Takeaways from last night's #VentureAccel kickoff event by MyidEA - great discussion panel 👏 with Dan Calugareanu, Andrei Pitis, Sergiu Negut and Cosmin Ochisor moderated by Eric Bartha at SeedBlink.
Kudos to Matei Dumitrescu for organizing and for bringing so many people from the ecosystem together!
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🌍 Characteristics of successful founders
A mindset to correctly identify and address market gaps is crucial = “Founder-market fit”. Understand broader market trends.
Founders need a complementary team with domain expertise and adaptability to new experiences. So, ideally a team vs. solo founder.
Experience with previous startups is a plus, but also the ability to reinvent yourselves. Have the super-power to change your mind. Learn from all generations.
Global ambitions.
💡 Investor insights
Investors today are less patient with stories and more focused on results.
Appetite for pre-seed and seed funding is still strong in the region, but the path to Series A has become more challenging—graduation rates have dropped globally also.
Conclusion: regional cooperation is key: US funds often avoid early-stage European companies, so local networks and investors need to step up and they are stepping-up.
🚀 Accelerators: A catalyst for growth
Accelerators are vital for structuring and preparing startups. It’s not just about validating ideas; there’s also focus on teamwork, communication, and mentorship.
It’s fantastic that we have accelerators in the region, there’s room for more! Ideally, accelerators should be adaptable to startup’s unique needs (achieved a lot already via 1-2-1 mentoring).
💼 Engaging with investors
Don’t approach angels or VCs when you need funding! Build relationships early and understand each investor focus and timeline.
A compelling story is essential in the first round, but need solid numbers for future funding.
Investors offer not just capital, but valuable networking opportunities. Bootstrapping is great, but not all startups manage to grow without external funds.
🛠 What’s hot in tech?
Cybersecurity, enterprise & dev tools are favored and gaining traction in SEE, with a growing interest in new fields such as biotech. AI is not just hype, good to see applicability and focus on narrow niches.
Surprises (good ones) can come from anywhere, also in the context of global ambitions and revolutionary deep tech innovations.
🔗 Business models
Recurring revenue models are highly desirable. Investors are looking at MRR/ARR, and more.
These insights highlight the evolving dynamics in the startup ecosystem and the growing importance of adaptability, global ambition, and strategic investor relationships. What where your takeaways from the event?
P.S. Great pitch at the end by Bogdan Neacsu at Evopath - main takeaway: be laser focused on customer needs. Good luck with the upcoming round on SeedBlink!
#startups #venturecapital #founders #accelerators #investmenttrends #angelinvestors #startupfundraising