It may be true that software eats the world. It may also be true that money feeds the world.
But software and money don’t change the world. Creativity does. Passionate people with purposes do. And perseverance does.
We are with those who want to change things for the better. Who keep on trying and are not afraid to fail. Who set a purpose and pursue it. We will support them, think with them, create with them “” and stay with them as long as we create value.
Let us explain why.
Creative
There are several sides to the start-up and scale-up game. On the one hand, there’s the side of venture capitalists, who offer funding to early stage companies, normally in exchange for shares in the company. On the other hand, incubators will help you out with your idea, offering services and bringing ideas to the market. Most of the times, the relationship between the early stage company and the VC or incubator is based on the mutual trust that we will all gain by it. Bottom line, everybody is aiming for a profit.
Then, there are entrepreneurs. People with “˜ideas that might just lead to something’ and the willingness to take a risk. In the last decades, these ideas have become more and more digital, data based, and algorithmic. Most start-ups nowadays offer platforms, more than actual content. They are not about creativity and find their disruptive strength in the business model “” not in their transformative value. Bottom line, everybody is serving what’s already there.
But there’s a specific party that seems to get lost in this game. We are talking about the people that want to create something really new, not only to make a profit, but also to make things different, valuable, hopefully better. Who see unsolved needs of other people in markets and in social areas, and are ready to pivot their answers those needs into something sustainably valuable. Who want to make a difference, consider what is possible and start with defining a purpose. Who know that success begins with the right mix of people involved. And who are willing to persevere, and not aim for the quick win.
VC’s and incubators are not able to help these people; they simply have a different business model based on a one-dimensional view: ROI within a limited period of time. Restricting themselves to a role as shareholder, they might just not be able to understand the real goals of this kind of entrepreneurs: the purposes that they try to serve, instead of the business that they will generate with it. VC’s and incubators are set up to create businesses, not impact. They simply have a different perspective.
This is where Creative Capital Studio steps in.
Capital
Creative Capital Studio aims at purpose and a long-term perspective. We are triggered by ideas, epiphanies, inspirations, possible impact. We try to deeply understand entrepreneurs and their purposes, and estimate what would be needed, what could be added, what could be different; in short, we will look at possible pivots to make ideas, purposes and entrepreneurship successful. We deliver creative human capital that will bring success. We will support you to make the miracle happen.
The capital we deliver is impact based: purpose first. Business will adapt itself: we treat business as a condition for the purpose; not the other way around. To deliver our value, we do not think in boot camps, temporary commitment, standard models; we are part of “˜our’ companies, for as long as needed and in a way that is necessary and valuable. We will enhance their ideas, investigate their significance, find their format, help scale them up “” always together with the relevant team of the company. We will deliver opportunity, feasibility, desirability, sustainability and creativity in all aspects: by working on the actual purpose and its conditions.
Our main capital consists of topic experts. The partners in Creative Capital Studio are all very experienced, top professionals in their domain: strategy, human resources, marketing, technology and operations have no secrets for them and mirror and complete the expertise of companies. They deploy their knowledge and their creativity as part of their own commitment to the purposes of “˜our’ companies and partner up with the entrepreneurs in our Studio in a co-creative setting to pivot their businesses.
Of course, we know that entrepreneurs also need financial capital; funding to scale up. And we connect “˜our’ entrepreneurs to this capital, but not to earn it back as soon as possible. We demand a long-term commitment of investors, in exchange for value-driven returns. We demand commitment to the purpose.
Studio
We call ourselves a Studio to make clear that we co-create and co-innovate. We offer a setting for ideas to grow, businesses to develop, purposes to be understood deeply, values to be delivered. The Creative Capital Studio is a meeting place for passionate, purpose-driven entrepreneurs, to create the next steps together by connecting the dots.
We think that companies with a purpose are looking for product/market fit and need creativity to realize their potential; which we will deliver in return for equity. We gladly include venture partners that seek impact and will deliver their creativity to support the success of our companies. And we bring the desired social ROI to limited partners by offering them the possibility to invest people-centered, instead of opportunity based, ensuring them that people-driven purpose will remain central in their investment vehicles.