At Leapfunder we want to foster communities. Both for startups and investors, both online and offline. Therefore we organised the very first Leapfunder investor gathering last Thursday December 11 to give Leapfunder investors the opportunity to meet each other. The goal: To take the online activity offline. 25 investors showed up for the event. During the evening three seasoned investors were asked to share their story and in addition, three startup CEOs were given a podium to pitch to the investors in 60 seconds. The event turned out to be a great success for both the investors and the startups as significant amounts were invested on the spot in some of the startups using Leapfunder.

Reasons why offline matters

 1. Investor matchmaking

For almost every type of business it is beneficial to have a team of people with complementary skills. With investing it is no different. Although it is possible to meet and get in touch with other investors online, actual matchmaking is still mostly an offline activity. The Leapfunder investor gathering offered investors the opportunity to get to know each other, look each other in the eyes, and find potential other investors who they trust to co-invest with.

 2. Meet your fellow investors

With Leapfunder it is possible to invest in a company online. In principle it is possible to co-invest with other investors with very little or no contact with the other investors in that round. By organising offline events you can meet the other investors that have invested in the same companies as you have. Past investments can be the basis of doing future deals.

 3. Share experiences

Own experience is one thing. It is another to learn from someone else’s. For beginning angel investors it is valuable to learn first hand about the success stories, and even more about the failures and pitfalls experienced by the more seasoned investors. Stories about failures often tell more about success than stories about successes. Sharing experience is important. By bringing friends along, more startup investors will emerge and the community will grow.

 4. Meeting startups under pressure

When inviting startups to pitch amidst a crowd of real investors, this creates a high pressure environment in which the founders are really put on the spot. The startups can pitch their company and are immediately confronted with the investors. This is exactly what the investors want to see: how these startup founders perform under high stress conditions. These kind of dynamics are what make offline gatherings valuable.

More to come

In the coming months, we will organise more Leapfunder investor gatherings. Interested to be part of this growing investor-community. Interested to pitch at one of our events? Click here to get in touch!