New York is an iconic city and arguably the epicenter of multiculturalism with a booming tech scene. It features prominently in the hearts and minds of many aspiring tech entrepreneurs and it’s a great place to open an office to tap into the enormous US market. But how do companies and entrepreneurs navigate, survive and succeed in NYC?
That’s what Christophe Garnier, a seasoned French entrepreneur with 17 years of US tech experience and two successful ventures under his belt, was thinking four years ago when he founded Spark Labs. The goal was to provide an innovative place for tech entrepreneurs, founders, and innovators to establish and grow their business more efficiently, and it’s been a huge success. Just like the multicultural city of NYC, Christophe has assembled an operational team of successful tech entrepreneurs from all corners of the world – the COO is Australian, the CFO Swiss, and the rest of team is from the US, England, Israel, India and further afield.
Spark Labs launched in 2012 near Union Square, and quickly attracted a vibrant, colorful and inspiring community of tech companies. Their second space, an impressive New York-style loft near Bryant Park, recently opened and has increased Spark’s New York footprint by 5x times and it’s filling up fast. We were there recently for a Founders Roundtable event and it is truly an impressive coworking space in NYC.
Book a tour now and learn more about the vibrant community within the Spark Labs ecosystem. Spark Labs is offering AlleyWatch readers their first month free on any memberships at either NYC location.
While the physical locations are top notch, it’s the support infrastructure and global network of more than 30 innovative tech spaces across the world which distinguishes Spark Labs from other coworking offerings.. The collaborative ecosystem assists local and global startups currently operating outside NYC to scale and make their mark on the east coast of the US.
Several US and foreign startups have already matured into successful businesses with the aid of Spark Labs — including Invoxia (makers of Triby, the first non-Amazon device with Alexa integration), ConnectThings (a leader in NFC tag, QR codes and iBeacon management systems), and Drizzly (Beer, Wine & Liquor Delivered Anywhere) — by leveraging Spark Labs global ecosystem.
Laetitia Gazel Anthoine, founder and CEO of ConnectThings (a successful startup with $10M in funding) was searching for the right partner to expand his business with. According to Gazel Anthoine, “we finally chose Spark Labs because of their U.S. market knowledge, resources and their support infrastructure, not to mention the invaluable opportunity to network with a community of likeminded companies.”
What is an innovative ecosystem you might ask? It’s a platform that connects member companies with VCs and insiders, and offers web-based support systems such as perks, benefits and tools to help tech companies succeed in today’s competitive global market. Some of these benefits include:
- Live mentor programs with an emphasis on go-to-market strategies, business development, sales and marketing, and more
- Network and access to potential investors and leading venture capitalists (Rubicon Ventures, White Star Capital, FirstMark Capital and Eniac Ventures to name a few) in the US, Europe, and Asia
- Networking and exclusive events such as founders and investors only dinners
- Live legal support by leading international law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
- Live banking support by Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of choice for tech startups
- Operations support for accounting, recruitment and benefits provided by JustWorks
- $10,000’s of tech perks and support powered by Amazon, IBM and SendGrid among others for just being a member
AlleyWatch readers who sign up at either of the NYC locations will receive their first month free on any membership. Book a tour now and see the vibrant ecosystem at Spark Labs firsthand today.
