Entering the DACH region without stalling on data regulation
The challenge. Leadership had chosen Germany as the first European market, but the plan rested on a US playbook. Data residency requirements, works council expectations among target customers and a crowded local vendor field had not been assessed, and the board would not release budget until they were.
What Team Leap did. We ran a market entry audit, then a full assessment of demand, entry routes and the regulatory requirements the product and sales model would need to meet. We mapped the compliance work with the client's counsel and sequenced it ahead of the launch. We then recommended a partner-led entry through a local reseller rather than a direct sales office in year one.
The outcome. The company launched in Germany nine months after the engagement began, with hosting and contract terms that passed procurement at its first three enterprise prospects. DACH accounted for 27% of new international ARR by month 18, and the same entry framework was reused for the Netherlands the following year.