About me.
I earned my first money with…
assisting the set designer for theater productions in my hometown in Salzburg at the age of 16.
If I wouldn’t be an investor I would be…
either a development professional, an investment banker, a sound engineer, a drummer or an entrepreneur.
I get annoyed when…
people are full of themselves.
You might not believe it, but we…
at b-to-v do not only have an extensive investors’ network, for which we are known, but we also have two funds. So basically we are a hybrid between a business angel network and a VC fund.
My favourite movie is…
Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
About passion and profession.
The four team members of b-to-v; Photo credit: B-to-V
My investment fund is focused on startups in…
growth sectors with disruptive ideas – be we don’t exclude particular industries or stages of companies. Typically, we invest in companies that achieved a first proof-of-concept and now need additional funds to scale their business. However, most of our investments are in the internet and mobile sector.
I wouldn’t like to work anywhere else because…
it is a great feeling to support entrepreneurs who make their ideas reality and build fantastic companies.
The investment plan for the next years is…
to raise another fund, find and identify the best investment opportunities for our investors and to realise a number of successful exits.
Our business relationship with startups is characterised by…
mutual trust and respect. We are strong advocates of open and honest communicationand offer our startups to serve as sparring partners whenever we are asked to offer advice or support. We treat the founders or managers of a business we invest in as our partners and expect the same from the startups.
Besides money we offer…
startups access to our extensive network of over 200 entrepreneurs and private as well as institutional investors. Many of them are entrepreneurs themselves and can provide founders with very relevant expertise. We also support and advice in follow-on rounds and strategic decisions.
About working with startups.
In a startup I am looking for…
a strong team that developed a very good product with a strong differentiation to its competitors, which addresses a large market or an interesting niche (i.e. with little competition) with strong entry barriers.
Characteristics a founder team should have are…
personal drive to achieve their goals and strong, complementary skills as well as honesty and pragmatism.
I was most impressed by…
young, visionary entrepreneurs that decided to leave a comfortable, well paid job to start their own venture with a very high risk of failure.
I was least impressed by …
founders that believe they invented the next big thing, and consequently hardly talk to people to get feedback on their idea or venture and naturally fail quickly. The US and Europe are very different in this respect – in the US founders generally understand that talking to people brings them forward.
You get most out of relationship with me when…
you are honest and direct, communicate openly and proactively ask for support.
