Latvian companies need global markets: Entrepreneur Jānis Bergs's formula for the American market

For nearly 11 years, entrepreneur Jānis Bergs has split his life between Latvia and Denver, leading the U.S. business for the Latvian technology firm "SAF Tehnika." Bergs shares his insights on the opportunities for Latvian companies in the world's largest market, stressing the necessity of patience for growth and advocating for incorporating American optimism into the Latvian mindset.

Bergs firmly believes in the existence of a "global Latvian" phenomenon, represented by various associations and initiatives. He sees these individuals as crucial in carrying forward ideas and fostering international connections. His own experience living in Denver for the past decade, while spending two to three months annually in Latvia, allows him to bridge both worlds. He argues this dual perspective is vital for promoting an export-oriented and globally open Latvia.

"SAF Tehnika's" expansion into the American market was a logical, perhaps inevitable, step. Bergs explains that the Latvian market is simply too small for the company's telecommunications products, with domestic sales never exceeding 1%. "It was clear from the beginning that the business had to be international for 'SAF Tehnika' to even exist," he stated. This international focus is characteristic of modern startups, as Bergs observes that even local incubators like "StartUp House" encourage companies to target global markets from inception, a mindset shift from the 1990s when such ambitions seemed unrealistic due to the Soviet legacy.

Bergs's own journey toward a global outlook began during his master's studies at the Riga Business School, a program developed in collaboration with the University of Buffalo in the U.S. The North American influence was palpable, with classes conducted in English and professors from America. His career in Latvia's IT sector started in the early 1990s at "Fortek," followed by leadership roles at "Microlink" and developing the business software company "FMS," which he later sold to the Nordic IT group "Visma." This trajectory equipped him with the international perspective essential for managing "SAF Tehnika's" operations in the competitive U.S. market.