The German Hub is an office community between eight German organizations in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District. In this series, we want to introduce the organizations and their valuable services to our transatlantic community.
Interview with James Mister & Lena Maria Ludwig from the Bavarian U.S. Offices
Next Stop Bavaria – Innovation Transfer & Growth Opportunities between Silicon Valley and Germany’s biggest state
With a GDP of $750B, Bavaria is Germany’s largest and wealthiest state. In 2020, Bavaria’s capital, Munich, was ranked the second biggest startup ecosystem in Germany and the 6th biggest in Europe. Therefore, the southern state attracts many foreign investors and companies who want to do business there. Due to its innovative climate, there is also a lot of potential for collaboration and knowledge transfer between Silicon Valley and Bavaria. So it only makes sense that the German state has an office in the Bay Area to help facilitate economic development and investment into Bavaria. In this interview, Lena Maria Ludwig and James Mister from the Bavarian U.S. Offices tell us more about their services and impact on transatlantic trade.
GACC West: What exactly do the Bavarian U.S. Offices do?
Lena Maria Ludwig: The Bavarian U.S. Offices for Economic Development, LLC (San Francisco, New York, Cambridge, New Haven) are the representative offices of Bavaria in the U.S. We offer confidential assistance to companies pursuing EMEA and DACH market entry and expansion and have forged successful relationships in both the U.S. and German tech and investment ecosystems. Our industry agnostic consulting services in many of the traditional and emerging verticals are free of charge and available to companies of all sizes and all investment stages.
Why did you decide to open up an office in the Bay Area?
James Mister: The Bavarian State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy has representative offices in more than 30 countries. The San Francisco office is responsible for the Western United States since the 1990s. Due to the aligning interests and developments in the tech and innovation ecosystems of Silicon Valley and Bavaria, this strategic office enables support and exchange for both regions.
Meet the Team of the Bavarian U.S. Offices in San Francisco
James E. Mister, Executive Director – US West
James leads Bavaria’s U.S. tech investment and innovation outpost from Silicon Valley. In this role, he advises tech executives on European market entry and expansion, including access to Bavaria’s $6.5B in funding for pilots and R&D in cutting edge fields such as AR, VR and MR. James is a product, operations, and finance-focused expansion expert with a passion for AI, IoT, and Future Mobility. He has previously worked in IT product management, M&A, and engineering consulting.
Lena Maria Ludwig, Project Manager, International Investment and Expansion
Lena Maria is the Project Manager for International Investment and Expansion for the Bavarian U.S. Offices. Born in Bavaria, her passion and expertise in economics, cultures, and new technologies has enabled her to be a bridge for startup investment and expansion across the Atlantic in emerging fields such as digital health, smart cities, and AI. She has also led and organized events like the 2020 Urban Air Mobility Conference and the Sustainable Future Forum 2021 to promote U.S. and European industry exchange. In the past, she has been involved in German media as a Reporter and Moderator, and holds a Master’s in Business & Entrepreneurship from Columbia College Chicago.
Which services and benefits can you provide for the transatlantic community?
Lena Maria Ludwig: Bavarian U.S. Offices offer companies and investors a wealth of services for all stages of setting up a business in Germany, from the planning phase, throughout the search for and selection of a location, to implementation. Even once companies are successfully settled, the team continues to support them with access to their network and further strategic advice.
What has been your biggest impact? Which companies have you helped to set up in Bavaria?
Lena Maria Ludwig: All of our projects are customized and confidential until the expansion is officially announced. We have successfully assisted high-growth scale-ups (e.g., Joby Aviation and Cloudflare) as well as niche-focused startups over the past twenty years.
Our annual tech conference on Sand Hill Road, also themed as a Maifest, offers entrepreneurs, investors, and subject matter experts a platform for exchange and collaboration on a specific topic, i.e., AI, Industry 4.0, Future Mobility, and has featured speakers from well-known tech giants like Uber and Google as well as research and academic institutions like Stanford University and the Technical University of Munich.
With our free virtual expansion accelerator Expand2Europe (formerly Accelerate2Europe), we offer introductory sessions and assistance to companies exploring the European market and potential subsidiary setup.
What can we expect to see from the Bavarian U.S. Offices in the future?
James Mister: In May we hosted our virtual Sustainable Future Forum: Maifest 2021 and are looking forward to meeting our network and clients in person again soon.
Our 2021 Bavarian U.S. Offices Podcast Series is live on Spotify, Apple & Google Podcasts, and Audible. For now, we are focusing on reconnecting with many players from startup hubs across the Western U.S., such as Seattle, Austin, and Denver.
Interest in HealthTech, Mobility, Sustainability and Smart Cities has only increased in the past year and thus in the coming months, you will find us again at major industry conferences, startup weeks, networking events, and maybe the Oktoberfest!
Thank you for the interview, Lena and James. We’re looking forward to collaborating on the various topics and events with you!
If you are thinking about venturing to Bavaria, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Bavarian U.S. Offices Team!
