European Super Angels Club at Business Angel Summit 2021 – Recap
After the private Come2gether – the first in-person meetup in 2021 – of European Super Angels Club (ESAC) we stayed in Kitzbühel for two more days to support and join the 7th edition of the Business Angel Summit. European Super Angels Club and its partners Venionaire Capital have been supporting this event, organized by the Standortagentur Tirol and Austria Wirtschaftsservice (AWS), since its foundation seven years ago. Today it is one of the largest networking events in Austria, connecting Business Angels, VCs, and a very selective group of only 6 founders who had to compete heavily for stage time.
Berthold Baurek-Karlic, the President of European Super Angels Club, visited the pre-pitching session and was positively impressed by the potential of the startups: “The quality of startups in very early stages is definitely increasing in Austria. This year’s selection was the best I have seen so far and I am sure it will be hard to top. For European Super Angels Club, we did also scout a few prospects which could become interesting as soon as they gain a little more traction.”
© European Super Angels Club
Startup investments demand heavy involvement and support for the ecosystem. European Super Angels Club is aware that such events are crucial for hubs to develop, and Tyrol – which recently announced to focus strongly on health tech and biotech in the coming years – is ahead of the game in Austria. It all started with Business Angel Summit and we have a feeling this is a format that will come back year by year for a while.
“Supporting local start-ups so that they can develop, and grow is the primary goal we are pursuing with the Business Angel Summit. It is also about making the Tyrol as a business and technology location with its up-and-coming companies more visible and even more sought-after internationally,” Marcus Hofer, Managing Director of the Standortagentur Tirol states in an official press release with APA (Austrian Press Agency).
At the pre-event, investors selected 6 startups to pitch on the main stage and had plenty of time to network at a nice Tyrolian BBQ – welcome dinner – in a relaxed setting at the famous Rasmushof.
© European Super Angels Club
The program on the “official conference day” of Business Angel Summit, included keynotes of Thomas Wurm (Single Use Support), Conny Hörl & Katja Ruhnke (CK Venture Capital) and Martin Klässner (has.to.be); as well as a panel discussion with leading regional investors – Niki Futter, Conny Hörl, Jasmin Güngör and Martin Rohla.
© European Super Angels Club
After keynotes, startup pitches and panel discussions, the event encouraged the direct connection between start-ups and business angels.
Bernhard Fichtenthal, Executive Director of Venionaire Capital, visited the matchmaking session and commented: “It was incredible to see the highest quote of female investors in the history of Business Angel Summit joining and networking this year – which is a positive signal for change and development of the Hub as well.”
This year, the event attracted around 100 national and international investors. As the venture sentiment is on the positive side, it comes as no surprise that after focusing on their own portfolios in the previous year, European investors are currently eager to scout for new deals again.
The highlight of every Business Angel Summit is a dinner and live yodel concert at the legendary location – Rosi´s Sonnbergstuben. You won’t get a better view into the valley of Kitzbühel, nor a better experience. Make sure to become a member and join us next year!
