Members
The Executive Board
Hans-Joachim Schwenke
I enjoy working with young, innovative people, and learning from each other is important to me. I find early-stage start-ups with sustainable or scalable business models particularly interesting. I see myself as a supporter who is always available and who has comprehensive know-how on all legal issues of start ups and can also provide a large network.
Oliver Kirbach
I would like to help develop my hometown Berlin into the most innovative metropolis in Europe. In working with a start-up, I see myself as a coach with an international network. I find early-stage Fintechs particularly interesting, especially in the area of portfolio management.
Thomas Knappworst
Tax consultant, Diplom-Kaufmann, Bankkaufmann. After 7 years at PWC self-employed. For almost 25 years, 50 employees of the law firm Knappworst & Partner in Potsdam and Berlin have been involved in all areas of tax consulting for entrepreneurial mandates. In addition, I have been predominantly involved in the old economy with my own investment company.
Dr. Bernd Ruppert
Studied business administration in Göttigen, doctorate in Göttingen. Many years of international experience as CEO,COO,CFO. Metro Group, Düsseldorf: Head of Intern. Accounting, Head of Corporate Accounting Krone GmbH, Berlin/Gen TK, Boston/ADC, Minneapolis: KFM. Managing Director, CFO EmEA Selaestus Personal Managment GmbH: Managing Partner Dimension Data Verw. AG (formerly NextiraOne, Teltow).
Sascha Schubert
Sascha has been active in the startup scene for 15 years. He is particularly interested in startups at the intersection of business success and social change. Sascha is co-founder of four companies. He has co-initiated and co-founded numerous initiatives in the startup ecosystem with Bundesverbandes Deutsche Startups e.V, Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland e.V., German Standard Setting Institutes, Startbase.
Members
Ludwig Geis
The start-up scene has the potential for a new era of entrepreneurship that can generate sustainable prosperity. As an entrepreneur I know how important support is, especially in the start-up phase. I see myself as an investor and coach who wants to support with his professional experience.
Markus Zeh
As an entrepreneur I had and have many questions, and I am glad to know people who could help me. I would like to return this now. I see myself as a neutral advisor who can give a view "from outside". Especially in the area of structure and business organization I can actively support.
Christoph Janott
My first own company foundation back then failed. With the support of an experienced business angel, things might have gone differently. Today, I see myself as a mentor who uses his experience and network to help committed entrepreneurs to become and remain successful.
Carsten Heidebrecht
I am a business angel because it is simply more fun to invest in up-and-coming start-ups at an early stage than in abstract financial investment instruments. Basically I am interested in all promising start-up projects, preferably with a certain technical focus. A motivated and experienced team of founders with comprehensible planning approaches plays a key role. In addition to my role as an investor with a willingness to take risks, I see myself as a consultant who is happy to contribute his cross-industry experience in IT management of both medium-sized companies and at group level, if required.
Peter Lennartz
The founders of today are the medium-sized companies of tomorrow. They drive digital innovations and are very important for the future of Germany as a business location. Therefore, I would like to support and promote founders with my many years of professional experience as head of the EY Start-up Initiative as a business angel. I see myself especially as a sparring partner and business coach for young entrepreneurs, with whom they can reflect their ideas and find solution-oriented approaches to problems.
Dr. Alexandra Pries
I appreciate the opportunity to be present at a very early stage of a company and to have direct contact with the founders.
Since I founded the company myself, I know how important support is during this time. I myself come from the healthcare sector and am particularly interested in early-stage start-ups in this industry. This is where wonderful and innovative ideas are born, which facilitate the diagnosis, therapy and management of diseases and make life a little better. In addition to capital, I contribute industry knowledge, management experience and contacts and try to promote the positive development of the start-up in the role of an advisor and coach.
Bernhard Böhm
Managing partner of a company developing and manufacturing customer-specific sensors for the automotive industry and medical technology, among others. Owner of BLS Venture Capital GmbH with currently five shareholdings. Business Angel since March 2006. Partner of BAF Business Angels Fonds Bet. GbR, Berlin.
Dr. Joachim Behrendt
As a serial entrepreneur, founder of an angel network in Turkey and management consultant in the field of digitalization I learned how important networking and support are for founders. I find it interesting to see all start-ups that make use of digitalization in the broadest sense and that already have an MVP and a defined and tested business model. For the start-ups I support, I am a mentor, consultant, networker, investor or non-executive board member, depending on their phase in the life cycle.
