Markus Lang

Today I visited the GREENTECH FESTIVAL in Berlin with my dear friend Andreas. 💚 To make it short: Good vibes, busy floors and a big startup space. But tbh I wondered if it's really worth it for startups. I remember from my active time as an exhibitor that we weren't honest about the hard costs per lead. We argued a lot: being there is everything, you have to be seen, brand building is important, it's where the industry meets, serendipity happens, if we just get one big order it will pay off... not to forget the parties! That's all true, but the opportunity cost of attending a trade show is very high, especially for startups. And while this isn't meant to be a trade show bashing at all, here are a few suggestions from my experience, on how to make the most of it... - Train your team to proactively approach people. - Initiate a challenge to see who can get the most leads. - Prepare in advance and market your attendance by actively inviting customers. - Consider a small side event, such as a VIP dinner. - Try to book a package with a speaking engagement at the conference, that has always paid off for us. - Use the exhibitor directory for your own prospecting. - Calculate cost vs. lead conversion after the show with real data and decide whether to repeat. - Push your presence on social in real time. Good luck to all exhibitors and happy selling 🚀 ____________________________ Sharing my experience as an entrepreneur and angel investor. Investing in early stage B2B SaaS startups. Happy to connect 👋

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***Update on Version One Ventures's thesis*** We back mission-driven founders who are early in new areas. As you know, Boris Wertz and I never stop challenging ourselves to be better VCs - it’s one of our core values! An important part of that work is developing a strong investment thesis, and evolving it as technology improves and markets change. Our current investment thesis, “backing mission-driven founders at the earliest stages,” was introduced back in 2020. It encapsulates our focus on backing a certain type of deeply passionate entrepreneur at an early stage when few people might believe in them.    Those words still hold true but they don’t explicitly spell out something we look for when evaluating an investment opportunity: timing. Investors always talk about “Why now”, and we do too, but the more interesting question for us is “Why not?”   Another way to ask it is “What’s possible?” We’re interested in those rare opportunities where a founder is creating a brand new category. These opportunities are fringy and emerging (some might call them crazy, weird, whacky or wild). There’s nothing obvious or inevitable about it. They’re building something the market hasn’t yet imagined and doesn’t fit neatly into an existing market category. But if they’re right, then the fringe picks up momentum and ultimately becomes a wave. So, going forward, we’re evolving our thesis to be even more explicit about the why now and why not: We back mission-driven founders who are early in new areas. Looking back, we predicted a few waves right and invested early into them: Vertical SaaS in 2012-2014 (e.g. Jobber) Crypto in 2016-2020 (e.g. Uniswap Labs) Climate in 2020-2021 (e.g. Patch) These days, the areas on our radar are a combination of “why now” and “why not”. AI – with a focus on AI-native products (e.g. Ada) VR/AR – especially with the recent launch of Apple Vision Pro (e.g REMIO) Crypto – yes, we’ve been investing in crypto since 2016, but it still feels early given that design space has recently opened with new L2 scaling, and the acceleration of mainstream use cases like payments or tokenization of real-world assets Climate/energy – we are looking outside of software and just invested in a materials company replacing lithium ion with sodium ion (as the world is moving towards electrification) Hardtech/biotech – we recently backed a company building the next illumina for proteins Building a startup is hard enough as it is, but pioneering founders need to build on brand new technology, find new markets, and convince everyone of the market need. BUT this is exactly who we, as venture capitalists, want to back. We look forward to meeting more of these courageous and bold founders creating transformational change!

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🚨 We did it again! We've created the ultimate Side Event List for this week's SuperVentures & SuperReturn and TOA Berlin. Plus, we're giving away Tech Open Air tickets and guest list spots for the biggest VC Party, organized by Join Capital, EUVC , Isomer Capital and others. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦👇 What is the Superventure / SuperReturn conferene? How Amy Lewin would describe it: "SuperVenture is the Berlin conference where VCs go to fundraise and catch up with their LPs". Kinda like the definition! And let me say this! The Side Event's this week are on fire 🔥. Here are my top 3 1 event from the 45 Event List: - Diversity Drinks at the stunning Fotografiska space. Networking with a purpose! Organized by Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, the Evangelistas, Out Investors and identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ Entrepreneurs - JOIN CAPITAL is doing it again, and is running the biggest VC Party this Wednesday. We have limited tickets available for FOMO Insider Subscriber. - Cherry Ventures & Felix Capital are coming together to run a networking event at the coolest flagship stores Berlin, at Highsnobiety - FOMO (fearofmissingout): HIT x Yoga meets Rooftop Session, Thursday, 8 am start. ​Amidst a busy week with Super Ventures, Super Return, and TOA, we're creating a sanctuary away from the typical networking and business noise. Link in the comments. Here’s how you can win: - 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 45 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: Subscribe to FOMO Berlin and comment below. - 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐂 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭: If you're in the VC, LP, EP, GP scene, comment below your favorite Berlin VC fund. - 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭: Comment below your favorite event and tag the event organizer & FOMO (fearofmissingout).

