Growing a business into new markets is arguably one of the most important decisions that a founder or business leader will make.

From the complexity of running the business at home while establishing yourself in a new market to the stress of relocating and building a network from scratch, it’s not a choice that should be underestimated.

We recently brought together experienced operators and innovation ecosystem partners to discuss the realities of international expansion and the key findings of the recently published Breaking New Ground report.

Newfound Global CEO Peter Gillingwater stated, “to light a fire” within the tech community and share lessons and insights from experienced operators.

Here’s a short summary of the keynotes, panel discussion and Q&A session that took place on the day.

After networking, breakfast and a brief introduction, the event started with a keynote by Alex Irwin-Hunt, Global markets Editor at FDI intelligence.

His 3 core messages not only echoed the findings of the “Breaking new ground” report, but also served as the golden thread throughout each session.

As our latest report with Dealroom shows, AI has driven significant interest among UK investors², with much investment flowing into critical compute infrastructure such as data centres.

Alex pointed out that this focus is opening new channels and opportunities for collaboration across the globe, as markets adjust to the demands of embedded AI infrastructure.

The second session focused on the practical aspects of international expansion, and included a panel featuring Melissa Thomas, Director at Blick Rothenberg, Elizabeth Varley - UKDBT GEP Dealmaker, and Sam Coulton, CFO of Re-Leased.

It was a rich discussion that yielded some invaluable and uncomfortable realities of the expansion process.

Melissa Thomas pointed to the difference between doing business with the UK, and in the UK, citing cultural nuances and the importance of building a team of expert advisors in order to navigate the local landscape. Her view was echoed by Elizabeth Varley, who spoke of the “very real pain of expansion” and reinforced the importance of trust and collaboration in what remains a very relationship-focused endeavour.

Interestingly, Sam Coulton highlighted another important consideration when it comes to human capital. Based on his own experience, he suggested that having someone from the “home team” serving as a beach head in each new market may be one way to mitigate the risk of costly mis-hires.

A perennial favourite of any panel, our guests were also asked about where they saw opportunities for efficiency improvements for expansion.

Their answers – perhaps unsurprisingly – focused on making the environment more founder-friendly and less complex.

Key pain points mentioned included:

• Complexity around banking in different markets
• Rules around visas that perhaps stifle innovators
• Improving visibility around support networks and government assistance
• A need to work collaboratively and help drive success together.

The second keynote of the day was presented by Christina Schott Liaos, the European Head of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and capital investment for the Office for Investment (OFI).

This cross-department team aims to deliver transformational investment across 25 key markets, and helps to deploy transformational investment and push teams towards platforms like the “Expand Your Business” platform and other helpful resources, in line with the Industrial Strategy.

The first of 3 launch events brought the findings of the report to the fore.

While it’s clear that international expansion remains a complex process, both professionally and personally, there are support systems and structures available to help – and a collective desire to do so from various corners of the ecosystem.

Download the full report to explore the founder experience, and unlock crucial insights about the journey shared by real operators.