EUVC
EUVC | E390 | Cherry Ventures’ Christian Meermann on culture of excellence & underwriting the next generation of emerging managers
Dec 19, 2024
Christian Meermann, Founding Partner at Cherry Ventures and a Forbes Midas Lister, shares insights from his impressive journey as CMO of Zalando to venture capital success. He discusses building a culture of excellence at Cherry, strategies for underwriting emerging managers, and decision-making for follow-on investments. Reflecting on the evolution of SaaS valuations, he emphasizes the balance between profit and growth. Christian also highlights the importance of personal connections in the venture landscape and shares valuable lessons from his experiences.
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Quick takeaways
- Christian Meermann discusses the importance of bridging entrepreneurial experience with investment strategies to foster successful early-stage investments.
- Cherry Ventures emphasizes a culture of excellence through collaborative decision-making and diverse perspectives to reduce groupthink during investment assessments.
Deep dives
Founding Journey of Cherry Ventures
Christian Meerman and his co-founder, both previously entrepreneurs at Zalando, turned their passion for investing into the founding of Cherry Ventures. Initially, they started angel investing with personal funds as their hobby before transitioning into full-time venture capital after Zalando's IPO. They focused on early-stage investments across Europe, particularly in sectors like SaaS, responding to a market that was less developed at the time. Their journey highlights the importance of bridging entrepreneurial experience with investment strategies, leading to successful early investments in companies such as Flixbus and AutoOne.
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