 |
||||||||
|
|
|
 |
|
Transatlantic Venture Management |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
Expanding business faster, smarter |
|||
|
|
|
Our Experience |
|
|
|
We deliver the one thing you need most in the high-stakes world of foreign expansion: experience. Some representative engagements include: Problem This database company enjoyed a strong European customer base and revenue. The company had little or no understanding of the US market and how to expand into it. Solution The Bampton Group provided the company a thorough analysis of how financing works in the US and defined critical parameters for becoming a viable financing candidate relative to the US VC community. The Bampton Group learned that the company had not yet established the necessary mass to attract the level of US VC funding it sought. The Bampton Group recommended that it needed to validate its US business model to the VC community by demonstrating its intent to create a serious US presence: create strategic US partnerships and sell its product through a larger distribution channel than the one it originally selected. The firm consulted with the company to determine the specific distributor and type of relationship, which resulted in a non-exclusive licensing arrangement. The Bampton Group then proposed to the company that it fund its US expansion through smaller investors, a strategic move that would ultimately pay off for the company. Result The company was funded by a local VC to create its initial presence, and then went on to establish a major US presence with US funding. It was then acquired by a major US technology firm. Medical software company profile Problem This medical software company had some US market presence, but not enough to fully capitalize on US opportunity. Solution Based on an analysis performed by The Bampton Group, it was determined that the company’s product line needed clearer US market definition. The choice became: expand into the US with the company’s current custom products, which have a high cost-of-sale, or create an off-the-shelf product with a lower cost-of-sale. The Bampton Group also learned that seeking a US distribution or sales agent wouldn’t be appropriate due to the complexity of the product and sale. To validate these conclusions, the firm created a dynamic structure to better define the product through focus groups, and customer profiling and interviewing exercises. It recommended that the company quickly establish a US market presence with a local office and sales team who would cover a limited geographical market area. The strategy: turn a controlled group of customers into product champions, create a US marketing infrastructure, form strategic relationships, and identify acquisition targets to expand the product offering. Result Eighty percent of current revenues are drawn from the new US operation. The company now has dominant US market share. Enterprise software company profile Problem This enterprise software company recognized a significant US market for its product, but had little knowledge about how to approach it. Solution The company partnered with The Bampton Group to provide base-line knowledge about US business and marketing requirements. To drive understanding, the firm performed an analysis of the company’s opportunities in and strategies for expanding into the US. Leveraging a SWOT analysis framework, The Bampton Group identified key weaknesses in the company’s sales cycle and its underlying business model. To address these issues, the firm compared cost of sale versus cost of implementation and concluded that the company needed a US market presence to validate its business model. In short, the European sales model would not be successfully leveraged in the US. Plus, without a demonstrable level of product seeding in the US, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to acquire US venture capital for expansion. Result The company saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by not expanding into the US prematurely. Problem This software company learned that the US presented a major market opportunity, but it was unable to attract US VC funding. Solution The Bampton Group performed an analysis of the target US VC community and, based on findings, determined that the company lacked a viable US product strategy. The Bampton Group consulted with the company to strengthen its product strategy, which entailed repositioning the product from “tool” to “application,” defining a more scalable business model, and formulating a brand strategy to make the solution appealing to its US market. To validate this recommendation, The Bampton Group performed an analysis of the market opportunity for the new product positioning and business model. This analysis resulted in the conclusion that it was too early for the company to expand. The company needed to first solidify its product plan and achieve critical mass in its native market. Result The company saved thousands of dollars by not expanding into the US
prematurely. Rather, it secured the appropriate funding to establish its presence in Europe. |
|
|
