Today, we have
Doreen Huber. Doreen is a Partner at EQT Ventures, a €1.1 BN early-stage venture fund with offices all over Europe and the US to back European and US startups. At EQT Ventures, Doreen focuses on Software in Europe, leading the investment into Parloa this year, the AI for Customer Care Automation.
EQT Ventures is investing out of Fund III with a total of €2.3 BN AUM and an established portfolio of more than +100 companies and notable investments, including
Handshake,
Banking Circle,
Einride,
Instabee, and
Verkor.Prior to joining EQT Ventures as Partner in January 2022, Doreen spent several years honing her role as one of Germany’s most respected business entrepreneurs and food technology experts, holding various C-level positions throughout her career and having founded her first company at 23.
As the founder and CEO of LEMONCAT (acquired in 2019 by Rocket Internet’s B2B Food Group), Doreen built a marketplace and SaaS solution for the European catering industry. She was also COO of food delivery unicorn Delivery Hero, currently valued at over €10bn.
Outside of work, Doreen is a keen traveller and art lover and holds a Master's degree in Media Science, Literature and Art History from Humboldt University Berlin.
Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀 Chapters:00:02:40 - From Writer to Founder and VC
00:05:08 - Investing with Aligned Goals
00:07:32 - Lessons Learned from Early Investments in Delivery Hero
00:09:47 - The Shift in Perspective
00:12:33 - Embracing Luck and Gratitude
00:15:13 - The Intersection of Business and Creativity
00:17:46 - The Intersection of Different Backgrounds in Startups
00:20:11 - Sales as Crucial to Success
00:22:36 - Sales Teams in Product Growth
00:24:58 - Sales DNA
00:27:22 - Importance of Monetization Strategy
00:29:49 - Bridging the Gap in Sales Culture
00:32:23 - The Power of EQT Partners to Connect with Experts
00:34:51 - Leveraging Knowledge within Organizations
00:37:31 - Being a Supportive Investor
00:39:56 - Lessons for Founders from a VC Internship
00:42:17 - The Randomness of VC Decision-Making
00:47:14 - The Importance of Company Culture in Remote Settings