South-by-Southwest (SXSW) Interactive has become a destination for global startups, and this year’s gathering in Austin, Texas from March 13-17 is no exception.
Below are 43 of our favorite official events aimed at entrepreneurs and startups going global in chronological order along with highlights of delegations bringing their entrepreneurs and officials from around the world. (Don’t forget to check out our discussion with Box.org, Fenugreen and Quickbooks.)
Who are we missing? Contact us with additions or suggest over Twitter #sxswglobal.
A Roundup of Foreign Delegations at SXSW
Out friends at Enterprise Ireland are leading a delegation and a series of events and office hours that include an official SxSW party and a panel discussion and beers.
Sweden always puts on outstanding forums and events, and will be hosting several — Try Swedish! Their neighbors at the Oslo Business Region are sponsoring a lounge and series of events. And the xNordics — a task force of entrepreneurs from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark— well, we’re not exactly sure what they’re doing, but stay tuned to Twitter.
The British are coming with a large delegation of companies under the banner “Creativity is Great (Britain).”
France is reprising the “French Tech Club,” which features French startups for drinks and events.
Germany splits between several delegations: North Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Cologne are hosting a delegation and program. Bavaria@SXSW is hosting a networking lunch. Meet Hamburg’s creative companies through the Germanhaus and a variety of events.
NZTech is bringing a group of entrepreneurs for a series of dinners and events as well as the trade show.
Meet Korea’s “craziest startups and bands” via Geeks from Gangnam, which is throwing a party on March 17.
Apex Brazil is once again hosting their Casa Brasil
Argentina, Austria, Brazil, and Mexico, along with many of the above delegations, will also participate in the SXSW Interactive Trade Show, while SXSW maintains a list of international organizations participating officially in SXSW.
Also: Our friends at Tech Ranch Austin are holding a series of forums including “Country Showcases” featuring Bavaria, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea. …Samsung is hosting a developer lounge at the Capital Factory … Design Terminal Budapest is hosting a Happy Hour with 500 Startups, Prezi, Ustream and Patrick Vlaskovits (The Lean Entrepreneur) on March 14 … Salesforce is hosting a series of events including a March 14 Fireside chat with thought leader Jeff Rohrs and Blake Cahill, Global Head of Digital and Social Marketing at Philips.
43 Global Events from the Official SXSW Program
1. SXSW Global Connections Kickoff
Friday, March 13
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
An introduction to Global Connections at SXSW in 2015. Hear from leaders of the Central Texas Startup Ecosystem and learn how to maximise your time at SXSW to take your career to the next level.
2. Turkey: Innovation in Global Communities
Friday, March 13
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Bestem Buyum, Creative Director & Head of Analytics, Kimola; Canan Cakmakci, General Manager, Bilkent Cyberpark; Ceren Aslan, Technology Transfer Officer, ODTU TEKNOKENT; and Seda Olmez Cakar, Senior Specialist, Technology Development Foundation of Turkey – discuss emerging initiatives supporting innovation, technology transfer and startup creation, and the opportunities and challenges of Turkey’s transition into a knowledge-based 21st century economy.
3. Global Rise of Fashion Technology
Friday, March 13
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Fashion technology and wearable tech startups: Kovert Designs, 2210 Fashion & Forward3D discuss the emergence and the latest trends in fashion technology, with a focus on the UK and China.
4. Accelerating Startups in Europe: What’s Different
Saturday, March 14
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Elina Zheleva, Producer, Runway.vc; and Max Gurvits, Partner, CCC Startups, analyze the benefits and risks of working with and investing in accelerated startups from Europe, as well as discuss the opportunities for experienced US founders and operators to benefit from the European tech boom.
5. The Swedish Innovation Phenomenon
Saturday, March 14
9:30 am – 10:30 am
How does Sweden, a small country in the Baltic produce some of the most successful innovations, bands, brands and games? Find out in a discussion with Anders Wahlquist, CEO, B-Reel; Charlotte Sundåker, Hyper Island; Fredrick Loving, General Manager, Dice LA; moderated by Henric Larsson, CEO, Chimney.
6. Startup Immigration: A Look Back, the Road Ahead
Saturday, March 14
11:00 am – 12: 00 pm
Christopher Nicholson and Craig Montuori of Venture Politics; Dave McClure, Founding Partner, 500 Startups; and Tahmina Watson, Attorney, Washington Immigration Law; examine the relationship between the startup community and policy makers – especially in Washington D.C. – focusing on visas and immigration.
