Después de muchos años de preparaciones hemos realizado nuestro próximo proyecto emprendedor y gran sueño…

La creación de nuestra propia gestora de entidades de capital riesgo. (también explica, por que no he tenido tiempo en los últimos 10 meses en dedicarme escribir en este blog

La nueva gestora se llama Active Venture Partners (ACTIVE) y nace con el objetivo de dinamizar nuevos fondos para apoyar a emprendedores con proyectos tecnológicos y visión internacional. La gestora tiene su sede en Barcelona y desarrolla su actividad en el ámbito europeo.

ACTIVE nace con un capital de 300.000 euros y tiene como socio único a Active Capital Partners S.L. (ACP) que funciona como nuestra empresa holding desde el año 2002.  Seguimos los 4 socios de siempre; Philipp Schroeder, Ricard Söderberg, nuestro prisidente , mentor, advisor y gran amigo Alfredo Bassal Riera y yo.

El consejo de ACTIVE está compuesto por los tres socios ejecutivos, Philipp Schroeder, Ricard Söderberg y yo mismo. La vicepresidencia la ocupa Joaquín Molins–Gil y la presidencia Alfredo Bassal Riera.

La nueva sociedad gestora estará bajo la supervisión de la CNMV (Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores).

El primer fondo que ACTIVE gestionará es la Sociedad de Capital Riesgo Molins Capital Inversión, que ya estamos gestionando desde el año 2004. Este primer fondo cuenta con un capital comprometido de 20 millones de euros y participa actualmente en compañías tecnológicas como la firma de comercio electrónico BuyVip, la empresa de software Polymita Technologies, la compañía de aplicaciones móviles Golden Gekko, la firma experta en gestión y medición de la experiencia de usuario Xperience Consulting o la empresa de servicios radiológicos a distancia Telemedicine Clinic. El fondo también cuenta entre sus participadas con empresas no tecnológicas como la cadena de vinotecas Vinus Brindis.

Nuestro primer proyecto con Active Venture Partners sera el lanzamiento de nuestro segundo fondo ACTIVE II que está previsto sea operativo a partir de finales de 2009. Con el nuevo fondo queremos realizar inversiones en empresas europeas de base tecnológica: Software, Internet, Telecomunicaciones y Cleantech, con especial atención al mercado español, y que se encuentren en fase de arranque o expansión con un modelo de negocio que ya genere ingresos. Las inversiones previstas oscilarán entre los €500.000 y los €4.000.000 por proyecto.

Ya ha salido un articulo en Expansion.

On Friday the 21. of November we organize the 1. Barcelona Entrepreneurship City Event.
150 Entreprenuers with a passion for Barcelona will come together and participate in the following program:

“Barcelona meets its Entrepreneurs”
Entrepreneurial Institutions, Organisations, Associations, Incubators & Universities discuss how to improve the Entrepreneurial environment of Barcelona…
-Juan Carlos Angeles – President of EO Spain
-Andre Varny – President Eurecan Community
-Jesus Monleon – Co-Founder of Seed Rocket
-Yolanda Perez – Director of Barcelona Activa
-Sergi Mora – Manager of the ACC1Ó Investment Forum
-Ester Palomar – Manager of Eurecan International
-Julian Vinué – Manager of La Salle Entrepreneurship Center
-Ricard Soderberg – Founder & Managing Partner of Active Capital Partners (Moderator)

“Prepare your company for difficult Times”
-Philipp Schroeder – Founder & Managing Partner of Active Capital Partners
-Christian Siegele – former Partner of 3i Venture Capital and International Business Angel

“Venturepreneurs’ Talk ”
-Albert Armengol – Founder of eConoczo & Venturepreneur of Genoom, Festuc, Bloguzz, Linqia, …
-Didac Lee – Founder of IntercomGI & Venturepreneur of Spamina, Atraczion and Scubastore
-Jan Andresen – Founder of Elkware, CEO of Weblin & Venturepreneur of cellity, JobLeads, mediaclipping, Kinkaa, High-Def, creative-weblogging, sofatronic, Fishlabs, …
-Christopher Pommerening – Founder & Managing Partner of Active Capital Partners (Moderator)

If you want to become a member of the Barcelona Entrepreneurs Meta Community please go to:

Barcelona Entrepreneurship City

For our next Venturepreneurs´Summit in Barcelona on the 22nd – 23rd of November we have created an event that we call the Venturepreneurs Lounge:

The Venturepreneurs’ Lounge is one of the activities of the Summit, aimed towards new entrepreneurs whose ideas or projects are in the seed stage. Five entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to present their new businesses at the Venturepreneurs’ Lounge during the Summit on Sunday the 23rd of November and will also receive valuable feedback from some of Europe’s greatest Venturepreneurs.

