Entrepreneur, investor, and now solo GP Robin Haak launches Robin Capital

If you’ve been paying attention lately, you might be in on the secret. In case not, let me spill here for you here and now: the big keep getting bigger, and the small keep getting smaller. While this axiom can be attributed to a number of current global situations, I’m speaking specifically about the world of funding founders.

When it comes to LPs lining up to stuff the pockets of industry incumbents, resulting in oversubscribed round after oversubscribed round, bubbling below the surface, and now stepping headlong into the light, has been a growing movement of which Equation Capital’s Mark Schmitz has characterised as the, “atomisation of European landscape to Micro-, Nano- and Solo GP funds." Funds that have proven to outperform others.

Granted, the math is simple, it’s a whole lot easier to return a €20 million fund than it is to return a €200 million fund. Fair enough, but what else is happening here? Stephan Heller of AlphaQ Venture Capital posits:

“While a solo GP has its risks, we think it also have a lot of advantages in the way of speed and agility around investments as well as the option of keeping the fund size relatively small." - Stephan Heller of AlphaQ Venture Capital

If you’ve ever spent time in Berlin, and let’s be honest, who amongst us hasn’t, there’s one name that’s sure to cross your ears at one point or another: Robin Haak. 

In less than a decade, Haak's CV includes founder at Axel Springer Plug and Play Accelerator, a seat on the advisory board to Slush, founder and co-CEO at recruitment platform Jobspotting, a startup that would go on to be acquired by San Francisco-based SmartRecruiters, and co-founder at Wo/men Inc., a platform that supports career-focused women as they build their professional networks.

Operator experience, check.

Now let’s add that Haak is a general partner at female-led growth fund Revaia, was a first check investor in N26, has invested in Aircall, Frontify, Coralogix, Platform.sh, Getaccept, and acted as an angel investor in HeyData, Novos Labs, Hier Foods.

Investor chops, check.

As of today, Robin Haak joins the growing list of European Solo GPs that have the speed and agility to act on the turn of a dime with the launch of Robin Capital’s Fund One.

Speaking to Tech.eu Haak said, "Looking at my heroes Elad Gil, Oren Zeev, Lachy Groom, that's who I aspire to be - acknowledging it is a long way. To be one of those former founders and operators, spending their time in silence with the teams they back. I do not compete; I collaborate with the best founders and tier-one VCs, supporting businesses and people in their growth and being a friend and sparring partner to entrepreneurs - having been there myself, I have deep admiration for any entrepreneurship, and I want to give back to the ecosystem."