7. Are Global Markets Finally Worth the Hassle?
Saturday, March 14
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
As more startups engage globally, the challenges of cross-border business become more evident. Bryan Breckenridge, the Executive director of Box.org; Jake Colvin, Executive Director, Global Innovation Forum; Kavita Shukla, Founder & CEO, Fenugreen; and Lindsay Grossman, Senior Manager of Global Public Policy, Intuit; will evaluate the importance of engaging in the global marketplace for startups; explore challenges specific to the global marketplace; identify how technology can help remove barriers; and outline why startups should care about policies made by governments in today’s borderless economy.
8. Startup Success in Brazil With a Foreign Accent
Saturday, March 14
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
With a thriving population of 200 million people, Brazil is an attractive destination for many startups. Apex Brasil, with Douglas Almeida, CEO & Co-Founder, Stayfilm; Gustavo Caetano, President, Brazilian Startups Association; Felipe Venetiglio, CEO & Co-Founder, Dujour; and Felipe Matos, COO, Startup Brasil; discuss government initiatives for foreign startups and the opportunities for Brazil’s internet savvy market.
9. Why Ireland is Cranking Out Great Tech Companies
Saturday, March 14
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Brendan O’Driscoll, CEO, Soundwave Analytics Ltd; Joe Mitchell, CEO, Tapastreet; Mike Butcher, European Editor, TechCrunch; and Simone Boswell, SVP Internet/Media/Ent Portfolio, Enterprise Ireland; discuss Ireland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, why multinationals are flocking there, and why the Irish tech scene is cranking out great companies.
10. International Investments: Trends and Opportunities in Brazil
Saturday, March 14
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Why invest in Brazil today? What are the opportunities and challenges of innovation and new technologies in emerging markets? Bedy Yang, Managing Parter, 500 Startups; Allen Taylor, VP, Endeavor Global; Humberto Matsuda, Managing Partner, Performa Investimentos; and Santiago Subotovsky, Partner, Emergence Capital; will answer these questions and discuss the startup climate in Brazil.
11. Made in Budapest: Half the Cost and a Day Ahead
Saturday, March 14
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Outsourcing senior technical staff can have major benefits with some drawbacks – namely time difference. For tech companies such as UStream and Prezi, with staff in Budapest, the time difference can vary up to 9 hours. Gyula Fehér, CTO & Co-Founder, UStream; Henry Copeland, Founder & CEO, Pressflex LLC; Peter Halacsy, CTO & Co-Founder, Prezi; and Veronika Pistyur, CEO, Bridge Budapest, discuss the techniques and tools used to keep their teams in sync, the advantages and disadvantages of the Trans-Atlantic operations split, cultural differences and the effect of diversity on innovation.
12. Help! I Have Customers in Europe! What Do I Do?
Saturday, March 14
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Establishing a business that supports the diverse European client base can be a challenge. And attracting a steady number of clients an even bigger one. Adrian McDermott, SVP Product Development, Zendesk; Gemma Deveney, International Director, Indeed; Gina O’Reilly, COO, Nitro Inc; and Mohanjit Jolly, Partner, DFJ, address the challenges faced by US companies when dealing with and growing a European customer base.
13. Democratizing Entrepreneurial Opportunity
Saturday, March 14
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Startup competitions have opened up a new innovation ecosystem that has led them to harness a world of ideas to help keep them ahead of the curve and at the forefront of change. Angeles Navarro, Global Networks Director, Start-up Chile; and Torsten Kolind, CEO, YouNoodle, discuss how the country of Chile is driving social good and democratizing opportunities for entrepreneurs.
14. German Entrepreneurship on Speed
Sunday, March 15
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Germany is an international melting pot for startups, the creative scene, investors and innovation. Curt Simon Harlinghausen, Social Media Nerd Entrepreneur & Frequent Traveller, AKOM360 GmbH; Alexander Schlaubitz, VP of Marketing, Deutsche Lufthansa AG; Heiko Hubertz, Founder, Bigpoint; and Katja Nettesheim, Founder MD, Mediate Nettesheim And Partner, discuss the booming future of German entrepreneurship, digital culture, connections to the US, and German beer!
