EP #515 - Antonia Albert: What Makes a Startup Attractive to VCs?

Timestamps:

2:30 - What makes a startup attractive to VCs?

7:44 - Why VC money isn’t for everyone

16:40 - What if the VC tells you no?

21:00 - What is “vibe coding”?

24:25 - When VCs decide to invest

This episode was originally a live conversation which took place at startup days 2025, in Bern. Check out startup days to learn about next year's event!

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About Antonia Albert:

Antonia Albert is the principal of Founderful, a pre-seed fund backing Switzerland's best tech entrepreneurs to become global market leaders. She holds a MSc in Strategic Management from the Rotterdam School of Management, and co-founded Careship, a startup providing in-home senior care, back in 2015. She joined Founderful in 2022. 

During her chat with Yokoy co-founder and startup investor Melanie Gabriel, Antonia shared some insights into the daily activities of a VC. She highlighted that VC money is not suitable for all cases, and that not all newly-founded businesses qualify as startups. Antonia encouraged founders to make sure at least 1 person in their team is fully dedicated to fundraising, and stressed the importance of talking to investors proactively and making the best use out of international travel.

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