Expanding to Germany: How to enter a market that still uses faxes — remotely and cost-effectively?

You’ve just raised a round of funding, your product is humming along nicely, and it’s time to conquer Europe. First stop: Germany. Efficient, wealthy, centrally located—what’s not to love?

And then you discover the fax machine.

Willkommen to Germany

Germany is many things: an engineering powerhouse, a land of world-class manufacturing, a haven for mittelstand companies that quietly dominate global niches. It’s also the country where government offices, banks, and even some startups still ask you to fax documents.

Not email. Not upload. Fax.

But don’t be fooled by the 1990s tech nostalgia—Germany is a serious market. If you get it right, it can be your strongest foothold in Europe. If you get it wrong… well, there’s always Belgium.

The Classic (Expensive) Playbook

Many companies follow the same pattern:

Hire a local sales manager or country lead
Wait six months for them to ramp up
Realize they don’t have the right network
Restart the process
Burn budget
Wonder if expansion was a bad idea

It’s not that this approach never works—it’s just slow, costly, and risky, especially when entering a market as relationship-driven and regulation-heavy as Germany.

Shortcut: A Local Advisor With Skin in the Game

Here’s the alternative: partner with a local advisor who already knows the market.

Not someone who “read a report about Germany once,” but a person who:

Speaks the language (and yes, sometimes in faxes)
Has real connections to potential customers, partners, and resellers
Understands local expectations (hint: they’re not always the same as in the U.S. or UK)
Can move fast and doesn’t need six months to onboard

And the best part? It’s cheaper, more flexible, and way less risky than hiring full-time staff. You only pay for the help you need. No office. No payroll. Just expertise and network on demand.

Real Talk: Germany Runs on Trust

Germans love process. They love documentation. And most of all, they love trust. That means they’re not likely to take a cold call from a foreign company and immediately say, “Jawohl, let’s do business!”

But if your offering comes through someone they know—or someone with a credible reputation in the industry—suddenly you’re not an outsider. You’re a serious contender.

That’s what a good advisor gives you: a warm introduction in a cold market.

Your Shortcut Starts in 24 Hours

At Boardio, we connect companies with experienced local advisors who’ve “been there, done that” in the exact markets you’re trying to enter—including Germany.

We’ll even send you a free shortlist of matching advisor profiles within 24 hours, no strings attached. Just tell us your goals and we’ll get back to you with example advisor profiles.

(Yes, we’ll send it by email. Or fax, if you really want to blend in.)

See example advisors matching your needs