If you have enough time, it might be worth going somewhere like Betahaus [0] and meeting some people there. Every Thursday they have a breakfast event where different startups pitch what they're working on. Not always investors present, but certainly someone there could point you in the right direction or give you some ideas.
Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
21–30 of 70 posts
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#22Please don't waste your time pitching to investors in this position in Berlin. If you make X "Very interesting. Let's keep in touch and come back when you make 5 * X EUR revenue." And if make X >= 100.000 EUR revenue per month, then you most likely don't need 50-75K. One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof. If you have it, you can raise 5 Mio EUR with basically zero traction and if you don't have it, it will be…
could you clarify what you mean by Social Proof?
see my reply here, I hope it answers your question: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13634338
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#23Please don't waste your time pitching to investors in this position in Berlin. If you make X "Very interesting. Let's keep in touch and come back when you make 5 * X EUR revenue." And if make X >= 100.000 EUR revenue per month, then you most likely don't need 50-75K. One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof. If you have it, you can raise 5 Mio EUR with basically zero traction and if you don't have it, it will be…
> One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof Then work on that. Or try to partner with someone who has that How? Mingle. Go to meetings. Network "horizontally" (in your tech segment) and "vertically" (in your business segment). One way you're not getting that is by being the foreigner just off the plane (or even there for a couple of years) that can't speak German There's actually a funny series of bilingual books…
> Then work on that.
I disagree. If you don't already have Social Proof, then it takes a big investment to try getting it. I believe for 99% of all startup teams, the time is better spent by working on your product or acquiring customers.
Networking is not working. I have seen so many startups in Berlin, who had a good shot of making it, but who wasted time in "fundraising" or "networking" and therefore killed their business.
Now obviously to each his own and for some it might work. But I believe only very few people on very few occasions get something out of networking.
EDIT: added a paragraph
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#24Please don't waste your time pitching to investors in this position in Berlin. If you make X "Very interesting. Let's keep in touch and come back when you make 5 * X EUR revenue." And if make X >= 100.000 EUR revenue per month, then you most likely don't need 50-75K. One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof. If you have it, you can raise 5 Mio EUR with basically zero traction and if you don't have it, it will be…
> One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof Then work on that. Or try to partner with someone who has that How? Mingle. Go to meetings. Network "horizontally" (in your tech segment) and "vertically" (in your business segment). One way you're not getting that is by being the foreigner just off the plane (or even there for a couple of years) that can't speak German There's actually a funny series of bilingual books…
> One way you're not getting that is by being the foreigner just off the plane (or even there for a couple of years) that can't speak German
So, like most people in the Berlin startup scene?
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are a lot of Investors in Berlin. But without Social Proof, it would probably be a waste of time trying to approach them. If you make about 100k revenue (or if you have otherwise significant traction), you can not only approach investors in Berlin but also ouside, which kind of solves the "Social Proof" problem. If you are barely selfsustaining, then please stay bootstrapped and grow your business. Otherwise th…
Could you briefly explain how "social proof" applies to startups?
Social proof is a catch 22. Social proof is proof of previously being successful(or perceived to be). They want the return of investment to granted as possible. And for that they want previous successes.
But to get those success you need social proof.
It's a hard problem.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#26Silly question: Are you German? Do you have an academic degree? I ask because then you have some options for a state sponsored fellowship.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#27Please don't waste your time pitching to investors in this position in Berlin. If you make X "Very interesting. Let's keep in touch and come back when you make 5 * X EUR revenue." And if make X >= 100.000 EUR revenue per month, then you most likely don't need 50-75K. One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof. If you have it, you can raise 5 Mio EUR with basically zero traction and if you don't have it, it will be…
True.
The German start-up scene is pretty shitty.
Last time I checked about incubators or accelerators, most of the companies that work in that space were like "Oh no, we are not one of those, we do [insert some crap no founder needs] to help startups!"
Basically no one gives you money for anything if you don't know the right people and those who do want to own the company in full, which defeats the whole startup idea in the first place...
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#28Whats the product?
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#29I don't want to sound negative and I might be wrong in my assumptions but 50-75k sounds like something you can get from FFF (family, friends and fools) or supply it with your time. So the question for me is why an investor is going to put money in you if your family and friends don't do it. A good idea to approach investor is through other startups, people that already know them. You can meet startups entrepreneurs i…
I don't know why this is downvoted when it's got a valid answer in it: strangers tend not to be good for getting investments that size. Either crowdfund or get friends & family to invest.
50% of people, in the US at least, have less than $1000 in savings. They don't have $10,000 to put into your startup.
Re: Ask HN: How can I get investor intros in Berlin?
#30Please don't waste your time pitching to investors in this position in Berlin. If you make X "Very interesting. Let's keep in touch and come back when you make 5 * X EUR revenue." And if make X >= 100.000 EUR revenue per month, then you most likely don't need 50-75K. One thing in Berlin ist crucial: Social Proof. If you have it, you can raise 5 Mio EUR with basically zero traction and if you don't have it, it will be…
Really? Then the whole seed funding must make no sense to you, mustn't it? ;-)