✨ AI Kontextualisierung
Right off the bat, Amin gave us some context about how he views the role of a VC in a company: “If you want to have a really good company you have to be really good in all sorts of parts. It’s like a soccer team. If your goal keeper is bad, you’re not gonna win – it’s impossible. If your forwards cannot shoot goals, you’re not gonna win that game. Really in ever position you want to be stellar”.
“The VC is one of the most important positions in a company”
He went on to say: “And the VC is one of the most important positions in a company, if you decide to go with a VC. Because first of all, you cannot fire a VC – employees can be fired, VCs stick with the company. If you do the wrong choice, that’s it: even worse than in a bad marriage – just really bad”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUVg1q4I5Mg
Visionary VC vs. Number-Crunchers
When Amin went to meet VCs, both in Europe and the US, he realized that many investors did not get the big industry change Amin aimed to achieve with his revolutionary technology. “They were just very deep in their numbers”, and often times, Amin did not find the investor that had the right vision. He talked to few European VC firms, but a lot to US investors, mainly because he was there and knew many of them from an earlier business. But he got the impression, that US investors are much more often visionary and thinking big.
Redaktionstipps
Leaders vs. Followers
One anecdote Amin shared was when a VC who he pitched to, gave him the cold shoulder. A few days later, he had a top tier investor visit his offices. Shortly after that, the earlier VC sent him an email saying: hey, I heard you had a meeting with this top tier investor. If he is interested to invest, we want to invest, too. Sure enough, Amin declined – he did not want “followers”, who did not really share his vision but just wanted to tag along in the wake of a real top-tier VC.
„I don’t want followers, who do not really share my vision“
Size Matters
When summarizing his top tips, Amin mentioned another important factor when picking the right VC. A factor that is even more important for companies like his, who have a high cash need, but that is relevant for everyone regardless. “Make sure that the VC fund is big and not close to its end”. In his case, Bessemer Ventures had just closed a new 1,2 billion Dollar investment fund, out of which they were investing into Kandou Bus. So Amin could be sure that there would be enough time and money left in the fund, to do follow-on investments if needed. Be aware of this – What fund will you be investing out of, what is its life time, how much dry powder is left? Add these smart questions to your list when talking to VCs
+++Mehr zum Thema Startup Milestones: Peter Buchroithner bei Florian Kandler+++
