The Best Business Decision of 2026

Hydra Consulting

Jan 15, 2026

7 mins read

CEE startups take one way ticket to the US

The United States offers greater access to capital, go-to-market leaders, and a unified market, something Europe still lacks. Startups that are physically located in the US and have their HQ there gain much easier access to investors, giving them a clear head start compared to those based in Prague or Warsaw.

US Expand speaker and VC investor Vojta Roček summed this sentiment up pretty well:

“If you’re selling to SMBs, you can stay local, but if your target is enterprise clients, you must move to the US at some point. When I invest, my first question is: Do you have partners who are ready to relocate to the US? The answer I expect is: ‘Yes, I am — my visa is ready and I want to go.’ You must be there to sell there.”

We can see this happening across our global client pool. This year, for example, a Canadian startup developing AI-based mental health support successfully expanded to the US and even secured a US E2 investors visa at a very early stage.

US strategic sector: AI is buzzing, but…

AI companies are betting big on America. New data centers and tech hubs are emerging in states like California and Texas. Mass production of one of the newest, globally-used AI chips has even begun on US soil — in Phoenix, Arizona.

But here’s the important part: Even if your business doesn’t use AI or isn’t built around it, this insight from our client Josef Sachta from the startup Sharry might be relevant for you.

“I have one controversial comment on AI. If you have a startup or company without AI, I have a nice word for you. VCs are creating the feeling that AI is everything, but not every customer thinks that. We are selling mostly to people from the security industry, and we are using AI, but we can’t talk about that.

Recently, we were preparing a proposal for a global tech company, and they had a request that we can’t use AI for the coding because it’s not secure for them.”

US manufacturing is evolving, bringing new opportunities

Manufacturing in the United States is expected to scale significantly in the coming years, creating a wide range of new opportunities across multiple sectors. Manufacturers will increasingly seek suppliers who can support their operations.

The need for automation is set to grow as companies adopt robots and automated systems to streamline workflows. Cybersecurity is also becoming a top priority, as digitalization exposes businesses to new risks.

Our clients, Czech companies across all these sectors from automation systems (Aimtec), smart robotic solutions (Radalytica), and cybersecurity software (Zebra Systems) and all of them are already succeeding in the US market. And as Simon Dery our Growth and Sales Expert points out, there is always room for more:

“The US is hungry for lots of innovation that Czech people have to offer. You have one of the most innovative minds from the clients that I work with. You just must believe and pursue that courage into the believe that you can make the difference.”