Through the Library to the Board Room
In this edition of Let’s Talk, Capital On Stage talks to Nordic VC Niels Verjup-Carlsen
Want to know what VC Niels Vejrup Carlsen would say if he was pitching? He attended Capital On Stage Copenhagen and did just that. We caught up with him days before to find out his loves and likes about the industry.
Originally from an academic background, SEED Capital partner Niels made the transition into the VC industry through the library and then the corporate world, eventually landing himself, ‘the best job in the world’ as a VC. His interest in start-ups ignited when he worked for Siemens in Munich and they wanted to speed up innovation in the corporate scene, ‘they had ‘internal start-ups’, we brainstormed, got funding, it was exhilarating, but it was enmeshed in the corporate world with lots of internal politics’.
When asked on his thoughts on founders, ‘founders can be tough negotiators, ruthless even, but you know that they would not have got there if they hadn’t been ambitious, competent and driven. We like them because they’re tough’.
After taking a year out to sail round the world with his family, Niels returned to Denmark and got the chance to be interviewed with SEED Capital, with grounded experience in business development he got the job. That was nine years ago and he is now a partner.
Why Capital On Stage? It’s an interesting concept and it’s only fair that tables are turned once in awhile! Denmark is a really capable ecosystem for early stage tech companies, so i’ll be mentioning that in my pitch, even if they know it already! It is also nice to network with fellow VCs and check out new founders we haven’t come across before.
Advice to founders: It is absolutely fundamental to get the core team right.
Are you a funding ready founder with the right team? Visit http://www.capitalonstage.com/en/events/ to see more about our events in 2016.
