The First 90 Days of a US Presence
What investors and customers actually check before they take you seriously.
June 18, 2026 · 3 min read · Gyula Lukacs
There is a short window after a European company announces its US expansion in which the market decides whether the move is real. Investors, prospective customers, and potential hires all run the same quiet diligence — and most of it happens in the first ninety days.
The first check is structural. Is there a US entity, and is it the right one? For many US investors and enterprise customers, a Delaware C-corporation signals that the company understands how they expect to contract. An unfamiliar European legal form on the signature page adds friction to every deal that follows.
The second check is human. Who is actually here? A US phone number that rings through to Europe at 3 a.m. Central European Time fails this test. So does a business development hire with no authority. The market looks for someone senior enough to make commitments — a founder spending real time in-country, or a leader with a mandate. Presence is judged in time zones, not job titles.
The third check is evidence. One US customer reference is worth more than ten European ones, because it proves the model survives contact with this market. The first US deal deserves disproportionate attention — priced to close, staffed to succeed, and structured so the customer will take a reference call. It is not a revenue event; it is a credibility event.
What does not matter nearly as much as founders expect: office space, press releases, and volume of meetings. The market has seen expansion theater before and discounts it automatically.
Ninety days is not enough time to build a business. It is enough time to demonstrate seriousness — structure, presence, and one proof point. Companies that clear that bar find the second ninety days remarkably easier: the same doors that were politely closed begin to open, because the market has concluded you are staying.