It is not just about seed investment, it is also about who is investing in your new business. If you wish to be considered for one of the five entrepreneurial slots, you just have to send your project presentation in English to us at team@acpvc.com prior to the 8th of November.

One week before the summit we will let you know whether you have been selected to present your project to the Venturepreneurs.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”
Seneca

In the middle of the worst economic crisis since a long time we finalized our next investment in Xperience Consulting. The three founders Xavier Mestres, Javier Darriba and Alfonso de la Nuez created the Spanish company Xperience Consulting in 2001with offices in Barcelona, Madrid and Sunnyvale – Silicon Valley . The company is specialised in the analysis, optimization and usability experience of users of interactive products and services such as websites, intranets, mobile applications, video games, etc. Already today the company has an impressive list of global companies like Google, eBay, Yahoo, Sol Meliá, Movistar, Iberia, Mapfre, Vodafone, Bankinter and many more…

The investment was structured by Philipp Schroeder and Blair MacLaren. We injected €1,7 million through MCI (Molins Capital Inversion S.C.R. SA) in order to launch internationally the new software UserZoom. It permits usability departments to design, create and execute usability surveys with large numbers of users. The usability testing market in Europe grows 35% on a yearly average and according to estimations of Xperience Consulting, 72% of UK based companies will increase their usability budgets for next year. the initial success of the new software as a service offering of UserZoom with companies like Yahoo, eBay, Google or Apple gives an indication of the growth potential of Xperience Consulting.

Xperience has a team of 32 professionals and will most likely finalize 2008 with revenues of €2.500.000 and a new office in the UK. In 2009 we expect that the company will grow to €4.000.000 in revenues.

I am very happy to announce that the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) España will take place around the globe in the week of the 17th to the 23rd of November 2008. The founders of GEW are the “Make your Mark” and the “Kaufmann” Foundation. One of the prominent promoters of the week in Europe is the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

End of last year I helped the GEW to be introduced to Spain. The initial contact was made through EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) and the first meetings were hosted and managed by IESE Business School. Besides EO and IESE important entrepreneurial organisations and institutions are already represented such as, First Tuesday, Barcelona Activa, ACC1Ó CIDEM | COPCA, Active Capital Partners, Eurecan, Training Games Ltd., Caixa Capital Risc, EOI Escuela de Negocios, Intereconomía, Junior Achievement España, Sistema madri+d and Madrid Emprende. Every partner is committed to joining forces in order to organize events, conferences, learning forums and special sessions during the Global Entrepreneurship Week. Everybody has a common goal: To foster entrepreneurship!

I am very happy to announce that BuyVIP signed a significant Series B financing round with Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), the Venture Capital arm of Bertelsmann, a leading global media house with revenues in excess of 18 bn. € in 2007.

BuyVIP is a private shopping community which was founded just two years ago by Gustavo Garcia and Gerald Heydenreich and now boosts a community of more than 2 Mio members in Spain, Germany and Italy. With Active Capital Partners we invested in the early stage round in February 2007. 3i joined us as co-investors in july 2007. In this round 3i extends its stake and MCI (Molins Capital Inversión, VC fund advised by Active Capital Partners) also participates in this round. Some other key investors are Rodolofo Carpintier, Michael Kleindl, Grupo Intercom and the EFF.

BuyVIP has recently reached its operational break-even and has generated in the first half of 2008 already more than 12 Mio. € in revenues. Only members of the shopping community can participate in the time limited campaigns, buying branded products at a reduced price or getting access to new collections. More than 300 top brands such as Calvin Klein, Ed Hardy, Diesel, Adidas, Puma, Nudie, Gucci or Fendi have already worked with BuyVIP.

Every day more than 10 campaigns are going life throughout Europe and every month more than 150.000 new members join BuyVIP. In April BuyVIP received the acclaimed Red Herring Top 100 award making it one of Europe’s most innovative and fastest growing companies.

Bertelsmann joining as a strategic investor will allow BuyVIP to extend the media reach, work even closer with top brands and further expand into new markets.

