Roman Scharf
We have started 3VC to drive the European start-up ecosystem forward. After 25 years as an entrepreneur, founding 5 companies, and moving 12 times I decided that I can have more impact by sharing my learnings. All founders make mistakes and so did I. But I also found ways to make things work, I found shortcuts, I found valuable networks and I found strong allies.
Partnering with some of the best teams in Europe on ideas that aim to make the world a better place is a true privilege and contributing to their success by proactively supporting them as a reliable, trusted partner along the way – all the way – seems like a culmination of past experiences.
I have been a founder in Europe and a founder in the US. 10 years in Silicon Valley felt like a dream come true for someone who started as a 16-year-old guy writing code in Salzburg, Austria. The differences between Europe and the US from a founder's perspective are relevant and irrelevant at the same time. Things work differently here and there – one has to acknowledge that, learn fast and build strong teams in the respective context. Success factors remain the same – character trades, values, persistence, passion, optimism, and a high level of resilience in the face of difficulties.
Entrepreneurs choose the struggle and only through struggle they can build great companies. Investors who have been going through the struggle can relate better. European founders deserve courageous investors with a more hands-on approach and the ability as well as the intention to stand by them, to listen, to motivate, and to help out. We don’t know all the answers, but we know the people who do. We want founders to feel they are not alone. We are here and through our team, our partners, and our allies we have many ways to make a difference.