A brilliant idea, ambitious plans, plenty of energy, and an extraordinary amount of perseverance to make their dreams come true. That’s what characterizes startup entrepreneurs. LEVEL UP puts international tech startups and scale-ups in the spotlight. As part of the event’s agenda, there is the Investor Café. Here, startups and scaleups get a stage to tell their story to an audience of investors, fellow entrepreneurs, and other relevant stakeholders.
“In the morning, there will be room for early-stage startups (pitch training is also available), which generally have lower investment needs. Later in the day, the stage is set for companies in a more advanced stage, the scaleups. These companies often seek higher investments. In the morning and afternoon, there is a panel of investors that matches the needs of the startups and scaleups,” says Stijn Mandigers, startup & scaleup banker at Rabobank. The bank is one of the organizers of the Investor Café.
Supporting startups together
“Rabobank is the only bank in the Netherlands that assists startups in their early stages. We offer various products and services to support startups and scaleups. We do this in different phases of a company’s life,” Mandigers explains. Rabobank often collaborates with other investors, such as the Brabant Development Agency (Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij, BOM). “We have a strong network of organizations around the startups. That is essential to help the companies properly. For example, if we can’t help a startup – for whatever reason – move forward, we connect them to another organization.”
BOM and Rabobank will also open up the door to this network during the Investor Café. “The investor panel in the room consists of organizations with which we often make co-investments,” says Marc Jansen, Managing Director of Investments at BOM. These include venture capital funds such as ECFG, imec.xpand, DeepTechXL, and Innovation Industries. “Each party has its focus, so we have the right investor at the table for each phase.”
An open and honest conversation
The Investor Café is part of LEVEL UP’s program. “The event’s goal is for entrepreneurs to learn a lot from each other and other people in the network, to grow and scale quickly. We help companies get to the next level,” Jansen says. Mandigers continues, “It’s so nice to do this together with all the parties we work with daily to support the startups and scale-ups.” Mandigers underlines that startup founders talk openly and honestly about their companies, what they are up against, and their needs. “That ensures that you can help. Not only with funding but also with mentoring,” he states.
Technology-driven startups often have an additional challenge. They face a long time to market; it takes a relatively long time before a product can go to the market. “That’s because much research is needed before a product can be used. Funding is also a challenge. A lot of money is needed, but the results take a relatively long time to come.”
To accelerate the transitions of our times, we need to support startups and scaleups
Stijn Mandigers
Accelerating transitions
Financing startups is risky, whereas banks are, in principle, risk-averse. “That’s why we take a different approach with startups. With larger companies, finance is the main focus, while with startups, we look very broadly. Components such as the business plan, the scalability of the idea, and the team also play a role in our decision-making. It’s customized. We look at each phase of a company’s life to see what fits best, that way we are and remain a steady partner.”
Why is Rabobank so active in the startup ecosystem? Mandigers: “Because as a bank, we are committed to accelerating transitions, for example, in the field of energy and food. Transitions are driven by technology, and the pioneers of new technological innovations are startups and scale-ups. To accelerate the transitions of our time, we need to support them.”
Visit LEVEL UP
The pitching startups and scale-ups in the Investor Café have been carefully selected by Rabobank, BOM, co-organizer Braventure, and its partners. Pitcher registrations for LEVEL UP’s Investor Café are closed, but coming to watch and listen to the pitches and feedback from the Investor Panel is, of course, still possible. Sign up for LEVEL UP on September 30 at the Evoluon in Eindhoven and learn from other entrepreneurs, learn how investors work and meet interesting players in the ecosystem. In addition to the Investor Café, LEVEL UP’s full-day program consists of several keynotes, workshops, and networking opportunities. Do you want to be here? Then register quickly and get one of the last tickets.
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