欧洲创业者入侵硅谷

    然而，其他人并不确定这是否足以成为区别。

    斯坦福大学（Stanford University）在线学习副院长兼电气工程教授贝恩德·吉罗德表示：“很难说这是否将成为欧洲的另一个前哨站。如果他们能够招揽到一些充满智慧的杰出人士，就能发展壮大。他们拥有获得成功所需的资金，但光有钱并不能确保成功。”

    EIT ICT在2014年的预算达到3亿欧元（合3.81亿美元），但还没有开始讨论他们将如何在旧金山中心展开具体的投资。到目前为止，他们只是借来了4张桌子供欧洲的初创公司使用，但还没明确究竟要如何选择初创公司，或是让哪些公司来使用这些桌子。

    欧洲集团(European Group)首席执行官威廉·琼克在会议上发言表示：“我们需要证明自己有着强大的生态体系，是合适的投资目标。”

    然而，这次会议的形式让参与者们怀疑EIT ICT是否有能力跨越欧洲和硅谷的文化鸿沟。在发言和座谈期间，大多数企业家坐在一边聊天，嘈杂的声音让人们很难听清发言人究竟在说什么。

    与会者安妮·布鲁因韦尔斯来自荷兰初创公司Px Healthcare，特地前来展示该公司借助癌症患者数据进行个性化治疗的方案。她表示：“我们非常尴尬。我们认为欧洲要远比今天这场活动给人的印象更加生机勃勃。我希望他们抱着开放的心态倾听反馈意见。有了我们的参与，中心也许能产生很大的影响力。如果没什么影响，这个中心可能会失败，那会极大地浪费投资。”

    不过尽管人们对发言了无兴趣，但在展示环节上他们还是充满热情。初创公司拥有几分钟时间来展示他们的商业理念，评委会则会予以反馈，这是真人秀节目“美国偶像”（American Idol）的形式。同“美国偶像”一样，只要有人表现得十分精彩，与会者都会发出欢呼。

    澳大利亚人格伦·毕尔比借此展示了他在瑞典新创的公司Quick Posture，这是一个帮助医生诊断病人运动和姿势问题的工具。他表示：“我喜欢旧金山的气氛。这里让人觉得一切皆有可能。这个孵化器一定能成功。”

    如果这个中心能够松开领带，卷起袖子大干一场，也许它真的会成功吧。（财富中文网）

    译者：严匡正

    Yet, others aren’t quite sure of that will be enough of a distinction.

    “It’s hard to say if this is another European outpost,” said Bernd Girod, associate dean of online learning at Stanford University and who also teaches electrical engineering. “It could be big if they get some excellent smart people. They have the money to succeeded, but money is not all that success takes.”

    EIT ICT has a 2014 budget of $300 million Euros ($381 million), but won’t discuss its specific investment in the San Francisco hub. So far they have leased four desks for European start-ups to use but haven’t specified how they intend to choose the start-ups or who will fill the desks.

    “We need to show that we’re a strong ecosystem to invest in,” Willem Jonker, the CEO of the European group, said in his speech at the event.

    However, the event’s formality made attendees skeptical of EIT ICT Labs’ ability to bridge the cultural gap between Europe and Silicon Valley. During the speeches and panels, most of the entrepreneurs mingled at the bar where, their chatter making it difficult to hear the speakers.

    “We’re quite embarrassed,” said Dr. Anne Bruinvels who came to pitch her Dutch start-up Px Healthcare which uses cancer patients’ data to create personalized treatment plans. “We believe that Europe is far more dynamic than how it was represented today. I hope they are open to listening to feedback. With our input they could possibly create a lot of impact. Without it, it could fail and that would be a terrible waste of the investment.”

    Yet despite the lackluster enthusiasm for the speeches, the energy perked up during the pitching session. Start-ups were given a few minutes to present their business ideas to a board of judges who gave them feedback,American Idolstyle. And, like onAmerican Idol, attendees cheered whenever someone made a particularly good pitch.

    “I love the vibe in San Francisco,” said Glenn Bilby, an Australian based in Sweden who came to pitch his start-up, Quick Posture, a tool that lets doctors diagnosis a patient’s movement and posture problems. “It feels like anything is possible. This must succeed.”

    And perhaps, if the agency manages to lose the tie and roll up its sleeves, it will.