tag:,2008:/1/tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521- 2008-09-24T12:20:38Z Comments for European Startups and Web Innovation Around The World Movable Type 4.1 tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521 2007-02-16T21:32:49Z 2007-12-16T23:11:04Z European Startups and Web Innovation Around The World Saul Klein, the former Skype global marketing VP who joined VC firm Index Ventures this week, has a great post on his blog about the European startup scene. I spoke to Saul earlier this week and I will write up a post about that conversation next week. But for now, check out Saul's post -... Richard MacManus http://www.readwriteweb.com Saul Klein, the former Skype global marketing VP who joined VC firm Index Ventures this week, has a great post on his blog about the European startup scene. I spoke to Saul earlier this week and I will write up a post about that conversation next week. But for now, check out Saul's post - it really nails why Web innovation is happening more and more outside Silicon Valley.

Remember that our R/WW poll this week is on this very topic: does location matter in Web innovation? So far nearly half of you (47%) think that location does matter, but that several places in the world have just as high a chance of innovation as Silicon Valley (depending on product type and other factors). A third of you (34%) think that location doesn't matter and that innovation can happen equally everywhere (NZ, Timbuktoo, etc). Only 1/5 of you (20%) think that Silicon Valley has the highest chance of innovation.

As Saul pointed out in his post, there is much more to running a startup than simply having an idea and building a prototype. Silicon Valley definitely has a lot of advantages in terms of networking and the density of smart Web people in the area. But Europe is catching up:

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"We've always had great talent (especially in academia & research institutions), but now we also successful entrepreneurial role models, sophisticated early-stage financing and the ability to start and test businesses at low-cost as well."

Also Saul notes that the Internet is growing rapidly outside the US:

"The Internet outside the US is bigger than the inside and that trend is only accelerating. Google, eBay and Yahoo all know this and the fact that YouTube is already over 65% international in less than two years from launch shows that the US in no longer an island.

Against many important measures -- broadband penetration, % online advertising spend and mobile phone adoption -- the US is no longer the world's most important market. This is not for one minute to say that the US shouldn't part a major part of every ambitious startup's plans but if for example you want to be in the market with the largest share of online advertising as part of the marketing mix, you want to be in the UK."

Web innovation truly is global these days. What's more, reporting on Web innovation is global (he says, tapping away at his keyboard on a Saturday morning in Wellington, New Zealand). While a lot of my focus is on Silicon Valley, because it's still the nexus of Web business, I've also been following the Asia scene with great interest - because it's closer to where I am physically. I'm also involved as an advisor to a Europe startup (Nooked) and I keep in regular contact with many European web 2.0 folks.

Ain't globalization grand!

Pic credit: Paul Watson and business2blog

]]> tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521-comment:29261 Comment from Yakov on 2007-02-16 Yakov http://www.quintura.com I will go further to Eastern Europe where I see a lot of Internet innovations happening. One of our investors even says that "...Eastern European entrepreneurs as more fervently capitalist than Western Europeans." (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_48/b4011067.htm)

]]> 2007-02-16T22:05:29Z tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521-comment:29262 Comment from Franco Dal Molin on 2007-02-16 Franco Dal Molin http://www.collanos.com Indeed, globalization IS grand - and sometimes a necessity for cash-limited start-ups for getting off ground. Example: We have our HQ in Zurich, Switzerland, an outpost in San Francisco, and development offices in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Kharkov, Ukraine. Still, the total number of staff is 18, a "micro-multinational". As founder and CTO I can confirm: Eastern Europe has a lot of talented engineers and we would not be here without it! In a recent Global Competitiveness Report the top four ranks went all to European countries (http://blog.collanos.com/index.php/2006/09/26/collanos-joins-top-50-ventures/).

]]> 2007-02-17T02:52:58Z tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521-comment:29263 Comment from Josh on 2007-02-16 Josh http://www.intensedebate.com I am based in the Southeast US, my programmer is in the midwest, and my designer is from Sweden. The internet has made working together much easier.

It also made the talent pool that much greater because we no longer have to look for people in the general area.

BTW, having a designer from Sweden has been truly beneficial. There is a lot to be said for Europeans being at the forefront of style. He has brought some great flavor to our creation. We are really looking forward to our release given our great feedback already.

Good post...and good topic.

]]> 2007-02-17T02:57:49Z tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521-comment:29264 Comment from Theo Tonca on 2007-02-16 Theo Tonca http://esylife.wordpress.com Innovation truly is a global language.

]]> 2007-02-17T06:55:11Z tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521-comment:29265 Comment from Robert Gaal on 2007-02-17 Robert Gaal http://53miles.com I hope this doesn't come as a suprise for all of you? :)

If you want to catch more European start-ups: signups for The Next Web conference have just gone live:

http://thenextweb.org

Let me know when you're signed up. Always happy to meet anybody from across the ocean!

]]> 2007-02-17T16:27:45Z tag:72.47.210.69,2007://1.3521-comment:29266 Comment from Versteigerung on 2007-02-17 Versteigerung http://www.poenix.de coole :)

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