Driving Velocity, Building Businesses
Operating partners to funders and founders
OUR BELIEFS
PEOPLE
We back people who want to change the world and choose entrepreneurship as their vehicle.
ACTION
Only action leads to change and only change creates value which is sustainable in the long run.
VALUE
Human, social or environmental capital is scarce and where there is scarcity, there is value.
We believe in the power of entrepreneurship
PROBLEM
Nearly 3 out of 4 startups fail because they expand faster than the founders or product can cope with. This is often driven by the wrong choice of capital, an overdependence on fundraising, and an underestimation of the basics of business like product market fit, traction, revenue and cashflow. Leading to a plethora of companies that scale too fast, too soon and fail.
WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE
We make our portfolio work, not by diversifying our risk away, but by increasing the probability of success of the ventures we back.
We are not purely financial investors. We don’t take the approach of a VC. The money we invest is ours, we have not raised capital from LPs to back the choices we make and therefore our loyalty and commitment sits truly with the entrepreneur.
Our approach is not dictated by the financial dynamics of a classic VC portfolio or the pressure to deliver a return within a certain timeframe. Instead, we make our portfolio work, not by diversifying our risk away, but by increasing the probability of success of the ventures we back. We double down on each one of our investments to ensure we provide them the best of our support.
Our investment decisions are guided by the quality of the company first but also by our ability to contribute to the growth of the company.
WHO DO WE TYPICALLY WORK WITH?
Coachable
Founders
Ambitions to
scale in Asia
An idea that
matters
We work with start-ups and scale-ups on the verge of taking off or those at a critical stage of growth, transitioning from 5 to 50 employees, showing first signs of revenue and preparing for international expansion and, or a fundraise.
We identify teams who are pursuing possibilities beyond their current skill set. We tend to add value when we work with people who are different from us but share a similar value system.
OUR METHODS
HOW CAN WE HELP?
We help the founders maintain a larger share of the upside by lengthening the runway and creating a culture of self-sustenance. We come in to prove the business at a minimum viable scale, to identify the main vectors and bottlenecks for further growth, and to lay out the future needs for capital – whatever type of capital this might be.
We instill value systems similar to those typically brought by institutional investors upon large funding rounds.
We help companies grow up.
WE OPERATE IN 3 WAYS
INVESTOR
- Typically come in at seed and pre-seed stage
- On the cap table to add value through our experience
- Operational & emotional support always on offer
OPERATOR
- Brought in when the business is going through transition
- Building the business alongside the founding team
- Fixed term mandate for a mix of cash and equity
EXPANSION PARTNER
- Represent companies with an established value proposition
- Building a bridge into Asia
- Providing access to talent, market and capital
PORTFOLIO
TEAM
Joachim Vandaele
Building and turning around startups and corporate ventures, bringing strategic vision together with an execution plan, identifying talent, framing and executing on nascent opportunities, expert in understanding risk, EiR and Bootcamp Director at INSEAD
Monisha Varadan
Building inroads into new markets for new products through strategic partnerships, operationally driven, navigating the art of fundraising and crafting the right narrative, designing and delivering academic content at INSEAD, writing on topics that deserve a spotlight, mother of two.
Zephyr: (From Greek mythology) – Zephyrus (Ζέφυρος, Zéphyros), the Greek god of the west wind. The gentlest but most fructifying wind of all directional winds; the messenger of spring; the guide to the destined course.
CONTACT
Drop us a line at contact@zephyrventures.com
BRUSSELS
Rue des Chartreux 19,
1000 Brussels,
Belgium
SINGAPORE
29A Cuppage Road,
#02-00 Cuppage Terrace,
Singapore 229456
Credit for images: Jrkorpa