Meet Marius Weber, Marcus Börner, and Oliver Oster - three best friends-turned-founders who've been thick as thieves for more than 20 years. These guys aren't your average entrepreneurs; they're the kind who see a problem and think, "Challenge accepted!"
More than a decade ago, when Europe's VC scene was basically a ghost town, these forward-thinking pals decided to roll up their sleeves and do something about it. They launched one of Germany's first pre-VC deal clubs with an incubator twist and founded additionally to that startups by themselves. Talk about being ahead of the curve! They ended up co-founding 21 companies, which was pretty mind-blowing considering how rare this model was back then.
Fast forward to today, and Europe's VC landscape has exploded with over 3,500 funds in the last few years only. But here's the kicker - it's become a bit of a mess. Oversaturated, not transparent enough, and sometimes just plain inefficient. So what do our three musketeers do? They put their heads together and come up with AQVC, a game-changing platform for funds and LPs.
Their thoughts? Well, as Marius Weber puts it, "problems have always been solved by entrepreneurs and they need capital." These guys recognise that VC is the most outperforming asset out there, but it's been like an exclusive club that only a select few can join. They saw family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals side-eyeing this asset class because of its lack of transparency. So, AQVC is here to flip the script!
The platform AQVC Discovery isn't just about democratising access to Venture Capital - it's bringing a whole new level of clarity, traceability, and transparency to the data that funds showcase. It's like they've taken a flashlight to a dimly lit room and said, "Let there be light!"
But wait, there's more! AQVC isn't just a platform - it's also got a Fund of Fund arm that operates as a semi-liquid stock company. They've already capitalized 19 funds and screened over 3,000. That's not just impressive; it's downright revolutionary!
In essence, AQVC is becoming the go-to partner in what these visionaries see as the most valuable asset class in the world. They're not just thinking outside the box; they're redesigning the whole darn box!
These three friends have consistently been several steps ahead of the game. From recognising the need for VC funding in Europe way back when, to now addressing the challenges of an oversaturated market, they've always had their finger on the pulse of what's next. With AQVC, they're not just keeping up with the times - they're defining them.
Talk about forward-thinking!
Noa Khamallah is General Partner at Don't Quit Ventures.
