SeedBlink Blog

15th of January, 2020. Does it ring any bell? Probably not... On 15th of Jan, 2020 almost nothing important happened. We struggle to recall anything from then, besides the start of the COVID pandemics, the disaster in Wuhan, and the apocalyptic images seen on the TV screens, with people dressed like astronauts, spraying thoroughly the streets with unknown substances.

Still, something did happen by then, and those involved directly – i.e. us – can recall a mix of excitement and worries, more of the former than the latter: SeedBlink, a veritable, 100% child of the pandemics, came into existence.

We didn’t get the dust settled properly on our first 4 listed startups, and we found ourselves in the middle of the state of emergency, isolated in our homes, feeling a blend of optimism and terror in our souls – more optimism than terror. The Quarks campaign was the crucial moment in which these two feelings made the balance oscillate undecided, ready to tilt rapidly toward one side or the other. Should we continue as nothing happened? Should we stop and look terrified at the future – that could be bad, but also good in some conditions?

We looked at it from every angle and, in 30 minutes, we decided to continue, the final decision. What was to lose? We had only to make peace with our emotions.

We understood by then that the earth keeps revolving anyway, and those accepting this reality will be the victors, at the end of the day. We realized that emotions, as strong and overwhelming as they are, can only lead to accepting (or not) a reality which we’d rather ignore, maybe it will disappear in a blink, like the mist of a springtime morning.

Fearing the future does not help. Pragmatism can, however, and if it is buried under a pile of emotions, we need to dig deep and take it out.

This is how the Seedblink adventure started. We have then continued by digitalizing the entire investment process, top to bottom. The pandemics have actually helped us to create rapidly a model, a process that, in normal circumstances would have taken years. And yes, we got through the pandemics holding in, like anyone else, maybe even more optimistic and happy than in other circumstances.

The second year was one with fantastic growth, the year when the buds that came out in the first springtime, started to bloom. And they opened even more than expected. We have had our second round and, since then, having strong partners next to us, we work to create the infrastructure of an integrated, European platform, for online investors.

Here we are today in a new context: the Russian aggression in Ukraine, asking ourselves what we gonna do now. This time, however, the experience of the last two years offers us a fast and solid answer: the earth will continue revolving!

Europe finds itself at an unprecedented turning point, being compelled to assume its autonomy and independence in front of the other world powers. Europe’s chance to prove its unity and homogeneity is also our chance to unite all local investors markets in a Pan-European one.

Therefore, we’re very determined to accelerate our expansion and to pull the right levers needed to stimulate the creation of value, at the continental level. Both the investors and the startups would get a massive advantage from such market convergence and, actually, each regional cluster is ready for this consolidation.

Romania was extremely generous towards SeedBlink. Our 10,000 investors, with their kindness and friendliness, granted us their curiosity and their desire to invest in what we have offered on our platform in the last 2 years. We’re very grateful for their help and we promise we’ll continue to stay close to them, as we did until now.

There is a phrase in yachting: “if the wind blows from behind, there is nothing to do except to pay attention; if the wind blows against, adjust your sails and continue navigating”. Sailboat kippers are unhappy when there is no wind at all, not when the wind is strong, no matter its direction.

There's something we want to wish you.. the wind in your sails.

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Editorial written by Ionuț Pătrăhău, Managing Partner & Corporate Development @ SeedBlink. 
In addition to his vast experience in banking, Ionuț Pătrăhău also worked in the medical services field, being former CEO of the private health network Regina Maria and co-founder of the Brain Institute, a neurosurgery center developed in partnership with the Monza Hospital.

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