SeedBlink Blog

Two years ago, SeedBlink decided to not only offer a platform for Startups to receive funding but also help investors stay ahead of the curve in tech investing by offering them a course designed to educate on financial issues, the latest trends, and opportunities that will later help them make informed investment decisions. The 3rd edition of Tech Investors Academy will take place in June, and this year, after receiving feedback from our participants, the module has been improved to stay in line with the needs of investors. As we reflect on the program's impact, it's clear that the Academy has not only educated its participants but has also fostered a vibrant community of informed and proactive tech investors.

The first two editions gathered 200 participants and guest speakers from all over Europe: Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Italy, and France. This year, we added specialists from Benelux and Sweden to the list. 

First Edition

In 2022, the masterclass was addressed to all our investors willing to leverage their investment skills and was led by respected experts from the Bucharest International School of Management. The main focus was to clarify the startup investment ecosystem better, helping investors correctly evaluate tech startups, predict growth, and recognize promising opportunities.

It included three external experts: Andreas Antonopoulos, rector of UNYP and visiting professor of Bucharest International School of Management, Sergiu Negut, Co-Founder and CFO at FintechOS, and Florin Ilie, Deputy CEO, Head of Wholesale Banking at ING Romania. Testimonials show that participants found the course enlightening and well-structured, offering access to valuable and essential resources otherwise hard to find.

Participants also reported that these sessions significantly enhanced their understanding of venture investments and equipped them with practical skills to evaluate startup opportunities. The hybrid model was appreciated, and gathering was considered a proper way to wrap up the masterclass. 

Second Edition

This edition was designed for early venture investment investors, who had newly embarked on the journey of venture investments. It was comprised of three sessions Masterclass on Understanding the basics of venture investments hosted by Andreas Antonopoulos, rector of UNYP and visiting professor of Bucharest International School of Management, and three Community Dialogues that allowed participants to hear directly from seasoned investors and special guests from the venture ecosystem.

These sessions highlighted key factors in investment decisions and strategies for successful due diligence, offering participants a deep dive into the local venture landscape and ensuring that participants could apply what they learned in real-world scenarios.

Radu Georgescu, Founder of SeedBlink, and Cristian Munteanu, Partner at Early Game Ventures had a dialogue with Octavian David, a member of our community to discuss the key factors in investment decisions and identify promising sectors and strategies. Mario Peshev, a very active investor in our community, Dimitris Matsakis, an Angel Investor & Business Advisor and Andrea Piazza Angel Investor & Co-leader at COREangels Femtech + reviewed the critical role of Angel Investors. In the third session, Octavian David, Alexandros Eleftheriadis, Partner at Big Pi Ventures, and Diana Koziarska, Founding Partner at SMOK Ventures addressed VC's valuation techniques.

The participants reported how important this edition was in understanding startup dynamics or a business's potential performance from different points of view. The insights from both VC Partners and Angel Investors offered multiple perspectives on the startup ecosystem and effective strategies.

3rd edition, what we learned, what we will improve, and what to expect

The experience of the last two years has shown that most prefer a self-paced class divided into chunks of lessons, making them easier to follow and revise. This translates into turning the program into a four-week course, with videos released at the start of each week and a live Q&A session at the end of every week. This also offers a chance for anyone to participate, no matter their location or time zone. 

The last two editions were targeted towards beginner and intermediate investors, but this year, we will focus our content on advanced investors, making the information go deeper into the many aspects of investments. This doesn’t mean you can't participate if you are a beginner; once signed up, you gain access to last year’s classes and can gain the knowledge you lack before the start of the 2024 edition.  

Participants of the former years have also expressed a desire to better understand the dynamics of investment by being presented with real-life case studies of SeedBlink's founders. This meant involving more of our expert colleagues to dissect and find successful startup patterns. This will also help participants better understand our internal expertise and the people behind it, with whom they might interact in the future if they decide to invest via SeedBlink. 

Hosts for the classes will be SeedBlink experts and their guests, a blend of engaging finance-savvy specialists. Moreover, this year's edition will venture further into the understanding of investments:

• Angel Hadjiev, and Tihomir Dyankov, VC, will identify the factors that contribute to portfolio performance and the process of deal assessment. 
• Andrei Hancu and Nicoleta Cherciu, an investment lawyer, will examine the impact of legal conditions and commercial terms on investment portfolios.
• Robbin Hoogstraten and Willen Hulsink, an investor and entrepreneurship professor, will discuss how to develop strategies for effective cross-border investment and help navigate macroeconomic challenges. 
• Eric Bartha with Oden Vallien and Markus Oberg, entrepreneurs, will engage in understanding market dynamics and secondary market transactions.

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