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After closing a Series A funding round, companies enter a pivotal phase where the right approaches significantly influence their journey toward Series B. In brutkasten, Jan Lozek and I recently shed light on the critical strategies companies should adopt after securing Series A funding. 👉🏻 Here are the more top priorities companies should focus on post-fundraise: 📈 Optimize cash flow:  Investors are particularly interested in startups that efficiently manage their cash flow, maximizing growth and revenue while keeping expenses in check. 💰 Show them the money: Show investors how exactly you are making money: real customers, real sales, economies of scale. In other words, show you have a plan and that the plan is working. To outline flexible sales models, and exchange various key parameters, will also be a win. 🚀 Partner up, big time: Leverage your existing networks instead of spending more capital. Corporates can be great partners at this stage and could vouch for your startup. Be it for accessing a market or for increasing your sales, it always pays off to have the right partners. What additional tips would you add for companies navigating this crucial transition? 💡 #SeriesA #Funding #StartupGrowth

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𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩’𝐬 𝐑&𝐃 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐁𝐒𝐎 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞! If you’re a startup working on innovative projects, the 𝐖𝐁𝐒𝐎 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 offers extra funding by allowing higher tax deductions on R&D costs. This can be a game-changer, especially if your costs are significant. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤? Under the regular WBSO scheme, companies can deduct 32% of R&D costs 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 €𝟑𝟓𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎, and startups can take this even further! With the 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞, you can 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝟒𝟎% of your R&D expenses—an 8% higher rate. For example, with €350,000 in R&D costs, a regular company would deduct €112,000, but as a startup, you can deduct €140,000. That’s an additional €28,000 in savings! 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐟: • Your business is in its first three years • You’ve claimed WBSO for no more than two calendar years 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐭? Try our WBSO Calculator to instantly estimate how much extra funding you can unlock for your R&D projects! https://lnkd.in/g-w6BVjt

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What’s going on in Berlin this week? Or is everyone already heading to Octoberfest 🍻🥨 We’ve got some exclusive guest list spots available for a few events! Just drop a comment below if you’re interested. And for those of you headed to Munich for tech events like the Activant Capital Genesis Summit or Bits & Pretzels, we’ve got something special—a secret side-event list just for you! 😎 To get in on it, comment below with FOMO247 and tag your plus-one to unlock access. 🚀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐅𝐎𝐌𝐎 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. 👇 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺: Roundtable | Germany Launch X Investor Networking 🥂 | ​Tuesday, 6:30 pm: Roundtable brings Berlin's top angel investors, VC partners, Solo GPs, and multipliers in the tech ecosystem together to celebrate their (official) launch in Germany. If this sounds like you, feel free to send me a DM to secure your spot on the guest list. SLEEK meets FORA - Pressehaus Podium 🦸‍♀️ \ 7 pm - 11 pm: In an increasingly digital world, strong personal branding is more important than ever. Christian Bracht, editor of Sleek, discusses with Sherin Maruhn from PwC the strategies and techniques for effectively building and maintaining your personal brand on LinkedIn. 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺: Avomind Connect: Founders & Friends Berlin Meetup 🚀 | 6:30 - 10 pm: Join Avomind for an evening of networking, interesting conversations and fun time at the Founders and Friends Meetup. The talk is about customer success and retention. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺: nocodeklub Conference - Learn from top no-code & AI innovators 🧑‍💻 | 2 pm - 11 pm: Discover how forward-thinking companies are using no-code and AI to accelerate growth and scale faster. Join and learn directly from the founders and CEOs of FINN, Circula, Thuy-Ngan Trinh (Project A), TeleClinic, Fabian Q. Veit Make, Mariam Hakobyan (Softr) and many more. Onibar Opening Party 🍙🍾 | 6 pm: Berlin’s first Onigiri Shop just opened! 🎉 We have a few guestlist spots for the opening party. Use our code for 50% off your next visit. Comment below to get access to the link and the chance to win a guestlist spot. 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺: "Board Meeting" at Surftown - where surfing, networking and charity converge! 🏄🏽 I 2 pm & 4 pm: Together with Fabian Tausch and Clemens Kauschke, we invite CEOs and founders to an exclusive event packed with surfing, networking, and giving back to a great cause. 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺: Factory Network x {Tech: Berlin} AI Hackathon 👩‍💻 | 28.09, 10 am - 29.09, 8 pm ​- Join an exclusive event designed for ambitious entrepreneurs, startup teams, and builders eager to push the boundaries of AI innovation. Which event are you planning to attend this week? What event did we miss? Please comment below! xoxo FOMO247 Here are some impressions from the busy event week last week!

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I am having lenghty discussions with #investors and #assetmanagers over how you value a high-growth tech company these days? And then how do you value a great #IoT #cloud #platform with 5 year 68% revenue CAGR (2019-23) and expected 3 year 40 % revenue CAGR (2024-26) with 25 % EBIT margin (2024)? I am having this discussion over and over again in the last couple of years. With the help of Yoram Wijngaarde of Dealroom.co I found another answer to this question. Yoram Wijngaarde has recently presented Bessemer Venture Partners #valuation approach for high #growth companies, the Rule of X. They built a great visual and ploted different companies using this valuaton approach. If you apply the Rule of X to Shelly Group ($SLYG) then the company should be positioned far right on x axis at 145% which corresponds to 20x-25x '24 revenue, plotted on y axis. The company should be plotted far upside-right, just outside the graph. Applying Bessemer Venture Partners #valuation approach to this great company we arrive at €2.1B-2.6B #cap for Shelly Group ($SLYG) sometime 2H 2024, given their €105M revenue target (2024). It trades at €670M cap right now. $SLYG is a great stock with much upside potential. #public #soonicorn Undervalued. DISC LONG

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