Road-To-Capital #0: Hello, World

A very warm welcome to the first edition of Road-To-Capital: “Hello World”. 🤩

This issue is the prologue. I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself to you and provide you with some insights on what you can expect from this newsletter in the future.👇

Who: Hi (again), it’s me - Stephan - and I am the voice behind the ‘Road-To-Capital’. I have spent the last 15 years (actually, 17 years to be precise…man, this feels old) in the capital financing and investment world in all roles possible: advisory at a bulge-bracket investment bank, (early-stage) investor with my own investment vehicle and founder of three companies so far. One thing all roles have had in common: I always focused on the topics of capital structuring, equity and debt-based fundraisings, and spending time to understand the newest trends and developments of the many different types and methods that comprise the capital financing landscape. Based on this foundation and driven by the pleasure I find in sharing my insights and exchanging experiences with others I believe this led me to what you are reading now…the first issue of ‘Road-To-Capital’.

What: Starting today, here comes your essential digest on capital financing to connect the dots with your very own Road-To-Capital journey you and your company are on - every day. I discover the entire capital financing landscape to help you navigate it with confidence and clarity. Published every week, this newsletter will dive into the different types of fundraisings (including equity and debt financing options across all company stages), the latest financing trends and developments (+ analyzing recent transactions in the market and evolving players), and share unique insights and experiences from relevant stakeholders and experts (fire-chats with capital providers and entrepreneurs/company owners).

When: Join me every week for a new edition of ‘Road-To-Capital’. Each issue arrives on Tuesday, ensuring you have a regular appointment and keeping you guided and on track on your capital journey. Mark your calendars and set aside 5’ minutes to stay connected and informed with my weekly insights. Spoiler alarm: I might take the liberty to share additional special issues on certain topics from time to time with you - but first things first.😃 

Where: Delivered straight to your inbox and seamlessly fitting into your business routine. Wherever the day takes you, it is just a click away - your pocket compass on your Road-To-Capital.

Why: Throughout my 17-year professional career so far, I've experienced the diverse segments of and challenges in capital financing. Starting my journey at a leading investment bank, I handled equity and debt capital transactions for large, established, and often publicly listed companies. This experience provided a solid foundation in the traditional corporate finance sector. Later, my focus shifted to the dynamic world of early-stage investments, working closely with fellow venture capitalists and business angels. This transition to the startup ecosystem (as the ‘contrary side’ on the Road-To-Capital) highlighted to me the contrasts in financing needs and approaches across different business stages. Running my own advisory firms, I deepened my understanding by assisting larger growth companies and SMEs with their specific capital requirements.

A key observation from these varied experiences is the uniqueness of each company's journey on the Road-To-Capital, irrespective of size. More importantly, I recognized a gap in the overall understanding of how these individual financial journeys interlink within the broader capital financing landscape. This often has led to very ad hoc decision-making and a shortage of long-term perspective. It felt to me that this is common across all company stages. Having a greater awareness and understanding could lead to including capital financing more integrally in the company strategy (starting from early-stage financing).

So back to the “why” for this newsletter: My mission is to connect the dots along the 'Road-To-Capital’. I aim to do this by sharing my unique experiences and the learnings from my journey. This newsletter is more than just a collection of insights; it's a platform for you and others to learn and engage. It's about strengthening your knowledge of capital financing as a whole. The goal? To help you navigate the capital financing landscape and your own journey with greater confidence and clarity.

How: The only and single mission I am on is to deliver something valuable to you. Each week. And this is how I want to achieve this:

• Weekly ‘Road-To-Capital’ deep dives on one specific aspect or one of the latest discussion topics and trends

• Insights from industry leaders through our exclusive fireside chats, featuring entrepreneurs, investors, and financial experts sharing their experiences and strategies

• Discussing recent, notable deals across company stages

• Sharing useful links and resources for additional reading and learning (sneak peek in this issue already further down below)

• Spotlighting interesting investors and capital providers

• Stay ahead with updates on novel financial tools, tech stacks, and databases

• and, and, and…what we find out on our journey or you tell me that you find interesting and valuable

👀 What I found useful to read this week

Thank you for reading (till the end 🤩), I am super excited and open to where this journey will take us. Really appreciate having you join me on this ‘Road-To-Capital’.

Looking forward to seeing you again next Tuesday!

Cheers,
Stephan 👋

Issue #0 | 12 December 2023