Thomas Dankwart
It's a matter of the heart for me. I have been in the Berlin start-up scene for more than 20 years and have met many great people and ideas. The Berlin start-up ecosystem is like the salt in the soup for me! I support the start-up teams with advice and assistance; sometimes I am a coach, sometimes a companion but always a friend!
Wolf Kempert
Wolf Kempert, Business Angel for 15 years, is involved in 9 start-ups, six of which are still active, with a focus on healthcare management. For 12 years he has been a member of the board of the BA Club, responsible for succession and turnaround, among other things. for 15 years as an entrepreneur, he has accompanied family businesses in their succession by coaching the succession and selling the companies.
Jörg Müller
Dipl.-Ing. in electrical engineering and power plant electronics. Professional experience in the automotive industry, e.g. as managing director of a supplier as well as in other group top management functions, including more than 10 years of experience abroad i.e. from Brazil, India, China.Business Angel since January 2016.
Bernhard Schewski
Dipl. Ing. TH Hannover Maschinenbau und Schiffstechnik Positions: at shipyards in Bremen and Hamburg, firing technology and boiler construction in the USA Machine tools, factory plants, laboratory measuring technology in Berlin, site development and management in Berlin-Adlershof (Wista)
Founding member of the BACB
Dr. Michael Cortelletti
Co-founder of the chain „Pizza New“ during his studies. Business development at the company „Nordsee“. With „Dunkin' Donuts“ and „Baskin Robbins“ first active in Europe and later in Central America, the Middle East and also in Russia. Most recently as Managing Director of the Europe Middle East Africa region and Managing Director of the joint venture in Spain. Since 2009 again entrepreneur in Italy in the field of gastronomy and tourism. Since 2013 lecturer of the Food & Beverage Management course at the module University Vienna.
Business Angel since March 2012
Felix Schaal
Studied business administration & industrial engineering with focus on renewable energies. During his studies programs in entrepreneurship, robotics, philosophy and computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), King's College in London and Harvard University. Development, consulting and exit support of several corporations as co-founder, managing director and angel investor in Berlin and London; founder of the VC company Berlin Metropolitan Ventures with focus on Berlin and London (pre-seed, seed).
Georg Rasinski
SStudied business administration at the University of Hamburg. MBA, Management, Marketing at California State University Long Beach. Senior Brand Manager at Bayer de Mexico & Bayer Healthcare. Director Brand Management at Cadbury Schweppes & LG Electronics. LG Mobile Brand Management Lead at LG Electronics.
Business Angel since 2015
Götz Th. Friederich
I am a business angel because I would like to pass on the experience I have gained in many years of self-employment. I like to accompany you from the pre-formation/early phase. Since my expertise basically extends to advice on the law and tax law of formation, I accompany start-ups across all industries.
Hardy Rudolf Schmitz
I hope that as many successes as possible will make the startup scene more and more attractive. It must be good manners in Germany, a medium-sized country, to remove obstacles from the path of young founders. I myself was the founder of a company in the field of system integration. I like the early phase, the speed and intensity. I think I can best make my contribution as a coach, also as a "door opener" or moderator.
Hansjoachim Wagner
BCalculation & Sales Engineer: Measurement and Control Technology Manager R&D/Design: Conveying Technology and Elevator Construction Technical Manager: Impact Extrusion Tubes/Can Manufacturing
Managing Director: Measuring and Process Technology, Sole Managing Director: Monoblock Cans Fully Automatic Mass Production, Independent Management Consultant: Quality Management, Production, Logistics
Business Angel since 1999, Business Angels Club Berlin e.V. - founding member
Jörn J. Follmer
Management and participation in holding companies for the privatisation of trust companies. Chairman of the board and participation in mobile phone companies, 1999 sale to NASDAQ listed telecommunications company, other participations including financial service providers such as Bankhaus Löbbecke and VC Trust. Chairman of the board in a listed logistics company. Currently member of the Management Board of Financial Consulting Company with a focus on pre-market investments. Execution of listings and IPO (Deutsche Börse AG) Business Angel since March 2002.
Lutz Mehlhorn
Studied psychology at the Free University of Berlin; advanced training in various psychotherapy methods (conversational, behavioral, energetic psychotherapy, NLP), training in organizational development and coaching.
Co-founder and initiator of the „Albatros„ project, contact and counselling centre, MPU expert and course moderator at Dekra Automobil, Dekra-Akademie MPD (traffic medicine and traffic psychology services): Development of the individual traffic psychology intervention department.
