To get press coverage in the United States, a French startup first needs an American reason to be covered: US customers, a US office, a founder based there, or data about the US market. The American press is larger, more specialised and more codified than the French press. This guide explains when to go, what changes, which media to target and what you can prepare from Paris.

Last updated: November 2026.

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When should a French startup look for US press coverage?

When the US market is already a commercial reality, not a plan. US coverage does little as long as an American reader cannot buy your product, work for you or invest in your company.

Four signals show the time has come:

• First US customers, at least one of whom agrees to be named.
• A funding round with US investors, or a round raised to open the US market.
• An office or an executive on the ground in New York, San Francisco, Boston or elsewhere.
• Local hiring, which requires an employer brand that people in the US recognise.

Without any of these signals, a US article pleases the team but brings neither leads nor applicants. Strengthen your French and European English-language coverage first: it prepares the ground.

There is one exception. In some sectors, such as developer tools or AI, buyers worldwide read the US tech press. US coverage can then help from your first international customers, even without a US office. In every other case, the order stays the same: France first, English-language Europe next, the United States once the market is open.

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How does the US press differ from the French press?

In scale, specialisation and codes. The two markets are not the same size, and a US journalist receives far more pitches than a French one. The table below sums up the differences that matter for a startup.

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The balance of power is the first shock. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics counts about 47,100 news analysts, reporters and journalists in 2025, against 314,500 public relations specialists: nearly seven for every journalist. Newsrooms have also shrunk. According to the Pew Research Center, US newsroom employment fell 26% between 2008 and 2020, from about 114,000 to about 85,000 people, and by 57% at newspapers.

The consequence is simple: US journalists triage fast. Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026 found that 88% of journalists immediately discard a pitch outside their beat. Cision's 2026 State of the Media, based on 1,899 journalists, found that 72% consider fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive relevant.

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Embargoes and exclusives: stricter rules

In the US, embargoes and exclusives are standard tools of the tech press. In a 2019 TechCrunch guide, Danny Crichton advises asking a journalist whether they accept an embargo before sending the information. He recommends at least two to three days' notice, and rarely more than five to seven.

An exclusive covers the whole story, not a piece of it: that is the rule set out in the same guide. Offering an exclusive to one reporter while pitching their competitors damages the relationship for a long time. Always state the date, time and time zone when the embargo lifts, since New York and San Francisco are three hours apart.

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The pitch: news first, in a few lines

A US pitch is a short email sent to one journalist. The subject line states the news, the first sentence says what is happening and why it matters to their readers, and the figures follow. French-style openings ("we are delighted to announce") waste the first line, the only one sure to be read.

Target one journalist per outlet, the one who covers exactly your topic, rather than several at once. Follow up once, a few days later, not the same day. A follow-up with nothing new rarely works.

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Which US media cover European startups?

Few general outlets, many specialised ones. A French Series A or B startup rarely enters through The New York Times. It enters through the tech press, the business press, its trade press and newsletters.

• Tech and startup press: TechCrunch, The Information, VentureBeat. They cover funding rounds, launches and AI, and favour exclusives.
• Business press: Business Insider, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company. They look for a trend, a data point or a founder with an unusual story.
• Newsletters: Axios and the topical newsletters of major outlets. One line in a newsletter read by investors or buyers is often worth more than a single article.
• Trade press: health, finance, HR, logistics, cybersecurity. Your buyers often read it, and it is more open to a newcomer.
• Podcasts: founder, investor and industry shows offer a long format that suits an executive who needs to explain a product.

Treat this list as a starting point. The right targets depend on your sector and your news, and the list is built journalist by journalist, by reading what each one has published in recent months.

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Do you need an American story to interest the American press?

Yes. A US journalist writes for US readers, and your success in France means nothing to them. They need a local entry point, which you must provide before the first pitch.

Four elements make a French startup a story in the US:

• A US customer who can be named, ideally with a measurable result.
• A physical presence: an office, a team, or an executive based in the US and available for interviews in the journalist's time zone.
• Data about the US market, from your own users or from a survey. According to Muck Rack, 40% of journalists value original data in a pitch.
• A US investor, who gives the journalist a local source and a signal of credibility.

