What's this all about?
LDN2SFO is a group trip from London to Silicon Valley for aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage startups. The first three trips took place in January 2013, February 2014 and April/May 2015. Participants take part in a schedule of events including talks and Q&A sessions, company visits and networking events. The goal is to give participants the opportunity to learn more about the Silicon Valley eco-system and culture, so that they can bring those lessons back home and help make the London startup community even better. Participants also have the opportunity to begin building a network of contacts in the Bay Area and our hope is that the trip will help build links between the London and Silicon Valley early-stage startup communities.
Is this like the Web / Digital / Interactive Missions?
No. The UKTI and other organisations organise missions and similar trips to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and SxSW. While the UKTI team in San Francisco very kindly support LDN2SFO, it is not an official UKTI mission. Rather, it is an independent initiative, aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs and startups that are at an earlier stage than the UKTI's missions are aimed at.
So who's behind this?
LDN2SFO is led by Jack Gavigan, with support from the UKTI team in San Francisco and various members of the London and Silicon Valley startup communities.
When is it happening?
No date has been set for the next trip.
Will there be an opportunity to pitch to VCs?
No. The purpose of the trip is to allow participants to learn about the Silicon Valley startup eco-system. The schedule includes talks and Q&A sessions with VCs but there is no time allocated on the schedule for pitches. If participants are seeking investment, they should do this separately.
How much does it cost?
Participants are asked to pay £220, which is used to cover the costs of the trip (e.g. coach hire, buying beer and pizza for networking events, etc.). LDN2SFO is a non-profit initiative - all the money collected is spent on the trip and related expenses.
What about flights and hotels?
Participants book their own flights and accommodation. The reason for this is that we expect that people will want to travel on different dates and spend differing amounts of time in the US, and that people will have different accommodation budgets - some will want to stay in swanky hotels, while others will want to stay in hostels or with AirBnB.
What about visas?
Participants are responsible for taking care of their own travel and visa arrangements. For the avoidance of doubt: LDN2SFO can not help arrange visas.
Okay, I'm interested. What do I do next?
Instructions on how to register can be found here.
If I register but then find that I can't come, will I get a refund?
No. However, in the event that the trip is oversubscribed, we will maintain a wait-list and we'll help connect people who have registered but can't come, with those who are on the wait-list.
I've got another question...
No problem. Email it to us on [email protected]
LDN2SFO is a group trip from London to Silicon Valley for aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage startups. The first three trips took place in January 2013, February 2014 and April/May 2015. Participants take part in a schedule of events including talks and Q&A sessions, company visits and networking events. The goal is to give participants the opportunity to learn more about the Silicon Valley eco-system and culture, so that they can bring those lessons back home and help make the London startup community even better. Participants also have the opportunity to begin building a network of contacts in the Bay Area and our hope is that the trip will help build links between the London and Silicon Valley early-stage startup communities.
Is this like the Web / Digital / Interactive Missions?
No. The UKTI and other organisations organise missions and similar trips to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and SxSW. While the UKTI team in San Francisco very kindly support LDN2SFO, it is not an official UKTI mission. Rather, it is an independent initiative, aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs and startups that are at an earlier stage than the UKTI's missions are aimed at.
So who's behind this?
LDN2SFO is led by Jack Gavigan, with support from the UKTI team in San Francisco and various members of the London and Silicon Valley startup communities.
When is it happening?
No date has been set for the next trip.
Will there be an opportunity to pitch to VCs?
No. The purpose of the trip is to allow participants to learn about the Silicon Valley startup eco-system. The schedule includes talks and Q&A sessions with VCs but there is no time allocated on the schedule for pitches. If participants are seeking investment, they should do this separately.
How much does it cost?
Participants are asked to pay £220, which is used to cover the costs of the trip (e.g. coach hire, buying beer and pizza for networking events, etc.). LDN2SFO is a non-profit initiative - all the money collected is spent on the trip and related expenses.
What about flights and hotels?
Participants book their own flights and accommodation. The reason for this is that we expect that people will want to travel on different dates and spend differing amounts of time in the US, and that people will have different accommodation budgets - some will want to stay in swanky hotels, while others will want to stay in hostels or with AirBnB.
What about visas?
Participants are responsible for taking care of their own travel and visa arrangements. For the avoidance of doubt: LDN2SFO can not help arrange visas.
Okay, I'm interested. What do I do next?
Instructions on how to register can be found here.
If I register but then find that I can't come, will I get a refund?
No. However, in the event that the trip is oversubscribed, we will maintain a wait-list and we'll help connect people who have registered but can't come, with those who are on the wait-list.
I've got another question...
No problem. Email it to us on [email protected]
