Munich Startup: What kind of career path have you had so far?
Katja Ruhnke: As the child of an entrepreneurial family, I worked in the cultural sector for ten years after graduating from high school, as a musical performer and theater producer. After completing my studies in cultural management, I returned to Munich and the family business. While searching for new business opportunities, I was inspired by the idea of startup financing in the summer of 2019 and have been involved ever since. together with my sister Conny Hörl, I am a passionate angel investor.. In January 2023, we also opened the "CK-Workspace," a coworking space and shared office where we bring together the old economy (real estate) and the new economy (startups). My first book, "Female Money – How Female Investors Are Transforming the Startup World," was published in autumn 2021.
Munich Startup: What motivated you to invest in startups?
Katja Ruhnke: I had a life-changing moment in 2019. I got to accompany my best man to a startup conference. Before that, I only knew about "Shark Tank" and hadn't realized that startups are an asset class that practically anyone can invest in. The passion and energy, combined with the ideas and solutions that will save our world, captivated me so much that I decided more or less immediately to become a business angel. It gives me incredible hope and makes me more than optimistic to see how many amazing founders are working on the problems that are currently piling up. I have to and want to do my part.
Katja Ruhnke: A passion for hardware
Munich Startup: Which technology or industry do you personally find particularly interesting right now?
Katja Ruhnke: Conny and I specialize in impact investing, so I still find everything in that field exciting. Most recently, we Hey Circle has invested in a startup in the circular economy sector.. I find this an incredibly important sector because the overabundance of consumerism sometimes truly frightens me, and we need to get a handle on it. But the topic of education also constantly fascinates me, even though it's really difficult to finance. We also have a passion for hardware, which is also challenging to finance. We like to choose topics that not everyone wants to pursue.
Munich Startup: In your opinion, what advantages do diverse founding or VC teams offer?
Katja Ruhnke: Female investors bring diverse perspectives and experiences to investment decisions. Furthermore, women tend to invest more frequently in female-led startups. This is particularly important because female founders often have less access to funding than their male counterparts. Support from female investors can help close this gap and reduce gender inequality in entrepreneurship. Women also invest more often in companies that address social challenges and pursue sustainable business models, and I believe that's something the world urgently needs right now. Diverse teams, on the other hand, demonstrably perform better because they make better decisions.
Munich Startup: What are your three favorite work tools?
Katja Ruhnke: I enjoy working with Asana. I use Microsoft OneNote the most; I used to write by hand in notebooks and could never find anything again, so OneNote was a lifesaver. Generally, though, I use very few tools because I don't have the time to learn them properly.
Pitch tip: "Anyone who doesn't overcome this hurdle well has no chance."„
Munich Startup: Your top tip on the topic of “pitching”?
Katja Ruhnke: Pitching is a performance and requires practice. Factors like facial expressions, voice, and gestures can be crucial. It's a sales pitch, the impact of which is far too often underestimated by founders. It's the ticket to more in-depth discussions. Those who don't master this hurdle have no chance of securing sufficient funding.
Munich Startup: Does this seem like a good time to start a business? Why?
Katja Ruhnke: Yes and no. Downturns offer a wealth of opportunities, as the market consolidates and large companies have demonstrably emerged during these periods. However, I consider the conditions for starting a business in Germany to be poor. We are expensive, complicated, stifled by bureaucracy, and we have far too little respect for entrepreneurship. The starting conditions in other European countries are sometimes much better, so as a founder, I would think very carefully about whether Germany is the right location. Furthermore, the rapid pace of technological development is very difficult to predict, even for us investors. What is current and seems like a good solution today can be obsolete tomorrow. In my opinion, speed is a key criterion for the future, and that is not a core competency of Germans.
Munich Startup: From your perspective, what could be improved about Munich as a startup location?
Katja Ruhnke: We need much more Networking and collaboration between the various players. Here, everyone's doing their own thing and has their own group or event. From my observations, this works better in Berlin. There's a larger, shared community there.
Munich Startup: Which investor would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask them?
Katja Ruhnke: I'd be incredibly interested to know how Catie Wood from Ark Invest selects her investments and where she gets her convictions from.