Futhermore BuyVIP has extended its Advisory Board by the following members:

Michael Kleindl

Co-founder and CEO of AdLINK Internet Media AG, President and co-founder of the European Interactive

Advertising Association (EIAA), Executive Advisor to the Zanox.de AG. Chairman of wunderLOOP.

Oliver Samwer

Rolf Schuchardt

Member of the Board of QUELLE Group. Europe’s largest mail-order, e-commerce and homeshopping

company with retail-stores and subsidiaries, Member of the Board of Directors of E. Breuninger KG

Department / Speciality Store-Organisation with shopping centers and several branches,

Managing Director / Director Sales of Horten AG Department Store Organisation with 50 branches

Congratulations to Gustavo and Gerald for the impressive

achievements on all levels of their business…!

Last weekend we gathered for two days in Barcelona for the first Venturepreneurs Summit. Ineke Ibbeken, Philipp Schroeder, Ricard Soderberg, Blair MacLaren and I have invited a group of fantastic Venturepreneurs, in order to structure a pan-European network of serial entrepreneurs with a passion for seed investments.

It was a very energizing experience to learn from each other, discuss multiple topics and share great experiences with Albert Armengol (founder of eConozco), Carlos Muñoz (founder of Vueling), Daniel Wild (co-founder of Getmobile), Didac Lee (founder of Spamina), Dusan Stojanovic (co-founder of Alternativa), Esther Dyson (ED Venture), Jakob Tolleryd (founder of Carambol), Jan Andresen (co-founder of Elkware), Karl Funke (founder of Multitest), Oliver Beste (co-founder of myToys), Petra Becker (founder of Thesaurus) and Rodolfo Carpintier (founder of DAD).

As special guests we invited the founders of Genoom, GeoMe, Bubok, Gild International and GoCars. They presented their business concepts and we had a very lively feedback session with a lot of questions, constructive input and a lot of fun.

We would like to say THANK YOU to all participants and we are looking forward to the 2. Venturepreneurs Summit…

I had the idea for the Venturepreneurship Concept in March 2007. It is the merge of my two passions for venture capital and entrepreneurship:

Venture Capitalist & Entrepreneur within the same person = Venturepreneur

Venturepreneurs are Serial Entrepreneurs that act as Venture Capitalists. They have own entrepreneurial and venture capital experience and like to invest in new ventures in the seed stage. They typically invest between €25.000 and €250.000 in co-investment with other venturepreneurs. The difference to a traditional business angel is that a business angel is not necessarily an entrepreneur or a sector specialist.

Over the last years it became quite clear that there exist already quite a large number of Venturepreneurs in Europe and the rest of the world. Most of the seed rounds of successful start ups have been financed by venturepreneurs like Morten Lund, Johan Stael von Holstein, Martin Varsavsky, Stefan Glänzer, Rodolfo Carpintier, Jan Andresen, Robin Klein, Daniel Wild…

I strongly believe that successful seed investments are done, when a group of sector specific venturepreneurs join together, in order to provide venture funding, know how and know who to start ups.

We have started to create the Venturepreneurs Network, in order to bring together Venturepreneurs from different countries and different sectors. The Network is based on a strong set of values such as:

Integrity, Respect, Active Commitment, Trust, Professionalism and Humility…

We believe in the exchange of peer to peer experiences, high quality deal flow, experienced co-investors, valuable sector expertise and business contacts.

Last week Maria Sipka travelled to San Francisco and spoke with all major US based communities: Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin, Friendster, Ebay, Youtube, Ning, Livejournal, Gaia…

Already before the beta launch communities like ecademy, Xing, Neurona, Six Groups… had agreed to partner with Linqia. Today more than 40 global communities with groups have trusted in the new concept and model that Linqia offers them.

This means that Linqia will have close to 500.000 community and group profiles listed by April.

Another dream comes true! After many months of hard work the Linqia Star Team has launched the beta version of the “World’s first Aggregator and Vertical Search Engine for On-line Community’s and Group’s”.

Linqia aggregates and lists profiles of thousands of on-line communities and groups helping you to find and connect to people, your interests and needs. From the biggest and most famous on-line community to the smallest most hidden group, Linqia surfaces existing on-line communities and groups which can either be uploaded by our users or just commented and rated according to the user´s opinion and experience.

If you are a moderator or owner of a community or group, you can create or claim your group profile on Linqia and increase the visibility of your community or group on the Internet attracting more quality members, partners or other opportunities.

I would like to invite you to participate in creating Linqia as the main place to search, find, join, comment and rate on-line communities and groups on the Internet.