EUVC #272: Doreen Huber, Partner at EQT Ventures on why sales is underrated in European VC

Today, we have Doreen Huber. Doreen is a Partner at EQT Ventures, a €1.1 BN early-stage venture fund with offices all over Europe and the US to back European and US startups. At EQT Ventures, Doreen focuses on Software in Europe, leading the investment into Parloa this year, the AI for Customer Care Automation. EQT Ventures is investing out of Fund III with a total of €2.3 BN AUM and an established portfolio of more than +100 companies and notable investments, including Handshake, Banking Circle, Einride, Instabee, and Verkor.Prior to joining EQT Ventures as Partner in January 2022, Doreen spent several years honing her role as one of Germany’s most respected business entrepreneurs and food technology experts, holding various C-level positions throughout her career and having founded her first company at 23.As the founder and CEO of LEMONCAT (acquired in 2019 by Rocket Internet’s B2B Food Group), Doreen built a marketplace and SaaS solution for the European catering industry. She was also COO of food delivery unicorn Delivery Hero, currently valued at over €10bn.Outside of work, Doreen is a keen traveller and art lover and holds a Master's degree in Media Science, Literature and Art History from Humboldt University Berlin.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀 Chapters:00:02:40 - From Writer to Founder and VC00:05:08 - Investing with Aligned Goals00:07:32 - Lessons Learned from Early Investments in Delivery Hero00:09:47 - The Shift in Perspective00:12:33 - Embracing Luck and Gratitude00:15:13 - The Intersection of Business and Creativity00:17:46 - The Intersection of Different Backgrounds in Startups00:20:11 - Sales as Crucial to Success00:22:36 - Sales Teams in Product Growth00:24:58 - Sales DNA00:27:22 - Importance of Monetization Strategy00:29:49 - Bridging the Gap in Sales Culture00:32:23 - The Power of EQT Partners to Connect with Experts00:34:51 - Leveraging Knowledge within Organizations00:37:31 - Being a Supportive Investor00:39:56 - Lessons for Founders from a VC Internship00:42:17 - The Randomness of VC Decision-Making00:47:14 - The Importance of Company Culture in Remote Settings