WebSummit Retrospective: Investors Say What Grabs Their Attention
How are Investors choosing the startups they talk to? What can make you stand out from the crowd in their eyes?
See what advice investors we’ve spoken to at WebSummit 2015 had for startup owners.
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Chris Lamontagne — Head of Growth at Hambro Perks , UK
Hambro Perks is a private investment fund based in London investing in high growth businesses and special situations.
There is a risk of start-ups appearing too standardised — Personally, I appreciate people that focus on non direct pitching and focus instead on the work they do outside of their stands; over conversation at lunch, discussing what they have seen at a talk or doing lots of drinking!
We are always looking to invest in people we get on with, so this is a great place to start.
Aldo del Bo’ — Marketing Director Europe at Kaspersky Labs, UK
I think that many startups owners are simply too shy in talking to potential investors. Ideas are big, but then it comes the moment in which it is needed to come out and ask for investment (money) and investment (industrial integration).
For example, coming in as a Partner & Investor,
I had about 200 new LinkedIn connections with startuppers since the first day of the Event and none of them sent a direct message to me proposing a business meeting, and not because we are too big, I suppose.
Business is made of real people, and real people at this events are keen to talk and to understand each other’s opportunity
Conor Doyle — Investment Analyst at Atlantic Bridge, Ireland
Atlantic Bridge is a Growth Equity and late stage technology fund focused on high growth companies in the Cloud, SaaS, Mobile and Big Data Markets.
85% of companies I have talked to this week have been referred to me by my colleagues.
For me that’s a very effective way of connecting to owners I might have mutual interest with. With so many startups at the event, finding the best matches without recommendations would be very time consuming.
Mat Hunter — Strategy Director at Central Research Laboratory, UK
The Central Research Laboratory, in Hayes, is London’s incubator for start-ups that design and make physical products.
The startups I talk to need to fit the industry I’m in obviously. What really makes some of them stand out is the commitment of the owner.
If I see that they are ready to work hard as hell for their startup and their idea, they have my attention.
Pedro Bandeira & Rui Falcão — CEO & CIO at REDangels, Portugal
First of all, we do our homework and pick the startups that suit our interests before the event. Portuguese startups are always the first ones we will meet.
But we expect to be approached by the owners too. This way we can see their determination. Their message needs to be very clear though — Tell us what’s the problem and what’s your solution for it.
Brian Murphy — Financial Controller at SOS Ventures , Ireland
SOSV is a $250M venture capital fund focused on accelerating over 120 startups every year.
Most people contacted me through LinkedIn beforehand. I have ended up having about 5 meetings a day with startups I’m interested in.
WebSummit Retrospective: Investors say how they pick startups they talk to on and what grabs their interest from EL Passion
