For this week’s article we sat down with High-Tech SeedLab’s new team member Florian Richert. After our interviews with our very own Startup Coaches Anna Buchmann and Ahmed Mostafa as well as our Marketing Manager Jochen Schwab, we want to introduce Florian, who started in mid August at our program and will be in charge of administrative tasks as well as project management of the program.
In the interview, we talk about his motivation to join an early-stage Accelerator and his role as Project Manager in the High-Tech SeedLab Team.
Florian, we are thrilled to have recruited you for the High-Tech SeedLab team. What encouraged you to join the High-Tech SeedLab?
Accelerating innovative ideas in my hometown is a great opportunity and challenge that I am happy to embrace. High-Tech SeedLab’s philosophy of supporting founders within the areas of high-technology, sustainability, and women in tech aligns with my idea of innovation empowerment.
Another deciding factor was that I have already worked with two High-Tech SeedLab team members, with Iris at the university and with Jochen in recent years. This personal aspect influenced my decision.
What personal experience have you had with startups so far?
My professional career began in a Berlin startup that developed projects around vertical mobility and made them fly. I enjoyed working with a small team and taking on various positions to succeed in different projects. Developing unique ideas, adapting these ideas to new, previously unconsidered circumstances and overcoming challenges through an agile way of working is a core element of startup work and can’t be experienced anywhere else.
How is your new position different from your previous one?
In recent years, I worked as a product manager in a B2B communications group. Working within a small team there, I was responsible for developing new digital products and business models for trade show companies. We designed and launched several content platforms in a B2B environment, providing 24/7 information for specific industry sectors.
In the team, we had a startup vibe and utilized agile working methods. At the same time, we were able to benefit from the versatile resources of the corporate group. I want to share my experience working with innovative, primarily digital products and agile methods with our accelerator startups.
What were your first weeks in the new position like? Did they live up to expectations?
Thanks to the fantastic team, getting started in the new position was effortless, and I benefited from an excellent onboarding process. Within the first week, I also got to know all the startup teams right away. The diverse ideas of the startup teams of the 2021 batch intrigued me, and I am very much looking forward to further work with the teams.
What drives you the most to support the High-Tech SeedLab fellows?
I like the High-Tech SeedLab’s focus on supporting founders who live in Berlin and work in the fields of high-technology, sustainability and women in tech. The founders’ motivation is impressive, as is their path to developing their ideas into projects and products. For the program, I would like to share my knowledge and experience to support the founders. Beyond that, my goal is to establish a network for the founders to connect with coaches, experts and investors.
What role will you play in the High-Tech SeedLab team?
The classic understanding of roles may not fit our small and agile team. We all have positions but like to act agilely and collaboratively, so the roles tend to merge in some areas. On the one hand, my core tasks include the administrative management of the High-Tech SeedLab program. Beyond that, I am in direct contact with the startups weekly, whether in our standups and other fixed meetings, but also available at short notice for questions, feedback and support at any time.
Thank you very much Florian!
If you are interested to learn more about our program you can also follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date.
This program is financed by the European Social Fund (ESF), as well as the State of Berlin.