Looking for the next 'Eunicorns' to hit Silicon Valley: 15 days left to apply for SEC2SV 2016

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The second annual SEC2SV (Startup Europe Comes to Silicon Valley) takes place this September in San Francisco, connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and policy makers from around the EU startup scene with their counterparts in Silicon Valley.

The week-long mission from September 12 to 16, a partnership of Mind the Bridge, European Commission and Startup Europe, brings mature European startups, or “scaleups”, to the Valley to discover opportunities for growth or expansion in the US market.

Last year’s SEC2SV was a huge success where European businesses, investors, and policy makers converged at the event for workshops and talks on breaking into the US market.

This year, there are 15 open slots for eligible startups. Applications are open (no April Fools' here) and will remain open until April 19.

Startups that are interested in applying for the program must be based in the EU and have plans to expand to the US or already have a presence there. Finally, applicants must have an annual employee growth or turnover greater than 20% over a three-year period, starting with a minimum of 10 employees. Successful applicants will be chosen by a committee of investors from both sides of the Atlantic.

At the event in San Francisco, the European startups will pitch their business at European Innovation Day and participate in the three-day Scaleup Summit, tackling issues like growth, seeking funding, and legal and policy matters, as well as taking part in meetings at some of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies for further networking opportunities.

“SEC2SV brought together amazing scaleups and gave a unique glimpse into the near future. I was honoured to be part of this group and I can’t wait to see the next,” said Andrea Anderheggen, CEO of Germany’s Shopgate, which attended last year’s event and is now based in Texas following its acquisition by Klarna.

European scale-ups can apply here.