“Investing in startups is a bit like raising kids.”
Ground-breaking technologies – that’s what Harald specializes in. The theoretical physicist worked at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research for two years, and at the University of Tel Aviv for three. He then spent seven years in the banking industry in London. There he made his first investments in startups and he was hooked. It was the time of the first equity crowdfunding platforms in the UK, such as Crowdcube, which he supported as an early investor.
With his experience as a business angel and in-crowd investment, he joined Redalpine, where he is now a General Partner. Besides his professional experience, his education continues to help him to work with startups: “I recall my university professors always emphasizing that physicists are generally trained to solve problems. And young companies face no lack of challenging tasks.”
As a father of two, Harald is convinced: “Investing in startups is a bit like raising kids. You do everything you can to ensure the best possible development.” He is particularly motivated by the fact that Redalpine’s investments flow directly into new products and technologies and create jobs. “That generates real value – quite different from just trading stocks.”