Constantin Wolfrom

Why I Don't Sign NDAs for Early-Stage Founders — And Why Founders Shouldn't Ask Your idea is your baby. I get it. But for VC, asking for an NDA before sharing that idea isn't protecting your future - it's limiting it. In my latest article, I break down why NDAs create more problems than they solve for founders seeking early-stage funding. I explain why VCs structurally cannot sign them (reviewing 1,500+ decks annually makes this impossible), why they signal inexperience rather than caution, and most importantly - why your execution matters infinitely more than your idea. If you're a founder worried about idea theft, this perspective might change how you approach investor conversations forever. I explain why trust is the real compounding currency in venture capital - not legal protection.

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🎉🎉 Happy to see our portfolio company Tilt Energy closing a €5M Seed round led by daphni, with continued support from Founders Future and AFI Ventures, to build Europe's leading demand flexibility platform! As electricity becomes the backbone of heating, mobility and industrial activity, managing demand-side flexibility has never been more critical. Tilt Energy is on a mission to unlock demand-side flexibility at scale and accelerate Europe’s energy transition by connecting buildings to electricity markets and automate their consumption shifts during peak times — helping reduce carbon emissions, lower grid tensions, and generate new revenue streams for asset owners. All powered by AI, no hardware needed. The funding will allow Tilt to grow its team, scale its technology, and expand across Europe. Europe needs software to orchestrate flexibility at scale. Tilt Energy is building it. 💪 Congrats to the whole team cc Romain, Guillaume, Thomas cc Ventech Audrey Constantin Sarah Romain

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🔊 and the news are out: Beagle Systems Raises €5M to Power Europe’s Climate-Resilient Infrastructure 🛰️🌍 The news is already making waves—now we’re excited to share exactly why AENU invested in Beagle Systems. In a €5M seed round co-led with PT1, Beagle is building the infrastructure intelligence layer Europe urgently needs. Their proprietary drone network and “Geodata-as-a-Service” platform deliver smarter, faster, and greener monitoring—already operational across 80% of EU airspace. 💡 Why we invested: 🔹 Massive infrastructure need: Europe must upgrade its energy and transport networks to withstand climate shocks and geopolitical disruptions. 🔹 Real climate impact: Methane is 84x more potent than CO₂ over 20 years—Beagle enables faster detection and targeted response. 🔹 Tech + execution: A rare combination of proprietary drone IP, advanced analytics, and strong commercial traction. 🔹 Scalable, systemic solution: Beagle’s tech is already proving valuable across energy—soon expanding into forestry, agriculture, rail, and beyond. 👉 Explore the full story here: 🔗 Why We Invested – https://lnkd.in/e4ThBVak 🎧 Listen on Startup Insider (German): https://lnkd.in/e8epuen4 👏 Congratulations to Oliver Gregor Lichtenstein, Jerry Tang, Mitja Wittersheim and the whole Beagle Systems team. We’re proud to support your mission to future-proof Europe’s infrastructure. Dr. Fabian Heilemann, Siobhan Brewster, Philip Specht, Robert Stoecker, Katharina Beitz, Melusine Bliesener, Ferry Heilemann, Michelle Piontek, Elena Harumi Stark #ClimateTech #InfrastructureResilience #EnergyTransition

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Product-Market Fit is make or break for climate startups. What did I learn from our past six accelerator programs at Techstars Sustainability Paris: 1️⃣ AI helps you build faster — but not smarter. Only PMF tells you if you're solving the right problem. 2️⃣ Climate founders are building markets and products. PMF isn’t a milestone — it’s a habit. 3️⃣ Policy tailwinds are slowing. Customers won’t pay green premiums forever. You need "need-to-have" solutions, not "nice-to-haves." I’m digging deep into this while writing a book on scaling climate tech (👋🏻 🥊Caroline Woussen-Franczia🍿)— and , would really much like your insights/comments on the PMF topic. Feel free to MP or comment 👉🏻If you can't wait for the book, check Peter Nocchiero Summer PMF bootcamp in comment PS I was looking for a picture to illustrate PMF but find no better option than Rebecca Ravenni to illustrate the support to founders during the early days

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🎉 Thrilled to share the first closing of our new fund Omnes Real Tech 2 at €112 million. 💡 We believe Europe’s deeptech moment is now. A new generation of world-class founders with European roots is building with speed, depth, and ambition, and more and more investors are aligning behind the conviction that Europe can lead in deeptech. We're proud to help power this movement and support the scale-up journey of the continent’s most promising technologies. 🔧 Omnes Real Tech 2 is built for the critical inflection point when breakthrough technologies must scale industrially and commercially. It builds on the journey we’ve taken alongside standout deeptech companies like Quantum Systems, The Exploration Company, Quandela, Sekoia.io, Unseenlabs and Proxima Fusion, now all widely recognised in their fields. 🛰️ We’ll continue backing ambitious companies in defense & security, quantum, new space, AI, semiconductors, and advanced materials, across Europe, with a conviction-led strategy and deep reserves to follow on over time. 🇩🇪 We’re kicking things off with a first investment in ARX Robotics, the German startup shaping the future of autonomous ground systems for defense. 📬 If you're building something bold, with pan-European ambition and industrial scale, we’d love to hear from you. Michel de Lempdes Renaud POULARD Fabien Collangettes François-Xavier Dedde Maia Falkå Paul Maurens #Deeptech #ScaleUp #EuropeTech #DefenseTech #Quantum #NewSpace

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