15. Rock, Meet Hard Place: Does Law Stifle Innovation?
Sunday, March 15
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Nabiha Syed, CEO, Priori Legal LLC and Basha Rubin, Lawyer, Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, are two lawyers operating at the intersection of law and innovation. They will explore the tension between innovators and law makers, and the challenges faced as law struggles to keep up with innovation, abandoning entrepreneurs and tinkerers to operate in an ambiguous space.
16. Friend or Foe? How Government Impacts Startups
Sunday, March 15
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Congressman Will Hurd (R-Texas-23); Rachel Wolbers, Legislative Director, TwinLogic Strategies; Veronica O’Connell, VP Government and Political Affairs, Consumer Electronics Association; and Virginia Lam, Sr VP Communications and Government Relations, Aereo Inc. discuss the relationship between government and startups. This panel will provide valuable information about what to watch out for as a startup looking to disrupt government policies.
17. Navigating the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Mexico
Sunday, March 15
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Luis X Barrios, CEO & Founder, and Mauricio Ballesteros, Director, of The Pool/Entrepreneurship Club discuss the need for startups and entrepreneurs in Mexico; the social, educational, and cultural tendencies in the country; what an entrepreneur needs in Mexico to succeed; and the future of startups and entrepreneurship in Mexico.
18. Commerce Startup Discussion
Sunday, March 15
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Laterpay Gmbh, You Are The Designer, Neogeno Technology Ventures, and 500 Videos are startups from all around the world operating internationally. the startups will discuss global commerce and the innovative ways they are using technology to address problems and impact global change.
19. Makers: Technology for Development and Innovation
Sunday, March 15
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Digital innovators empower our society by creating open tools that increase democracy and transparency. Erik Hersman, Co-Founder, BRCK; Kat Borlongan, Co-Founder, Five by Five; Rand Hindi, Founder and CEO, SNIPS; and Sename Koffi Agbodjinou, Searcher/Anthropologist, Woelab; discuss how technology can serve humanitarian development and social innovation, focusing on: Fablabs, crowdsourcing, open data, open governance, makers, social entrepreneurs, smart city innovations and more.
20. The Latin American Acceleration Scene
Sunday, March 15
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join Patricia Galván, Business Dev, Naranya; and Dimitrio Gómez, Ventures & Business Strategy Lead, Naranya; in a talk where they will share their perspective on acceleration in the region and how Latin America is taking the first steps to build a successful ecosystem. Gain first-hand insight from these leading players and be part of the creation of the first regional acceleration program.
21. Ayrton Senna’s Lesson for International Startups
Sunday, March 15
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
A winning and risk-taking mentality made Senna the most beloved car racer in history, and also explains why few international startups become category killers like Google, Amazon, Facebook or Twitter. Dutch entrepreneur and investor Michiel Frackers, Founder, Dutch Fellows; and Arthur van Hoff, Founder & CTO, Jaunt VR; explains why things are slowly changing for the better and how crowdfunding helps international startups to finally go for the gap on a global scale.
22. German Startup Engine: E-Commerce
Sunday, March 15
11:00am – 12:00 pm
Germany is an international melting pot for startups, the creative scene, investors and innovation. James Bilodeau, Co-Founder & Principal, Prefix; Norbert Wangnick, Investor/Business Dev, International Accelerator; and Rick Timmins, Investor, Central Texas Angel Network; discuss the startup ecosystem in Germany, before two pitch sessions covering Germany’s top 5 E-Commerce and Travel & Mobility Startups.
23. Going Global: How to Launch International Markets
Sunday, March 15
11:45 am – 12:00 pm
Elsita Meyer-Brandt (Mktg, Intl Expansion, Eventbrite) discusses the four key steps Eventbrite takes when entering new markets, and how these steps can be adapted to help grow your business globally.
24. The Dystopia of Digital Plutocrats
Sunday, March 15
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
How are we to evaluate the growing gap between the public and a new form of aristocracy driven by technology? The panel: Crystia Freeland, MP, Parliament of Canada; Gaël Musquet, Pres, Open street map France; Jean-Baptiste Soufron, Lawyer; will discuss balancing the plutocracy driven by globalization and innovation and the benefits of technological advancement.
25. From Mao to Now: China’s Great Brand Realignment
Sunday, March 15
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Aaron Lau, Pres & CEO of Cheil Greater China, Cheil Worldwide, speaks on the massive shifts in the communication landscape in China, and the opportunities and challenges of brands and agencies to remain relevant and effective.
