E349 | Robert Lacher, Visionaries Club: Bridging the gap between old family businesses and the European startup ecosystem

In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with Robert Lacher, a Founding Partner of Visionaries Club. Robert's journey in VC is impressive. He was also one of the Founding Partners of La Famiglia when they launched their first fund, and he's since gone on to make waves with Visionaries Club. Let's talk numbers for a moment:Visionaries Club currently manages a total of $350 million USD$185 million seed fund$165 million early growth fundHeadquartered in both Germany and the UK, with offices in London and Berlin, Visionaries Club has strategically positioned itself at the heart of Europe's tech ecosystem. Their focus? Seed and early growth stages, particularly in the B2B and software sectors. Robert’s investments include Personio, Choco, Miro, Pigment, Tacto, and Babbel, just to name a few.Today, we'll dive deep into Robert's strategy, exploring why they've structured their funds the way they have, and getting his insights on the European VC landscape. Get ready for an enlightening conversation that will leave you with a new appreciation for the intricacies of venture capital in Europe. So, without further ado, let's welcome Robert Lacher to the show!Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀Chapters:00:03 Meet Robert Lacker: Founding Partner of Visionaries Club00:14 Visionaries Club: Fund Size and Focus03:13 Robert's Journey into Venture Capital04:14 Connecting Old and New Economies08:48 The Role of Family Entrepreneurs in Innovation18:17 Visionaries Club's Unique Approach28:53 Challenges and Opportunities in European VC36:51 Introduction to S16 VC and Its Impact37:28 Upcoming Content Collaboration with S16 VC38:03 Key Learnings from the Last Decade39:04 The Ikigai Framework for Passion and Profession41:02 Overcoming Setbacks and Failures42:54 Networking and Learning in Venture Capital45:14 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs47:52 The Importance of Risk-Taking57:21 Local vs. Pan-European VC Strategies01:01:38 Manufacturing Serendipity in Venture Capital