"A French startup moves to the US" is not a story. "A startup already equipping 30 US hospitals opens a Boston office" is. Nationality becomes a detail of the story, not its headline. Our analysis of 10 French startups that broke through in the US shows what those stories have in common.

The spokesperson matters as much as the story. A French founder can answer with an accent, as long as they are clear, brief and available. Interview preparation in English, on the questions US journalists ask (market size, local competitors, pricing in dollars), avoids answers that are too long or too cautious.

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What can you do from Paris before hiring a US agency?

A lot. Three workstreams can run from France and make the later US campaign more effective.

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Use the European English-language press

Sifted, backed by the Financial Times, and Tech.eu cover European startups in English. An article there gives a US journalist a first English-language record, verifiable in one search. It is also the first filter for US investors who follow Europe. Our guide to international PR for expanding in Europe covers this step.

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Write materials for an American reader

An international press release is not translated, it is rewritten. A US reader expects the news in the first sentence, figures in dollars and comparisons they recognise. Also prepare an English press page, short bios and royalty-free visuals.

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Get the founder posting in English on LinkedIn

The founder's LinkedIn profile is often the first thing a journalist checks. According to Cision, 62% of journalists use LinkedIn in their work, and 33% rank it as the most useful platform. Regular English posts on US market issues test your angles before you pitch them to a newsroom.

Also identify the foreign correspondents of US media based in Europe: they cover the European ecosystem for a US readership and can be a first contact.

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What mistakes make a US press campaign fail?

Most failures come from a campaign designed in France for France, then translated. The most common mistakes are well known:

• Translating the French press release instead of rewriting it for a US reader.
• Aiming straight for the biggest titles, when trade press and newsletters are more accessible and often more read by your buyers.
• Announcing an "arrival in the US" with no customer, no team and no opening date.
• Sending embargoed information without the journalist's prior agreement.
• Offering the same exclusive to two competing outlets.
• Forgetting the time zone: a spokesperson unavailable at 10 am in San Francisco, 7 pm in Paris, loses the interview.

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French agency, US agency or both?

It depends on who writes, who pitches and who knows the journalists. A US agency knows its newsrooms and its market, but costs more and has to learn your company. A French agency knows your story, your spokesperson and your existing coverage, but does not have a local agency's network.

Many startups combine the two: a French agency that owns the story, prepares the materials and coordinates announcements, and a US partner for local newsrooms once the market becomes a priority. On budget, US retainers range from about $3,500 a month for a boutique to more than $25,000 for a large agency, according to Everything-PR's 2026 estimates. Our comparison of PR costs in France, the UK and the US details these ranges.

To compare agencies that cover several markets, our ranking of the best European PR agencies for tech scale-ups lists ten options by entry market.

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What does a 6-month US entry plan look like?

Six months, in three stages: prepare from Paris, announce, then build a local presence. The plan below assumes the startup already has at least one US customer and a spokesperson available in English.

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In France, across five published three-month PR missions, Linker obtained 7 to 15 pieces of coverage each, with a median of 10. That benchmark applies to the French market: in the US, a startup arriving without recognition should expect less coverage at first, and a longer wait before the first article.

Measure the campaign with US indicators, not just the number of articles: traffic from the US to your website, inbound requests from US prospects or candidates, mentions in your trade press, and how AI assistants describe your company in English. These signals show whether press coverage is serving the market, which matters more than the prestige of a title.

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Which public programmes help French startups in the US?

Business France is the main contact. With Team France Export, it runs the Booster SaaS Lander programme, which each year selects 10 to 12 B2B SaaS startups and supports them over nine months, including two weeks on site in New York and San Francisco. According to Team France Export, more than 140 startups have taken part over 13 years.

These programmes help you sell and set up. They do not replace press work, but they create news hooks: joining a cohort, signing a first contract, opening an office. Check conditions and dates directly with Business France, as they change from one edition to the next.

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Where does Linker fit?

Linker is an independent PR and LinkedIn agency founded in Paris in 2022, working with tech startups and scale-ups. For a French startup opening the US, Linker prepares the story and materials in English, pitches the European English-language press and US media, and ghostwrites the founder's LinkedIn posts in English. Linker is not a US-based agency: when the market becomes a priority, it works with a local partner. Our international expansion page explains the method, and you can book a call to discuss it.