West to West

What West to West does

West to West is a private non-profit community organization headquartered in San Francisco that connects Portuguese entrepreneurs and ventures with Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The organization operates a community-led model offering three core services: Landing Support (cultural orientation, logistics, and immigration assistance for ventures entering the Bay Area), Mentorship (matching with experienced entrepreneurs and domain experts who often have personal ties to Portugal), and Networking (leveraging connections across the Portuguese Diaspora and broader Silicon Valley to facilitate introductions to investors, partners, and industry experts). Access is managed through self-service Typeform applications ("Ask For Help" for entrepreneurs and "Offer Help" for mentors), with no fees charged to participants.

The organization is governed by a board of officers and directors drawn from senior roles at 500 Global, Oscar Health, Render, ATEL Capital, Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other institutions, with all leadership appearing to serve in a volunteer capacity. The go-to-market is purely community-driven, relying on word-of-mouth, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter), email newsletter, blog content, and in-person networking events in San Francisco. West to West does not develop or sell proprietary technology; its value is entirely relational and network-based.

West to West is sustained through sponsor partnerships rather than commercial revenue. Named sponsors include FLAD (Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento), Portugal Ventures, Startup Braga, SATA Azores Airlines, and AICEP Portugal Global. The organization employs 1-10 people and serves Portuguese entrepreneurs and ventures at various stages of development seeking to enter or expand into the US market, with primary geographic focus on the San Francisco Bay Area and a secondary connection to Portugal.

Name

West to West

Legal name

West to West

Website

https://westtowest.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

West to West is a San Francisco-based non-profit that helps Portuguese entrepreneurs and ventures enter Silicon Valley through landing support, mentorship, and networking, connecting them with investors and experts across the Portuguese Diaspora via a community-led, sponsor-funded model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneur and Startup Community Support Services

NAICS

All Other Business Support Services (561499), Administrative and Support Services (561)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Destination Services & Settling-In Support (THACALAB)

Keywords

• Entrepreneur support services
• Startup mentorship programs
• Immigration logistics support
• Networking facilitation services
• Cross-border entrepreneurship

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Organizational Operations (Non-profit/Sponsor-funded): West to West appears to operate as a non-profit or sponsor-funded organization supporting Portuguese entrepreneurship. Revenue appears to come from sponsor partnerships (FLAD, Portugal Ventures, Startup Braga, SATA Azores Airlines, AICEP Portugal Global) rather than direct customer fees. No explicit pricing for services is mentioned.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

West to West is a non-profit organization that helps Portuguese entrepreneurs and ventures establish themselves in Silicon Valley through three integrated services: Landing Support (orientation on US work culture, business environment, logistics, and immigration), Mentorship (guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and domain experts with personal ties to Portugal), and Networking (introductions to the right investors, partners, and industry experts at the right stage of development). Services are provided at no direct cost to entrepreneurs and are sustained through sponsor partnerships.

Product overview

West to West is a non-profit organization that offers a unified suite of three interconnected services: Landing Support, Mentorship, and Networking. These services are designed to help Portuguese entrepreneurs and ventures succeed in Silicon Valley/San Francisco. Landing Support provides the foundational logistics and cultural orientation; Mentorship offers expert guidance from experienced entrepreneurs; and Networking connects entrepreneurs with the broader ecosystem. The three services work together to support ventures from initial entry to building lasting networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Landing Support
• Mentorship
• Networking

Quantifiable outcome

• Founders can more efficiently allocate time and resources when entering the US market through guided support and introductions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Startup BragaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup Braga, a Portuguese startup accelerator and ecosystem builder, is listed as a sponsor partner collaborating with West to West.
• SATA Azores AirlinesminorOthersSATA Azores Airlines is listed as a sponsor partner, potentially providing travel-related support for Portuguese entrepreneurs.
• AICEP Portugal GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAICEP Portugal Global (Agency for Investment and External Trade of Portugal) is listed as a sponsor partner supporting the bridge between Portuguese entrepreneurship and international markets including Silicon Valley.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• German Accelerator: German Accelerator is a sponsor-backed program that helps German startups enter the U.S. market, providing mentorship, networking, and landing support. Closest analog to West to West's functions, but for the German ecosystem rather than Portuguese.
• Startup Braga: Startup Braga is a Portuguese municipal accelerator and ecosystem builder that is a West to West sponsor. It supports Portuguese early-stage founders and overlaps with West to West's mentorship and networking value proposition, though Startup Braga operates in Portugal rather than the U.S.
• Astia: Astia is a global nonprofit providing mentorship and investor access to high-growth entrepreneurs, with a focus on inclusion. Comparable to West to West in its community-led, mentor-driven model for entrepreneurs entering U.S. markets, though Astia is broader and less diaspora-specific.
• Silicon Valley Forum: Silicon Valley Forum is a nonprofit that hosts events, programming, and community support for international entrepreneurs entering Silicon Valley. Comparable to West to West in its Landing Support and Networking roles, but international rather than Portuguese-specific.

Others

• Portugal Ventures: Portugal Ventures is a Portuguese VC and a West to West sponsor that invests in and supports Portuguese startups, some of which seek U.S. market entry. Comparable as a Portuguese innovation ecosystem participant but with a venture capital rather than community model.
• FLAD (Luso-American Development Foundation): FLAD is a West to West sponsor and a bilateral Portuguese-U.S. institution that funds education, culture, and entrepreneurship initiatives. Comparable as a stakeholder driving Portuguese-U.S. entrepreneurial exchange, though operating at a foundation level rather than direct community support.
• AICEP Portugal Global: AICEP is Portugal's trade and investment agency and a West to West sponsor. It supports Portuguese companies entering foreign markets including the U.S., making it a natural institutional peer and potential upstream partner for West to West's landing support services.

Direct peers

• BayBrazil: BayBrazil is a San Francisco-based community organization that connects Brazilian entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley resources, similar to West to West's Portuguese-equivalent mission. Both function as community-led, sponsor-funded bridges between a specific national diaspora and the Bay Area ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• TiE Silicon Valley: TiE is a long-established global entrepreneur network with a Silicon Valley chapter providing mentorship, networking, and landing support to founders, especially from the South Asian diaspora. Comparable to West to West in its three-tier service (mentorship, networking, landing) but at much larger scale.
• 500 Global (Portugal / Global): 500 Global is a venture firm and accelerator with an active Portugal-focused program and a Bay Area partner (Pedro Santos Vieira) on West to West's board. It provides structured US-market entry for Portuguese startups, overlapping with West to West's mentorship and networking services at a larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheWesttoWest
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewesttowest/?fref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-to-west

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about West to West