Who this is
Roman Kirsch has worked in e-commerce for around 15 years. He founded two e-commerce companies, sold one of them after roughly a year, later built Lesara and co-founded many direct-to-consumer brands. Today he builds new companies with founders through his Berlin company studio Rapid Pioneers and invests in three fields: consumer, AI-enabled services and rollups, and robotics, data and AI. By its own account Rapid Pioneers has built eleven companies since 2011 and backed 32 more, including Yepoda, Atlea, Reformed, Bewy, Willidrop and Bending Spoons, which Roman invested in back in 2021. He also hosts the English-language Icons Podcast with European entrepreneurs. On Founder Mode he was the very first external guest, back in episode 6.
Episodes
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FAQ
Who is Roman Kirsch?
Roman Kirsch is a serial founder and investor from Berlin. He founded two e-commerce companies, sold one of them, and co-founded many direct-to-consumer brands. Today he builds new companies with founders through his company studio Rapid Pioneers and invests in consumer, AI-enabled services and robotics. In 2021 he invested in Bending Spoons. On Founder Mode he was the first external guest, back in episode 6. To the episode →
How does Roman Kirsch's company studio work?
Roman comes in at the pre-seed stage with roughly 150,000 to 200,000 euros and brings the best people for the topic plus his ecosystem, so founders move faster and ideally skip the family-and-friends round. Many founders now come through referrals. Because the support is one-on-one, he manages two to at most four new companies a year. Examples from the episode are Bewy, Atlea, The General Data Company and Willidrop. To the episode →
How did Roman Kirsch end up investing in Bending Spoons?
In 2021 Roman and two partners had taken a SPAC with 345 million in investor money to Nasdaq and were looking for a European company to merge with. He saw the name Bending Spoons by chance on a conference invitation, and an Italian employee made the introduction. The founders were too small for the SPAC and did not want an exit, but they wanted to let former employees sell shares. So Roman invested at a valuation of just under 150 million with just under 80 million in revenue, when the core business was still a photo and video app. To the episode →
Which consumer trends does Roman Kirsch find exciting right now?
Three fields: sleep and recovery, because we spend a third of our time asleep and apart from Eight Sleep and rings like Oura there are hardly any strong brands. Peptides, where he still sees himself two steps away but finds the speed of the market impressive. And real-world experiences such as padel courts, book clubs or run clubs, because people want to meet in person. He is himself a shareholder in mitte Padel. Anyone who wants to found a company in these areas should message him on LinkedIn. To the episode →
Who is Roman Kirsch?
Roman Kirsch is a serial entrepreneur and investor based in Berlin. He co-founded the furniture shopping club Casacanda, which was sold to Fab.com, helped build Amorelie and founded the fashion retailer Lesara. Today he builds consumer companies with the Rapid Pioneers Group, invests as an angel and co-founded The Global Talent To the episode →
How did the Casacanda exit happen?
Shortly before a funding round, Rocket Internet copied the website with Westwing and the VCs withdrew their term sheets. After TechCrunch reported on it, Fab.com got in touch within 48 hours and offered to build the European business together. The sale was paid mostly in shares. To the episode →
Quotes
„Bei den guten Themen unterschätzt du eigentlich immer, wie groß es werden kann.““With the good ones you always underestimate how big it can get.”
„Mit der AI ist es eher so, ist es eine Person, die auch 50, 100, 150 Agenten führen kann.““With AI the question is rather: is this a person who can also lead 50, 100, 150 agents?”
„Interessantes Gefühl, ja, wenn eine Bank einfach für dich Sachen verkauft …““Interesting feeling when a bank just sells things on your behalf.”
„… die besten Founder, das kannst du nicht outsourcen, das heißt das musst du selbst machen.““The best founders know you can't outsource this, you have to do it yourself.”
„… für mich Fokus eigentlich heißt, mich auf die Sachen zu fokussieren, die ich besonders gut kann. Und das dann irgendwie zu multiplizieren auf verschiedene Themen.““For me focus means focusing on the things I am particularly good at, and then multiplying that across different topics.”