EU founders raising in the US need to tick at least 1 of 4 boxes, and with no US story at all, box #4 is mandatory.

AVP surveyed 100+ EU and US founders for the Transatlantic Index 2026. The four conditions, from Daniel Glazer (Wilson Sonsini): relocate to the US, US traction already, a prior US track record, or a product materially better than anything stateside. The capital gap explains the checklist: EU founders score 5.5/10 on capital access vs 7.7 for US, the survey's largest gap, and 29% still weigh relocating HQ to close it.

Most EU founders enter US fundraising having ticked zero boxes, then wonder why it takes 3x longer. This is a pre-flight checklist, not a retrospective excuse.

https://transatlanticindex2026.avpcap.com