26. German Startup Engine: Travel and Mobility
Sunday, March 15
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
The second pitch session covers the top 5 travel and mobility startups in Germany. The panel will consist of: Claire England, Exec Dir, Central Texas Angel Network; George Karutz, Jr, CFA, Pasadera Capital; and Sandeep Kumar, Managing Partner, Tech Ranch Austin.
27. Mobile Payments: Solution for the Third World
Sunday, March 15
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm
Felipe Fernandes, VP, Engineering, Mozido will reveal why mobile payments is working in other countries, what barriers to adoption we’re encountering in the U.S., and what a realistic roadmap for this technology looks like. Specifically, Felipe will discuss the ‘unbanked’ as a vital, influential factor for determining how mobile payments will play out and how the technology will develop.
28. One World, Two Internets: China’s Tech Innovation
Sunday, March 15
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
In 2014, China already is the world’s largest Internet, mobile, smartphone and e-commerce market. Justin Tsang, Partner, Pacific Technology Ventures, will demystify the technology landscape behind China’s Great Firewall and explore the accelerating convergence of innovation between the US and China.
29. The Risk and Return of African Startups
Sunday, March 15
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Is there too much hype around tech startups in emerging markets? Are emerging markets ready for angel investment and/or venture capital? Would you invest your own money in emerging markets? Jon Gosier, Investor & Data Scientist, Cross Valley; Oltac Unsal, Sr Advisor, infoDev/The World Bank Group; Omar Cisse, GM, Teranga Capital; Tahira Dosani, Dir of Portfolio Engagement, Accion; will answer these questions surrounding investment into emerging markets.
30. Startup Economics in Emerging Markets
Sunday, March 15
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Maja Andjelkovic, Mobile Innovation Specialist, infoDev/The World Bank Group; Manoj Changarampatt, Dir of Mobile and DI, Samsung Electronics; Tayo Akinyemi, Exec Dir, Afrilabs; and Toni Eliasz, Mobile Innovation Specialist, infoDev/The World Bank Group; discuss the evolution of African Tech Hubs, scale up and the integration of startups into mature economies and even global value chains; and the investment readiness of African tech startups.
31. Israel: Small Country, Big Ideas
Sunday, March 15
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Each year in Israel there are 500+ venture financings and over 1000+ angel financings. There is a growing demand among Israelis and foreigners to participate in Israel’s startup nation culture. Bruce Taragin, Managing Director, Blumberg Capital; and Jon Medved, Founder & CEO, OurCrowd; will introduce the Israeli startup and tech scene and showcase the opportunities that exist for investment, collaboration, and R&D.
32. Tech Talk: Building a Startup Ecosystem
Monday, March 16
9:30 am – 10:30 am
What are the best practices for building a great entrepreneurial ecosystem? Adam Klein, Chief Strategist, American Underground; Clara Sieg, Investor, Revolution Ventures; Jordan Bell-Masterson, Analyst, Kauffman Foundation; and Joshua Baer, Founder, Otherinbox & Capital Factory; will speak to their own experiences working to build a startup ecosystem, and the appropriate role for institutions – both public and private – in supporting ecosystem formation and development.
33. The eCommerce Friction Lab
Monday, March 16
9:30 am – 1:30 pm
This workshop with Jim Emerson, eCommerce Consultant & Agile Coach; and Simon Goodall, Chief Strategy Officer, Lowe Open; will provide you with expert insight to improve your eCommerce conversion. The workshop is split into four sessions covering topics including content, merchandising, A/B and multivariate testing, analytics, search, mobile, UX, customer psychology, innovation and multi-channel activation: 1) Getting close to your Customer; 2) Slaughtering friction in the conversion funnel; 3) Group breakouts; and 4) A frictionless future for eCommerce.
Note: This session requires advance signup to attend
34. The Next Billion Dollar Company May Come From EU?
Monday, March 16
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Andrew Romans, Co-Founder & General Partner, Rubicon Venture Capital; Dirk Kanngiesser, CEO, Seebright Inc; and Farley Duvall, Founder & CEO, White Bull Summits; explore the startup environment in Europe and why the next billion dollar company may be born in the EU.
