Launching a new company in the USA

How we helped a British drone business coordinate a brand, company and product launch across the Atlantic.

Industry:

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones)

Challenge:

Consortiq had established a drone training business in the UK and was looking to raise investment capital to develop its drone management software and expand into the USA.

How We Helped:

We worked closely with the founders over a 3-month period to understand their vision and aspirations before publishing a tailored Growth Strategy to present to an angel investor and his board of directors.

This comprehensive report included the following: Market Research, Competitor Analysis, Go-to-market strategy, Business readiness report, Target operating model, Recruitment timetable, Implementation plan, and an Investment schedule.

NEW SOFTWARE LAUNCH IN TEXAS WITHIN 6 MONTHS

Outcome:

The investment was informally agreed on the evening of the presentation and as a result, Consortiq was able to open a US office shortly afterwards. This was followed by a product launch at an international trade show (AUVSI) in Dallas, Texas. A period of product development and pipeline building followed before the team were able to start closing deals with the likes of the BBC, NBC, Marathon  Petroleum, Exelon Energy and Transport Canada.

Key Learning Points:

  • 1

    Do your homework before pitching to investors

  • 2

    Link investment with key milestones

  • 3

    Think big but be realistic about short-term revenue forecasts

  • 4

    Keep a close eye on your monthly burn rate

  • 5

    Look for experienced hires in key positions

We initially engaged Winshaw to undertake a tactical market research project to evaluate the potential size of our target markets in the UK Public Sector. Based on the quality of the report, we commissioned the team to deliver a more extensive programme of work over a 12-month period to support our corporate strategy. The system and supporting processes we deployed worked so well we decided to replicate these within our global go-to-market strategy.

Alex Wadsworth,
International Financial Director, General Dynamics IT

We recognised that we lacked the experience and commercial expertise to sell an untested technology into major enterprises. By commissioning the Winshaw team to translate our company vision into a bulletproof go to-market strategy, we were able to convince our major investor that we had the systems in place to harness the opportunity of this developing market. He remains our most vocal supporter to this day.

Will Coldwell,
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Consortiq

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