SeedBlink Blog

In a candid interview, Ronald Rapberger, the newly appointed DACH Regional Manager at SeedBlink, draws on his experience in venture capital and finance to reveal SeedBlink's objectives for the DACH region and his perspective on the evolving startup investing scene. Dive into the full interview for deeper insights.

Welcome, Ronald! It's great to have you with us at SeedBlink. Could you start by sharing a bit about your background and your journey to becoming the DACH Regional Manager?

In a nutshell, I bring experiences from three different backgrounds: venture capital, traditional finance (investment banking), and my time as a founder.

I initially started in the biotech sector, first on the research side during my PhD, and later as Co-Founder and General Manager of a biotech spin-off focused on molecular cancer diagnostics. My interest in business and finance led me to a career in investment banking, spanning around 12 years across Frankfurt, London, and Vienna.

I entered the world of startups and venture capital while serving as Chief Investment Officer at Gateway Ventures, focusing on VC co-investments in the DACH region. That's when I first came into contact with SeedBlink, and I was immediately impressed by the company’s drive and growth ambitions.

And now, here I am as the Regional Manager for SeedBlink in the DACH region, eager to leverage my diverse background.

At Gateway Ventures, you played a pivotal role in fundraising and establishing key partnerships. How do you think this experience has prepared you for your role at SeedBlink?

As Chief Investment Officer at Gateway, I led the co-investment initiative with VC funds and family offices in the DACH region, resulting in several successful joint investments. I plan to use these contacts and experiences to develop SeedBlink's presence in the DACH region.

VC is a game of reciprocity, and I've had great experiences sharing deals with other investors for co-investments. With SeedBlink's geographic footprint, I believe we can offer valuable opportunities to co-investors in DACH.

What drives you? Why have you returned to the startup investing world?

I'm motivated by challenges and the thrill of diving into new business models and markets. My career in traditional finance has given me a fresh perspective on financing structures and a realistic assessment of what drives startup success and potential pitfalls.

What excites you the most about returning to the startup backing world, particularly in the DACH region?

In investment banking, the focus is often on risk—what could go wrong? In contrast, working with startups and equity is about exploring opportunities and what could be achieved. I prefer this mindset, as it's more enjoyable and forward-looking. Additionally, startups often aim to solve pressing problems, and it's exciting to be a part of that.

What are your main objectives for SeedBlink in the DACH region in 2024?

My goal is to build on our existing foundation in the region and accelerate our growth ambitions. We aim to co-invest more than €5.5M in promising DACH-based tech startups, focusing on DeepTech, Life Sciences, and EnergyTech. I plan to achieve this by collaborating with regional VCs, business angels' groups, and family offices, leveraging the dynamic German-speaking economy. This is on the back of more than 2M euros that SeedBlink has so far contributed to the DACH ecosystem, including companies like MK2 Biotechnologies (Biotech, Germany), BrainHero (MedTech, Austria), Swisspod (Transport, Switzerland), Fretello (Edtech, Austria) and SmartNanotubes (DeepTech, Germany).

What challenges do you foresee?

2023 has been challenging for startups seeking venture funding, globally and in Europe, including the DACH region. The VC market has returned to a more normal and healthy level regarding funding access and valuations compared to the boom years of 2021 and 2022. With increasing interest rates, venture investors are becoming more selective, but this also presents an opportunity for SeedBlink to gain market share.

Are there specific sectors or startup types you aim to focus on at SeedBlink?

Given my background in biotech, I have a special interest in Life Sciences startups. However, I am equally excited about DeepTech and EnergyTech, as these sectors are crucial for addressing humanity's major challenges.

How can investors and startups in DACH maximize their engagement with SeedBlink?

I invite VC funds, family offices, and business angel networks to co-invest with SeedBlink and share deal flow. Both startups and co-investors can benefit from SeedBlink's professional investment process, cap table management solution, growing investor base, and geographic reach.

SeedBlink investors now benefit from easy and friendly management of equity investments through SeedBlink’s recent shift towards an Austrian Nominee operating model. The Nominee framework simplifies the investment journey, relieving investors of unnecessary documentation and minimizing the number of signatures required while facilitating follow-on investments and secondaries. For founders receiving capital infusion, this involves a shorter time-to-capital (estimated 3 weeks), and one line in the Cap Table.

What personally excites you about the work and business model of SeedBlink?

SeedBlink's impressive growth in equity crowd investing and its work on developing a platform for equity management are particularly exciting. Initiatives like Nimity and the secondary market for shares are promising steps in this direction. I would like to highlight Nimity, SeedBlink’s innovative solution for ESOP management, rounds simulation, investor relationship management, and more. This is especially good timing, since Germany has recently taken significant steps to improve its startup ecosystem by passing the Future Financing Act, which includes key reforms to employee stock ownership programs (ESOPs), and Austria launched a new company form, FlexCo, and a new company form for easier employee participation, also at addressing the issue of "dry income."

What has been one of your most impactful investments to date?

Taking a one-year sabbatical to travel, read, and reflect on my achievements and plans was personally transformative. As for books, “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman and “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel have significantly influenced my worldview.

Do you have a mentor or a person who greatly inspires you?

I don't have a mentor per se, but I find holistic thinkers like Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, and David Deutsch very inspiring.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I invite tech startups in the seed and pre-seed phases that are currently fundraising to reach out to SeedBlink for co-investments. I also encourage DACH-based VC funds, business angel networks, and family offices to partner with us. Lastly, I'd like to highlight SeedBlink’s equity management solution, particularly suitable for the new “FlexKap” company type recently launched in Austria.

Connect with Ronald and start the conversation.