Ecosystem Profile Picture: Poland

Find out what's happening in each European ecosystem from the VC perspective!  To better understand the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, we embarked on a journey through various startup scenes, big and small. We took the first Profile Picture in Poland, close to our home. We hope that the findings will improve your understanding of the Polish VC ecosystem and help you navigate your actions in these turbulent times.

Scoring a home run - lessons from Bryan Wood

Investing in “good” startups is not the only key to a successful VC. In our recent conversation, Bryan Wood, the founder of Alta Berkeley, shifted the focus from what to invest in — to how to do it. 

I wanted to be different, I wanted to be in a position to make decisions

A lot of people overlook the distinction between a willingness versus the ability to make a decision. You need to understand the difference.

You become emotionally attached to the companies you back

While celebrating victories might be the best side of venture capital - saying no to companies you back is definitely one of the hardest. 

The ultimate lessons come from the deals you make

“The ultimate lessons came from the deals we made. Or the ones we didn’t” says Thomas Wilke, General Partner at 42CAP. Now in their second fund, 42CAP invests in early-stage companies across Europe.

“I love what I do not for what it is called, but for with whom I get a privilege to spend my time.”

Before starting his VC career he launched a startup, spent some time in the corporate world and consulted companies in Silicon Valley. Now, he is enjoying his VC life at enern, having backed docplanner, Twisto, and finiata.

“It’s a people’s business”: How main incubator digitizes one of the biggest banks in Germany

Main incubator plays a vital role in ensuring that Commerzbank stays relevant in the face of looming competition.