Expanding into the US: A Market Entry Guide for European Companies

Short answer: Setting up a business in the US is the easy part: you can form a company in a single state in days and get a tax number from the IRS online. The hard part of entering the US market is finding customers, distributors, partners and investors. European companies that succeed usually pick one region or vertical, adapt their positioning for American buyers and work with US-based operators who can make warm introductions. Boardio connects companies with 12,000+ advisors in 120 countries who open those doors.

The US is the most common destination for companies on Boardio seeking cross-border growth. It is also the market where a wrong advisor choice costs the most, because a poor fit can add months of positioning mistakes before the first US customer signs.

This guide covers two situations. The first is a company outside the US, such as a European startup or scaleup, preparing to enter the American market. The second is a company that already sells, raises or operates in the US and needs operators who can deliver a sharper go-to-market, a fundraising narrative that lands with US investors, a new vertical, or a formal advisory build. For both, it explains what a US advisor does, where to find one, what to ask, how to pay them and when to start. Boardio has 1,000+ advisors based in the United States across all major US hubs.

How to set up a company in the USA

For most European companies, the legal setup follows a familiar path. Requirements differ by state and industry, so take legal and tax advice before you start, but the main steps are:

• Choose a structure: many venture-backed companies use a corporation, often in Delaware, because US investors know it. Smaller operations often use a limited liability company (LLC) in the state where they will operate.
• Register in a state: companies are formed at state level, and you may also need to register in other states where you do business.
• Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN): the federal tax ID, issued by the IRS.
• Open a bank account and set up accounting: including state sales tax, which varies by state.
• Check licences and regulation: some sectors, such as financial services, health and food, have federal and state requirements.

The U.S. Small Business Administration business guide covers these steps in detail. Formation agents can complete the paperwork quickly. None of this, however, gets you a first customer.

Setting up a business in the US: what comes after incorporation

Once the company exists, the questions change. Who are your first ten customers? Which region do you start in? Do you sell direct, through partners or through distributors? Which investors will take you seriously? These answers depend on relationships that a European team rarely has on day one.

Finding distributors in the USA

For physical products, and for many software and services businesses, channel partners are the fastest route to scale. US distribution is often regional and layered, with master distributors, regional distributors and dealers. A distributor that leads in one region may not exist in another. Choose your region or vertical first, then find the distributors that lead it, and arrive with a proposition they can sell: margin, demand, support and local pricing. Our guide on how to find international distributors covers the process step by step.

Customers, partners and investors

The same rule applies to enterprise customers, technology partners and US investors: introductions from trusted people open doors that cold outreach does not. That is why the right advisor is one of the most valuable investments in a US market entry. The rest of this guide explains how to find one.

Market entry or US growth: which advisor do you need?

A US market entry advisor works with companies that are still outside the US, or have only just arrived. The job is to choose where to start, validate your positioning for American buyers and keep you from burning cash on mistakes that experienced operators have already made.

A US growth advisor works with companies that already sell, raise or operate in the US. The job is acceleration: a new ideal customer profile (ICP), a tougher enterprise motion, a fundraising narrative, a channel you have not cracked, or an advisory bench that fills gaps your executives cannot cover alone. Same country, different problem.

In both cases, the US is not one market. It is a collection of regional markets, buyer cultures, regulatory environments and distribution dynamics that differ from each other, and even more from Europe. That makes specificity the main filter. An operator who scaled mid-market SaaS in the Bay Area is not automatically right for a hardware founder chasing Midwest distributors, or for a fintech scaleup building East Coast bank partnerships. Ask for proof in your vertical, your buyer and your growth motion, not a general claim of knowing the US.

What a US advisor does at each stage

Entering the US

A strong US market entry advisor helps you:

• Reposition your product messaging for US buyer expectations
• Identify which US cities or regions to prioritize for pilot customers
• Make introductions to relevant channel partners, distributors or enterprise procurement teams
• Navigate US-specific legal and compliance requirements in your industry
• Understand US fundraising dynamics if you are considering a Series A from US VCs

Growing in the US

Common triggers for companies already operating in the US:

• Go-to-market: a new ICP, pricing, an enterprise motion, or channel partners you cannot open from your current network. If GTM is the main bottleneck, see go-to-market advisors: what they do and how to find one.
• Fundraising: a cleaner story, a live investor list and warm intros to funds that fit your stage and sector.
• Expansion inside the US: a new region, vertical or product line where local operators already know the buyers.
• Advisory or board build: complementary judgment beside the executive team, without adding headcount.

Define the outcome first

At either stage, write down two or three outcomes before you talk to anyone. "Help us grow" is not a brief. "Eight qualified enterprise meetings in healthcare IT in 90 days" or "warm intros to three Series B funds in our category" is. A soft goal can never fail a review, because it never defined success.

The best US advisors at either stage are operators, not consultants. They have built or scaled something in the US themselves and can make warm introductions, not just give advice.

How to find an advisor for US expansion or growth

Founders use three main routes: referrals from investors or other founders, LinkedIn outreach, and advisor platforms.

Referrals are fast when your network already overlaps the buyers or investors you need. For most European founders, that US network is thinner than they think. Contacts who know people in the US are not the same as operators who have scaled a company in your vertical. For companies already in the US, referrals stop working when the next growth lane sits outside your current circle. A warm investor intro is valuable, but it does not replace an operator who has sold into your next segment.

