Many founders know the feeling: the money in the account is melting away, the next round of financing is not yet certain - and suddenly every month becomes a risk. The investor thinks about it, delays the decision or wants to see „a few more figures“ first. This phase often determines whether a start-up survives or not.
Sometimes an idea sounds so good that you're sure someone needs it! Founders invest months in their product, fine-tune the design, write code, optimise the pitch deck - and then...nothing happens. No customer wants it. No investor jumps on board. No market interest in sight.
When a startup grows, the shareholder structure quickly becomes complex: founders, early investors, employees with stakes - everyone has voting rights, everyone has influence. This is exactly where pooling comes into play.
Events offer founders a unique opportunity to make contacts, gain knowledge, gather inspiration and make their own project visible. However, those who simply take part may experience nice moments, but miss out on the greatest benefits. The key is to use events strategically - from preparation to realisation to follow-up.
Pooling refers to the contractual combination of the voting rights or shares of several investors or founders in order to represent them as a unit.