Choose an investor Like you would a spouse – what do look for in your investor
What makes capital300 as investment partner so unique?
We provide Series A funding and support for growth, but at the same time bridge to the Silicon Valley network by partnering up and co-investing with the best and most successful VCs in the world, like Index Ventures, Sequoia, Draper or Accel. So you get the best of both worlds, a caring investor close by and access to a global network, customers, talent and capital.
What do you look for in a startup before investing? is the team really key?
The team is absolutely crucial. The right mixture of talent, ambition and execution excellence. When we invest there is usually product-market fit and we see accelerating growth that usually starts to put stress on the company in terms of growing the organization and/or funding. We want to help teams to outgrow and unleash their full potential and to support along the wild ride of becoming a global and game-changing company.
Are you looking for startups in specific industries?
Software, but industry agnostic. Usually, we like a deep software stack or IP that provides a competitive edge and differentiation to the status Q.
What is the typical ticket size?
Series A rounds between 2 and 10 million USD/EUR, where we aim to do up to half of the round and invest together with one of our fund partners.
How do you support your portfolio companies?
Wherever there is the greatest need. We are often asked to take a board role, which is something we are very open to, to be able to support in a proactive way. Topics can range from recruitment, strategic positioning, support in funding rounds, go to market and internationalization as well as intros to potential clients or cooperation partners.
capital300 has invested in 16 companies so far, showing off 2 exits. What are the major learnings in working closely together with the startup teams?
I think one major learning is that nothing comes easy or without hard work. There is always a struggle and teams and partnerships that work together and outperform in challenging situations have a lot higher chance to win. It is all about maximizing your chances and executing extremely well. This is the main reason for our setup because it is a game changer when the best founders are enabled via the best investors, network and access to resources.
What would be your #1 advise for startups looking for investment?
Make your homework, it’s a very intense and sometimes distracting process. You should have everything aligned and a clear picture of where you want to go and how you want to put the investment to work. Think big, how to conquer a market and for instance grow revenue >3x within a year, but also having a strategy in place on how to operationalize and execute this plan.
