The new partnership is intended to improve the difficult situation for startups in the FMCG and AG sectors and to develop and finance new ideas.
FMCG accelerator Clever Clover, led by Heinrich Prokop and Marie-Louise Vormanns, has long been a part of the DACH startup scene. The company became known primarily through Prokop's involvement in the Puls4 startup show "2 Minutes 2 Million."
Clever Clover: a decade of shaping the market
"For over ten years now, we have been helping to shape the Austrian startup market, be it through our network, our experts or our investments. We are familiar with the trends, possible producers and, above all, the retailers and always work according to the motto 'we walk the walk and talk the talk' for the benefit of our startups" explains Prokop.
It is precisely such investments that have now led to a cooperation with the recently introduced FMCG and AG-Tech investor Loonshot Ventures: "The market and also the competition, both in terms of customers and investors, is becoming more and more difficult for startups due to the past covid crisis and the ongoing economic crisis. In addition, many investors do not dare to invest, especially in the FMCG and AG-Tech sector, because the network or the expertise is missing," explains Loonshot CEO Bernhard-Stefan Müller. Loonshot Ventures wants to change this and continues to pool angel tickets behind it as a lead investor in order to be a strong partner for startups from the DACH region.
"A logical cooperation"
"Through our close cooperation with Clever Clover, we create a win-win situation for both sides and can join forces to develop and finance more startups and ideas and together provide the needed boost to success," Müller continued.
The cooperation with Loonshot Ventures is also a logical consequence for Clever Clover in its efforts to bring out the best for startups. Both startups and co-investors would benefit from a strong lead investor who brings in expertise as well as money and a network.
Partner for Clever Clover startups
"Through our networks and with our partner Clever Clover, we are able to bring products quickly to market and into retail or also into other sales channels," Bernhard-Stefan Müller concludes. "This is a unique advantage for our investments. In addition, Clever Clover startups now have a partner for future financing rounds who understands the market and the startup-need, can decide and act quickly and, last but not least, can bring in further boost via the in-house 'company builder' Tantum."
