Do startups in CEE sell at home first, or go straight to Western Europe or the US?
Most start at home. 59% of the CEE founders who applied to BADideas in 2026 so far planned to sell first in their own country, and 7% elsewhere in CEE. Only 8% went to the United States first, though 37% plan to sell there as part of this round.
The figures
| First market, CEE applicants | 2025 | 2026 (to date) |
|---|---|---|
| Their home country | 60% | 59% |
| Elsewhere in CEE | 9% | 7% |
| Western Europe or EU-wide | 19% | 21% |
| The United States | 7% | 8% |
| Elsewhere | 5% | 5% |
In BADideas application data, a US plan is common but a US start is not: 37% of CEE founders who say anything about the US want to sell there with this round, and 31% later.
What is changing
| Quarter | CEE applicants selling first at home | Selling first in the US |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2025 | 53% | 9% |
| Q3 2025 | 65% | 8% |
| Q4 2025 | 58% | 3% |
| Q1 2026 | 58% | 13% |
| Q2 2026 | 60% | 7% |
| Q3 2026 | 60% | 4% |
Starting at home is about the same as in 2025; the US as a first market is about the same as in 2025. A US plan within this round is down from 40% in 2025.
Across CEE
CEE founders who applied in 2025 and 2026 so far, and each country with enough applicants to show. Countries with fewer applicants are still counted in the CEE row.
| Where the founder is based | Sell first at home | Sell first in the US |
|---|---|---|
| All of CEE | 60% | 7% |
| Baltics | 57% | 6% |
| Latvia | 63% | 4% |
| Estonia | 43% | 8% |
| Lithuania | 66% | 8% |
| Poland | 77% | 5% |
| Ukraine | 50% | 18% |
| Romania | 66% | 5% |
| Czechia | 56% | 12% |
Sell first at home: highest in Poland (77%), lowest in Estonia (43%).
What it means for you
- Home first is the norm. 66% of CEE founders start in their own country or nearby. Use it to prove the product cheaply, then show how you leave it.
- Name the second market early. Investors know most CEE home markets are small. Say which market comes next and what it takes to get there.
- A US start needs a reason. Go first only if your buyers are there, and show how you will sell from a distance.
Also answers
Do startups in CEE go to the US early?
Few start there: 8% of CEE applicants in 2026 so far named the US as their first market. More plan it for this round: 37% of those who mention the US.
How we measured it
- Source: applications founders sent to BADideas, enriched with publicly available information where applicable.
- Limits: these are CEE only and early-stage companies.
- On this page: The first market is where the founder says they sell first; "home" is the founder's own country. Founders who do not name a first market are left out.
- Updated: 27 September 2026.
BADideas.fund, "Do startups in CEE sell at home first, or go straight to Western Europe or the US?", updated 27 September 2026. https://badideas.fund/answers/sell-locally-or-go-abroad-cee
Read next
- Do startups in CEE price in euros or dollars?
- What do early-stage startups in CEE charge per month?
- Is it too early to pitch investors in CEE with just an MVP and no revenue?
Who we are
We are a pre-seed and seed fund for founders in Central and Eastern Europe. We have built and sold companies ourselves, and since 2022 we have backed more than 40.
We back founders who see something about their market that others do not see yet. They want to change how a whole industry works, start with something small, and learn fast.
Good founders rarely fail on the idea or the product. They fail on selling it. We give your company hands-on help from GTM operators who grew Zendesk, Square and Scale AI.
Raising soon? Get your deck read the way our deal leads read it