In a nutshell

• Official language:

  • English is the most commonly used language in the country.

• Currency: USD ($)

• Weather:

  • Thanks to its home on the San Francisco Bay, Berkeley enjoys a mild climate that is refreshing year round. On average, the warmest month is September and the coolest is January.
  • For Silicon Valley, many say that the weather is “Mediterranean” - loads of sunshine, not too much rain, and an environment favorable to palm trees, citrus, and other warmth-loving plants, trees, and bushes.

• Map

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d456825.9789126444!2d-122.47918466415118!3d37.594430737487414!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x808fb68ad0cfc739%3A0x7eb356b66bd4b50e!2sSilicon Valley%2C CA%2C USA!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sfi!4v1707981206064!5m2!1sen!2sfi

• Did you know?
  • Although English is widely used, the United States does not have an official language.
  • Nearly half of all Californians speak a language other than English at home.
  • The motto of California is Eureka!
  • Have a chat with your Uber driver, for it might make your day — or theirs ;)
  • If you go to a beach, don’t stand with your back to the waves — they might snatch you.
  • The most expensive zip code in the US is right next to Palo Alto (the Aurora team stayed in Palo Alto in 2024).

In numbers

• Population:
  • USA: 341,8 million (2024)
  • Silicon Valley: 3 million (2024)
• GDP per capita:
  • USA: $76,329 (World Bank, 2024)
  • Silicon Valley: $128,308 (The Guardian, 2019)
• No. of unicorns:
  • USA: 704 (Finbold, 2022)
  • Silicon Valley: 251 (Silicon Valley, Startup Genome, 2020 - 2022)
• No. of exits (Exit count): 2,238 (Silicon Valley, Startup Genome, 2018 - 2022)
• Total VC funding: $344 billion (Silicon Valley, Startup Genome, 2018 - 2022)

Entrepreneurship ecosystem

• Ecosystem players we have connected with
• Highlight industry
• Lessons learned
• Tips to navigate the ecosystem

Culture

• Ways of working
• Greetings
• How to dress

Tips & tricks