Furo’s founders left Silicon Valley — and it’s paying off

The three co-founders of Furo, a company developing software for industrial battery storage systems, have moved from Silicon Valley back to Germany, and they believe this decision has benefited both their venture funding and business growth. Furo has secured $4 million in funding from mostly U.S. backers and has already gained enterprise clients like German rail company Deutsche Bahn.

Co-founder Lena Sophia Voß stated that their business is progressing faster in Europe than it would have if they had remained in the U.S. Furo operates as a Delaware C Corp., but its journey has also highlighted the growing advantage of having a presence in both one's home country and Silicon Valley. Their connection to Munich's Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM), linked to their university alma mater TU Munich, facilitated their move to the Bay Area for studies at Stanford and UC Berkeley.

Initially considering the U.S. as the market for Furo, the trio decided to focus on Europe due to pressing energy issues in Germany and the ease of proximity to their customers. Voß emphasized that being back in Germany allowed Furo to move faster, as many networks and industry connections were already in place back home. Additionally, the operational expertise and mentorship available in Germany proved highly beneficial, with local universities providing technical support and making it easier to hire talent.

The lower engineering salaries in Germany meant Furo could offer competitive compensation while stretching its budget further. Voß noted that while the U.S. network remains active, Furo's growth and success are significantly enhanced by their home base in Germany.