Open in Seattle next to the customers you came for.
Overseas software, biotech and hardware companies open in Seattle to sit near the cloud providers, the research institutes and the ports. Most stumble on execution: the registrations, the first hires and a hiring market dominated by the biggest employers.
What makes a Seattle landing harder than it looks
The strategy holds up. Execution is where it slips:
A tax on revenue from the first sale
Washington's business and occupation tax applies to gross receipts, so a new operation owes it even before it makes a profit.
Hiring against the giants
The first local leader sets the culture and the customer relationships, and competes for talent with the largest employers in the country.
Buying habits misread
Platform partners, research institutions and port-dependent buyers each work to their own timetable and expectations.
Signals lost in translation
The weekly report looks tidy and says little about what customers and partners are really doing.
A fractional executive puts a senior person in Seattle within weeks and lets you hold off on a permanent country head until you can see the real shape of the opportunity. They set up the operation, run it, and then either hand it to your permanent appointment or say clearly that the market does not justify more spend.
Who this is for, and who it is not
Best for
- International companies opening their first US entity
- Entrants who need speed and local knowledge from day one
- A launch that needs commercial, finance and operations led at once
- Businesses testing the market before committing to a full local C-suite
- A distributor or partner in place, but no one owning the market strategy
Not for
- A pure legal or licensing task an adviser should handle
- Businesses with no product or offer ready for the market yet
- A one-off market study with no intention to enter
- Companies wanting a nominee rather than an operating leader
How we support a US entry
We find the operator, set the scope with head office and stay involved while the Seattle operation finds its feet.
A second line to head office
Our check-ins give head office a view of progress beyond the weekly report, and drift is flagged early.
American experience to draw on
The collective of 800+ includes operators who have opened US operations before. We match for Pacific Northwest experience where the brief needs it.
Handover managed
Whether the next step is your permanent hire or a new executive, we run the handover so the knowledge stays in Seattle.
Matched to your buyers
Platform partners, research institutions and port buyers each need a different lead. We match on the buyer.
Market entry works in phases, not a single launch
From pre-entry setup to an established business, with the scope adjusting as you go.
Pre-entry: setup and strategy
Entity structure recommendation, regulatory navigation, early relationship building, and market intelligence gathering, before you arrive.
Landing: first 90 days
Commercial engagement begins. Operational infrastructure established. Team building starts. Financial and compliance framework is operational.
Traction: months 3–12
Commercial pipeline develops. Operational model proves out. Team grows. Leadership needs evolve and scope adjusts.
Establishment: months 12–24
Business is established. Revenue is evidence-based. Specific functions may transition to full-time hires. We advise on when and how.
The market-entry leadership stack
Most entries need more than one function led at once. Start with the one under most pressure, then add others as you establish.
Market entry needs leadership across commercial, finance, operations and people
Start with the function under the most pressure, then add others as the entry matures.
Guiding entry into the UAE alongside
