Case Studies: Successful European Scaling

Case 1: Qonto's Rapid European Expansion

Background: French neobank for SMEs

Strategy: 1. Dominated French market (2016-2018) 2. Expanded to Spain and Italy (2019) 3. Entered Germany (2020) 4. Launched in Portugal (2021)

Key Success Factors: - Chose markets with similar banking pain points - Hired local country managers early - Adapted product to local regulations - Maintained core platform while allowing local features

Results: €135M Series D, 450,000+ customers across Europe

Case 2: Algolia's Developer-First Expansion

Background: Search-as-a-service platform

Strategy: 1. Built global product from day one 2. Focused on developer communities 3. Established US presence early 4. European expansion through digital channels

Key Success Factors: - English-first approach - Developer evangelism - Global cloud infrastructure - Remote-friendly culture

Results: Global leader serving 10,000+ customers

Case 3: ContentSquare's Enterprise Approach

Background: Digital experience analytics

Strategy: 1. Strong French base 2. UK/Germany next (large enterprise markets) 3. Regional hub model 4. Local enterprise sales teams

Key Success Factors: - Enterprise sales expertise - Local customer success - Strong partner ecosystem - Patient capital for long sales cycles

Results: Unicorn valuation, presence in 15+ countries