Scaling Without the Army: What's Changing in Headcount, Presence & Cross-Border Growth
A private roundtable bringing together a select group of founders and investors to unpack what it actually takes to scale into new markets in the lean-team era.
The old expansion playbook was headcount-shaped: open an office, hire a country manager, prove commitment. AI has compressed what a growing company needs in people, and investors have stopped rewarding growth-at-any-cost, but local presence still closes deals and still reads as commitment.
The session will focus on where the line actually sits, from the perspective of founders scaling now and the companies backing them.
We'll explore:
The first hire in a new market: who, when, and what it signals
Whether capital efficiency and international ambition are compatible or in tension
How lean teams are leveraging AI to cover the work of an office and where a person is still non-negotiable
The room will be kept small (15–17 founders) to allow for direct discussion and questions.
This session is designed for:
Founders at Series A–B (strong Seed) actively thinking about scaling
LPs, family offices, and capital partners interested transatlantic opportunities, emerging managers
FAQ / House rules:
Chatham House Rule: what’s shared in the room stays in the room.
No pitching the room: intros are fine; hard selling isn’t.
Respect time + signal: come prepared to contribute, not just extract.
Dress: business casual
Photography
By attending, you consent to being photographed and filmed for promotional use. If you'd prefer not to have your photos used or details shared, please let us know, and we’ll respect your preferences.