35. Unlocking Global Potential: Science and Technology
Monday, March 16
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
International public private partnerships can empower young aspiring science and technology entrepreneurs in emerging economies, and connect companies to the best and brightest ideas and talent from around the world. Cynthia Traeger, CEO / Dir, Pacific/DCFI; Jeffrey Margolis, Managing Dir, Illinois Science and Technology Coalition; Jennifer Haskell, Dir Office of Science & Technology Cooperation, US Department of State; and Mandy Sutton, Program Coordinator, IC2 Institute UT Austin; discuss the State Department’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) program’s new online GIST Network and it’s focus on global peer networking, entrepreneurship skill-building, in-depth mentorship, and strategic seed funding for young entrepreneurs.
36. How to Create Great Partnerships with Startups
Monday, March 16
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Brands are tapping startups for groundbreaking initiatives in pursuit of incremental and transformative corporate innovation. Cary Tilds, Chief Innovation Officer, GroupM; Gina Squara, Dir Digital Strategy, Big Heart Pet Brands; Kayode Owens, Head of Strategic Partnerships, KITE Solutions Inc; and Pete Blackshaw, Global Head of Digital Social Media, Nestle; highlight the most important considerations and best practices in establishing these corporation-startup programs.
Monday, March 16
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Diana Lopez-Obaldo, Dir Of External Affairs & Intl Rel, 1871; Jason Towns, Director, CODE2040; John Lyman, Head of Partnerships & Mktg Google for Entrepreneurs, Google; and Laura Weidman Powers, Co-Founder, CEO, CODE2040; talk about the challenge and opportunities for attracting diverse talent and offer remedies for building a better, more diverse workforce.
38. Emergence of Portuguese Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Monday, March 16
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Investments by the Portuguese government has lead to dramatic increase in Science and Technology (S&T) output and coincided with the rapid emergence of the Portuguese entrepreneur. João Vasconcelos, Exec Director, Startup Lisboa; José da Franca, Chairman & CEO, Portugal Ventures; Marco Bravo, Director, The University of Texas at Austin IC2 Institute; and Pedro Rocha Vieira, President & CEO, Beta-i; discuss the rise of the Portuguese Entrepreneurship Ecosystem and the Portuguese economy’s shift from manufacturing to innovation-based.
39. Attracting Foreign Direct Investment via LinkedIn
Monday, March 16
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
LinkedIn’s social networking offers the perfect avenue to attract international investors and fund one’s business ventures. Andy Sanderson, Chief Strategy Officer, PAWN Global Ventures; and Eli Mercer, CEO, 3DiLabs; discuss why there has never been a better time to seek out and find international partners using LinkedIn, and the role of EB-5 investments and cross-continent partnerships as means to raise capital.
40. Is EU Privacy Legislation Killing Data Science?
Monday, March 16
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Aurélie Pols, CVO & Co-Founder, Mind Your Privacy SL; and Simon Morrissey, Partner, Lewis Silkin LLP; explain the upcoming changes in European privacy legislation and dconsider some key threats posed by the changes to the established data science business sector.
41. Innovation, Meet Regulation: A Tri-Sector Approach
Tuesday, March 17
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Technological changes are happening at a rapid pace, but lawmakers are struggling to keep up with up to date regulation. If America is going to remain the global innovation leader, what are the best practices that entrepreneurs, citizens, and regulators must adopt? Stakeholders from three sectors (.com, .org, .edu): Katherine Ryan Burke, Policy Advisor, White House/National Economic Council; Matthew McFarland, Editor – Innovations, The Washington Post; Trae Stephens, Principal, Founder’s Fund; and Z. Michael Wang, Dir/Student Experience & Community Engagement, Minerva Project; will spotlight diverse perspectives around this complex topic.
42. Global Competitions that Change the World
Tuesday, March 17
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Nathaniel Manning, Director of Business Operations, Ushahidi, presents on the Global Innovation Competition funded by Making All Voices Count, an initiative operating in 8 African and 4 Asian countries to support innovators and entrepreneurs in realizing projects that improve the relationship between citizens and governments. For anyone looking to host a global competition capable of changing the world, the online and offline best practices from this team can help them shape their approach.
43. Corporate Capital: A Best Kept Secret
Tuesday, March 17
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Why are the biggest names in technology making the move into corporate investment and what does this mean for startups and entrepreneurs? Luis Arbulu, Dir of Strategic Investments, Samsung Global Innovation Center; Rafael Torres, Head of Healthcare, GE Ventures; and Stephanie Hospital, Founder, One Ragtime; explore the ins and outs of corporate capital – and how your startup can be a part of it.