
You most likely need to validate your value
proposition and business model in more markets
12
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
VS
Testing and validation Scaling
12
Note: I do not consider the blitz scaling approach, read the book by Reid Hoffman
B

13. PreSeed Ventures
Expansion: ”you just decided you want to enter the next
market”
Example
13
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
market
C

14. PreSeed Ventures
Expansion: some considerations...
Example from Index Ventures on scaling to the US
14
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
If opening office:
identify selection
criteria
Should you move key
personnel? And who?
Rethink your people
strategy ... (be ready when
scaling)
C

15. PreSeed Ventures
...and some more considerations
15
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
• What market/country are you scaling to? And how big is the potential for that
market/country? Below or larger than 50%?
• < 50%: expand later than sooner / don’t move HQ / ...
• > 50%: expand / move key personnel, i.e. CEO, CCO / ...
• ...but: remember to assess your product / service with you sales approach and customer
segment, because:
• If enterprise customer with classic sales and support solution then you should most
likely have ‘feet on the ground/market’
• If your product offering is done by inbound sales model and self-service onboarding
then you could more likely keep HQ locally
C

16. PreSeed Ventures
Some factors that could hold back expansion
Non-exhaustive
16
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
• Localisation and regulation:
• Does the expansion require a specific license to operate, or does your product need
local adjustment?
• Competitive environment
• Is the market you want to enter more competitive? And thereby a higher need for
product differentiation? Maybe more capital?
• Human support (and thereby financial support):
• Adressing more markets will everything else being equial require more people on
your team to tackle growth across market dynamics, culture, etc.
• ...
C

17. PreSeed Ventures
Get more inspiration: i.e. quick guide from Index
Ventures to European founders on expanding to the
US
17
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling
www.indexventures.com/resources/destinationusa/Source:
C

18. PreSeed Ventures
Build ambitious plans based on performance data
18
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
ScalingD
Note: the T2D3 Path to SaaS Growth and $1B Valuation –
https://blog.fusebill.com/t2d3-path-to-saas-growth-1b-
valuation

19. Agenda
19
01
Brief intro to PreSeed Ventures and our Academy
02
Getting in Shape for International Scaling – Investor Learnings
03
Brief about our investment process

20. PreSeed Ventures
Investment proces
20
We like to get to know
you and your plans
We like to see you
execute
What we like
What you should
do
We like to move
fast
Build relationships and
show you are
ambitious
Underpromise and
overdeliver
Be ready to close
a deal
PreSeed Academy: Startup Talk #25 – International
Scaling