I am happy to have Reinout Vander Meulen, a partner at TIN Capital. He was a co-founder at Type22, an airport baggage handling innovator MSc in Aerospace Engineering.
In this episode, Reinout Vander, Partner at TIN Capital shares his journey from co-founding Type 22, a baggage handling innovator, to transitioning into venture capital. He discusses his experiences scaling international startups, the importance of product localization in Europe, and the challenges in cybersecurity investments. Reinout also highlights key lessons from working with cybersecurity founders and navigating the complexities of market timing, scaling, company exits, and much more!
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Learn
What are the most pressing cybersecurity challenges facing European businesses today?
How does Reinout approach when to sell vs when to hold a position?
What does Reinout know now that he wishes he had known when he got into VC?
What is your favourite business book? –Spin Selling
What is your favourite online tool? –iharvest
If you could go back to when you started working, what is the one thing you would have focused on? – NA
Timestamps
4:10 - How Type 22 pivoted to focus on product innovation in self-service baggage systems.
7:00 - Reinout’s involvement with the Delft University incubator
8:10 - Reinout discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry.
10:00 - TIN Capital’s focus on cybersecurity investments.
12:45 - Differences in scaling startups between Europe and the U.S.
14:05 - Importance of localizing products for different European markets.
18:00 - Key cybersecurity challenges for European businesses.
20:00 - How cybersecurity regulations in Europe impact startups and investments.
22:30 - The competitive advantage of being a European cybersecurity startup.
28:00 - Deciding when to sell portfolio companies and the importance of timing.
30:00 - The importance of maintaining ownership and how to manage dilution.
34:00 - Reinout’s biggest lessons in market timing for cybersecurity investments.
36:00 - Mistakes made in investing in too niche markets.
40:00 - Importance of relationships and trust in cybersecurity VC investments.
42:30 - Reinout’s advice for emerging managers in the VC ecosystem.
Natalia’s Links
LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/reinoutvandermeulen
Website – https://www.tiincapital.nl/
My Links
Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes
YouTube: youtube.com/lifeselfmastery
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal
5-day email course: www.enterprisesalesexpertise.com
Newsletter: partnergrow.substack.com/
Scaling Startups and Cybersecurity with Reinout Vander, Partner at TIN Capital