Business Angel since February 2015
Michael Weber
Out of curiosity for excellent ideas and courageous, strong-willed founders I became a business angel. I find the early stages of a company particularly interesting for the healthcare market in all its breadth. I see myself as an experienced discussion partner, also as an advisor and investor.
Dr. Ulrich Keunecke
I enjoy supporting new and promising ideas and teams. Due to my own experience as a founder, I know the challenges that startups face. I see myself as a mentor and coach to provide the best possible support with my expertise and experience. I find FinTech, InsurTech, PropTech particularly interesting - regardless of phase. Germany needs a strong start-up scene from which new big business ideas and business models can emerge. For this purpose, the economic, social and legal framework must be (further) developed accordingly.
Prof. Dr. Radu Popescu-Zeletin
Head of the Chair for Open Communication Systems OKS at the TU Berlin.
Head of Fraunhofer Institute FOKUS. Founder of various spin-off companies (eGov Consulting and Development GmbH, Bit Tubes GmbH, trustedSafe GmbH, IKV Technologies AG, TwonkyVi-sion GmbH). Teacher at various universities abroad. Business Angel since March 2012
Prof. Dr. Liv Kirsten Jacobsen
2001-2006 Foundation and management of Transaudio GmbH.
Consulting and project development for Deutsche Telekom, HP-Compaq, Infitel and others.
Tax consultant since 2006. Since 2007 consultant at the Technology and Coaching Center Berlin. Since winter semester 2007/08 honorary professor European University Viadrina (Frankfurt/Oder) for general business administration, in particular entrepreneurship. In March 2006 she founded Prof. Jacobsen Steuerberatungsgesellschaft mbH in Berlin.
Business Angel since December 2008.
Andreas Puchta
Apprenticeship as bank clerk. Studied business administration. Financing solutions, development of risk management systems, commercial processes and strategic planning.
Dr. Kornelia Berghof-Jäger
I am enthusiastic about good new ideas and can give input and support from my own experience as a founder. Early-stage start-ups, especially in the fields of medical engineering, diagnostics and technology with sustainable business models and strong founder personalities. When working with start-ups, I see myself as an advisor and coach who is always available.
Ulrich Urban
Ulli Urban, banker, start-up consultant, real estate investor, 30 yr entrepreneur.
Since 2017 Business Angel. Offices in Berlin/Erfurt, no specific industry focus, competence: U.Structure and planning / financing / team building. Interest in the development of highly effective start-up ecosystems and investor networks.
Theofanis Vassilou-Gioles
Entrepreneur, founder and head of Testing Technologies IST GmbH. Experience in closing financing rounds and exit to a strategic investor. Mentor at the TU Berlin since 2012, and Business Angel since 2016. Focus on software companies in the B2B sector. Credo: „Pan metron ariston“, „All in moderation“.
Ingrid Abel
The basis of my business management qualifications is my commercial vocational training as well as my many years of professional experience in companies with different industries. Since 1978 exclusively in leading positions with predominantly commercial, strategic and financial responsibility, sales management and founder. (In the year 2000)
Michael Brayshaw
„In the last 13 years I have built up two Berlin real estate management companies. Both companies have been successfully sold to large corporations. The companies focused on the management and value optimization of residential real estate throughout Germany. My roles included transaction manager, asset manager, portfolio manager, managing director and chief operating officer. Clients included institutional and private investors, including a large sovereign wealth fund. Before working in Germany, I was an investment advisor for Ultra-High Net Worth private investors at Morgan Stanley in London.“
Dr. Thomas Warnke
Sales representative and project manager at the management consultancy Schumann, Cologne. Self-employed as project manager at BERA-Consulting, Düsseldorf.
Head of the Controlling Department of Schöller Lebensmittel GmbH & Co KG.
Management consultant at Rödl & Partner Consulting GmbH, Nuremberg, later deputy NL manager in Berlin. Management consultant at AIOS Consulting GmbH, Berlin. Since 2003 independent management consultant in Berlin.
Business Angel since February 2011
Alexander Haas
Today, business start-ups are no longer classically financed with a bank loan, but are usually financed by "collected capital". And for this you need business angels! The person of the founder is decisive for success. Early-stage start-ups are not yet as highly valued, which means more risk but also higher chances of profit. I see myself in an advisory role, especially in the area of controlling and accounting.
Bertram Schwarz
Startups are very important for the economy of Berlin and Germany. Siemens, Mercedes Benz and SAP were also startups. We always have to build new companies. You can't rest at all. We need a permanent start-up scene that always has new ideas. What I can contribute to the success of individual projects with my experience, I would like to do.
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Partners
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