Fundraising Tactics (20M raised) & How to Get 1.7 Million Euros in Grants as a Startup – Janina Mütze, Civey powered by PwC Scale

About this episode

Janina Mütze left the traditional career path in her twenties and built Civey into a successful market research company. Her experiences as a young founder, female leader, and successful fundraiser with over 20 million euros raised provide valuable insights for other founders.

From Employee Life to Startup Founder

Early on, Janina decided against the traditional employee route and took the leap into the startup world. This decision proved right: today she leads Civey, a company that has established itself in the market research industry.

Leadership and Hiring: Growth Challenges

As Civey grew, Janina's role changed fundamentally. As a founder, she had to learn to adapt her leadership role and make the right decisions in hiring and leadership. A strong support network played a crucial role in her success as a founder.

Particularly interesting are her experiences with the "breaking point" during Civey's scaling – a moment that many growing startups must navigate.

1.7 Million Euros in Grants from IBB

A special highlight in Civey's financing history is the successful application for 1.7 million euros in grants from the Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB). This alternative financing source shows that startups don't have to rely exclusively on venture capital.

Grants can play an important role especially in early stages, before taking the step to professional investors. The key is knowing the various funding opportunities and meeting the corresponding requirements.

Fundraising Tactics: The Right Approach to VCs

Janina's approach to fundraising is thoughtful and strategic. A central point of her strategy is building relationships with venture capital providers before even starting a concrete financing round.

Building Relationships and Investor Outreach

Fundraising isn't just about how many VCs you approach, but rather about the quality of relationships. Janina emphasizes the importance of confidence when selecting the right investors – an important lesson for all founders.

Determining the required financing amount and proper "round sizing" are additional critical factors. This shows how important thoughtful financial planning is.

Avoiding Red Flags in Contracts

Particularly valuable are Janina's insights on red flags in investor contracts. As a founder, you should know which conditions you should never sign to maintain long-term control over your own company.

Product Development: Simplicity as Key

In product development, Civey initially focused on the principle of solving everything as simply as possible. This pragmatic approach enabled the team to iterate quickly and gather market feedback.

Learnings from the PwC Female Scale Batch

Particularly exciting are the questions from the PwC Female Scale Batch, which illuminate various aspects of entrepreneurship:

• –Dealing with setbacks: How major defeats can influence later success
• –Personal development: Approaches for continuous improvement as a leader
• –Company culture: How to prevent culture from falling behind during growth
• –Long-term vision: Strategies for forward-thinking and dealing with new opportunities

Values and Team Dynamics

An important aspect of Civey's success is the early alignment within the team on shared values. This foundation helps stick together even during difficult times and make consistent decisions.

Conclusion for Founders

Janina Mütze's experiences show that successful startup leadership requires a combination of strategic thinking, pragmatic execution, and continuous adaptation. Her insights on fundraising, grants, and leadership offer concrete actionable recommendations for other founders.

Particularly valuable is her emphasis on alternative financing sources like grants, which are often overlooked but can represent an important complement to traditional venture capital.