S04E07: Jan-Frederik Valentin, HOWZAT ennea Group l Travel tech investments, travel disruption & advice for founders

'What we really need is that next evolution and technology to make travel seamless and really easy.' - states Jan-Frederik Valentin, Partner at HOWZAT ennea Group in this interview episode.

In this podcast episode, André Baljeu sat down with Jan-Frederik Valentin to hear more about his background, what HOWZAT ennea Group is about, how they identify potential investment success stories, the role of higher education in entrepreneurship, what the challenges and opportunities for disruption in travel are, and more. 

Time-stamps:

00:34 - Jan’s career progression

04:15 - What is it HOWZAT ennea Group (HEG)does, and how are they structured?

05:21 - A typical day in Jan’s life

06:46 - How to determine potential investment success stories?

08:41 - How is the current investor sentiment?

12:08 - Jan’s take on investor commitment

14:16 - How can higher education support young entrepreneurs?

16:47 - What are the pain points and opportunities for travel disruption?

20:05 - Jan’s advice for entrepreneurs wanting to break into travel

22:40 - What were the biggest surprises from investments so far?

24:40 - Jan’s most memorable travel and hotel experience

26:07 - Jan’s favorite restaurant

If you prefer watching the video-version of this conversation, find it here and on our Youtube Channel.

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Companies mentioned in the conversation:

weg.de l Unister l Kayak l Süddeutsche Zeitung l ennea l HOWZAT l Solana l Viselio l Hopper l Liligo l Hometogo l Lambus l EHL Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne l EHL Innovation Village l Munich Business School l Sticks'n'Sushi l Katz Orange

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Industry Terms and Abbreviations used in the conversation:

GAFA - Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, also known as Big Tech or the Tech Giants, Big Four, or Big Five (if Microsoft is included), the four or five largest and most dominant companies in the information technology industry of the United States.

SPAC - Special Purpose Acquisition Company
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is a company with no commercial operations, formed strictly to raise capital through an initial public offering (IPO) to acquire or merge with an existing company. Also known as "blank check companies." (Source: Investopedia)

Metas - Meta Searcher. Find this techtalk.travel editorial about Meta Search in Hospitality

LPs - Limited Partner. The term refers to investors who become members of a fund or SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) by making a capital contribution, i.e., an investment.

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About HOWZAT ennea Group

HOWZAT ennea Group is an European investment and consultancy firm and partners with excellent founders and teams to build, scale and establish outstanding technology companies. Through its venture capital arm HOWZAT Partners, it invests globally into seed and mid-stage start-ups, with a primary focus on Europe. Through its advisory arm, ennea Capital Partners, it provides M&A advisory and strategic consultancy services to growth companies as well as established corporations, leveraging years of expertise within this field.

Make sure to connect with HOWZAT ennea Group on Linkedin, Twitter, and Medium.

HOWZAT ennea Group is a Founding Member of techtalk.travel.

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