LinkedIn outreach surfaces names. It rarely filters for current availability or genuine interest in your stage, and an accepted connection request is not a commitment to advise.

Advisor platforms reverse the process. You post a search describing your goal, your target market and what you need from an advisor, and advisors apply when they believe they can help. Every applicant has already read your brief and decided they can contribute, which filters out mismatches before the first conversation. Boardio has 12,000+ advisors across 120 countries, including US-based operators in SaaS, fintech, healthcare, consumer and deep tech. You can see example profiles of advisors in the United States before you start.

On Boardio, 90% of companies seek advisors outside their home market. For US-based teams, that often means a cross-state or cross-sector match: a New York SaaS company may need a Chicago industrial buyer network, or a West Coast product team may need East Coast enterprise credibility.

If you want Boardio to run the search for you, Boardio Turnkey takes your market, expertise and goals, runs the search and gives you a curated shortlist instead of raw applicants. It has a one-time success fee from €1,900 + VAT, due only if you start working with an advisor Boardio found, and a 100% Growth Guarantee: a new search at no extra cost if the match does not work out. For a broader framework, see how to find a startup advisor. For other markets, see our guide to global expansion.

Questions to ask before you choose a US advisor

Before committing to anyone, ask these five questions. They separate strong advisors from people who only sound good in a first call.

1. What US companies have you helped scale, and at what stage?
2. Which specific regions or buyer segments do you know well?
3. Can you name three people you would introduce us to in the first 90 days?
4. Have you worked with companies in our situation before, either entering the US or growing there, and what did they get wrong?
5. How do you prefer to engage: monthly calls, async, or project-based?

The third question is the most revealing. An advisor who cannot name concrete contacts straight away is likely to be more strategically useful than operationally useful. Both have value, but you need to know which one you are engaging. Check every answer against the two or three outcomes you wrote down.

How to pay a US advisor: equity, cash retainer and revenue share

US advisors expect a clear pay conversation early. All advisor searches on Boardio are compensated, so agree the model before the first working session. Put all three standard models on the table:

• Equity: suits long-horizon strategic judgment. Typical grants are 0.1% to 0.5%, vesting over two years.
• Cash retainer: suits predictable monthly access. It ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand euros per month, depending on the engagement level.
• Revenue share: suits an advisor who directly drives introductions to paying customers. Put caps in writing.

Many packages combine two of the three: light equity plus a modest retainer, or a small retainer plus capped revenue share when opening doors is the main job. For US market entry, advisors with strong commercial networks often prefer revenue share or a hybrid, because their value is measurable. If an advisor opens three enterprise deals in the first six months, a small percentage of that revenue reflects the contribution fairly.

Document scope, cadence, vesting and what counts as a qualifying intro before you start. Do not trade symbolic equity for unlimited access. For current benchmarks, see startup advisory board compensation benchmarks.

When to start the search

Start earlier than feels necessary. Many companies wait until they have signed their first US customer or raised a US round, then look for an advisor to accelerate the next phase. That works, but it misses the biggest value: avoiding the six months of positioning mistakes that typically come before that first customer.

• Entering the US: if you are 12 to 18 months away from a serious US push, start the search now.
• Growing in the US: if the next 12 months require a new buyer segment, a harder enterprise motion, a raise or a stronger advisory bench, start the shortlist now.

Waiting until a raise is live or a channel is already failing compresses diligence. Building the relationship before you need doors opened gives you time to check fit and set outcomes properly.

Find your US advisor

Browse advisors in the US to see the operators in Boardio's network, then start a free search at boardio.com/start. Describe your company and what you need, and advisors apply directly to your search. There is no upfront cost. For a free practical guide on finding, engaging and managing advisors, see the Handbook on Advisors 2026.

Related guides

• How to find distributors in a new market
• Setting up a business in the UK
• How to find a market entry advisor for Germany
• What is an international expansion advisor?

Frequently asked questions

How do I set up a company in the USA as a European company?

Choose a structure (often a Delaware corporation for venture-backed companies, or an LLC), register in a state, get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS, open a bank account and check state tax and sector licences. Take legal and tax advice, because requirements vary by state and industry.

What is the hardest part of setting up a business in the US?

Not the paperwork. Finding the first customers, distributors, partners and investors takes longest, because it depends on relationships. US-based advisors who have built businesses in your vertical can make the warm introductions that speed this up.

How do I find distributors in the USA?

Choose a region or vertical first, because US distribution is often regional and layered. Map the leading distributors through industry associations and trade shows, then get introductions through a US operator who has sold through that channel.

How do I find an advisor for expanding into the US?

Write down two or three concrete outcomes, then use referrals, LinkedIn outreach or an advisor platform. On Boardio, advisors apply to your specific search, which signals genuine interest and availability. Boardio has 12,000+ advisors in 120 countries. With Boardio Turnkey, the brief is free and you pay a one-time success fee from €1,900 + VAT only if you start working with an advisor Boardio found.

How should we pay an advisor for US expansion or growth?

Discuss equity, cash retainer and revenue share together. Equity (typically 0.1% to 0.5%, vesting over two years) suits long-term strategic alignment, a cash retainer suits predictable monthly access, and revenue share suits attributable commercial intros with written caps. Agree scope, cadence, vesting and qualifying intros before you start working together.

When should we start looking for a US advisor?

Earlier than most founders expect. If you plan a serious US push in the next 12 to 18 months, start the search now. Building the relationship before you need doors opened gives you time to check fit and set outcomes properly.