T.A.N. 2022 Review | Goals for 2023
As we look ahead to the new year, it’s important to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned and the progress we’ve made, and to set our sights on growing and learning even more in 2023!
From global pandemics to political upheaval to unprecedented inflation, it’s been a year like no other. Despite these challenges T.A.N. was able to host 13 successful meetups, reach our 70 member goal, engage with 86 startups and be involved in 7 investments.
These numbers are a testament to our team’s hard work and the support of our members.
Highlights
13 Meetups
A bright spot was the success of our meetups. We were able to host a total of 13 meetups, which brought together in average 30 members and guests at each event. Almost all of the meetups were hosted in hybrid mode and besides the investment opportunities, the gatherings provided a space for people to connect and network live.
The success of our meetups was a testament to the value of community. People were eager to come together, learn from one another, and be a part of something bigger than themselves, all while evaluating angel investment opportunities.
35 Investible Startups
We had 35 interesting startups presenting, giving them the opportunity to pitch their projects to our members and guests. Most of the startups that pitched were at the pre-seed stage and it was exciting to share their enthusiasm as well as to examine the potential for growth and success.
86 Startups Reviewed/analyzed
Overall we had the pleasure to meet and discuss potential investments with 86 startups. These discussions were wide-ranging and covered a variety of topics, including: product/service, market size, team make-up with roles and responsibilities, types of traction, growth potential, investment options, possible partnerships and mentorship.
For many of the startups we spoke with, these discussions were a valuable opportunity for the founders and teams to receive feedback and guidance for them to further develop their vision.
Regardless of our assessments of their potential for investment or future success, by supporting and investing our time with these startups and team members, we want to foster innovation and drive positive change in Romania.
70+ Members in the Network!
We are pleased that we reached our goal of 70 members! Through efforts to engage and connect with people in our community, we were able to attract and retain a diverse group of members who share our vision and values.
As we look ahead to 2023, we are committed to growing and strengthening our investment community, reaching 120 members into the network. Thank you to all of our members for your support and contributions, and here’s to a bright future together!
Ecosystem Involvment
Our members were involved in a number of exciting ecosystem projects and events this year.
In April we were involved in the ROStartup Initiative, which seeks to foster a supportive ecosystem for startups in Romania.T.A.N. members joined the event to brainstorm and support their goal of providing pragmatic ideas to the government on the measures that could be taken to improve the ecosystem and angel investments. A whitepaper was delivered to the government after the event.
We were also involved in Techsylvania – one of the premier tech events in CEE, bringing world renowned entrepreneurs to Cluj from around the globe. T.A.N. participated for the 2nd year in a row by hosting a satellite event, with international speakers and guests.
Another important event was the How to Web conference, which brought together some of the most innovative and influential leaders in the tech ecosystem. T.A.N. was involved in the selection process for the grand prize winner, which received an investment of 350,000 euro.We were impressed by the high quality and variety of the startups that applied for the prize and pitched at the event; it was not an easy task to select the winner, Licenseware.
Education
One of the main goals of the Transylvania Angels Network group is to support angel investment education. We believe that knowledge is power, and that by providing access to information and resources, we can help our members make informed and strategic investment decisions.
To further this goal, we hosted educational angel investment webinars in 2022. Members gained insights into the process and strategies used by venture capitalists and angels. Among the topics were: how to evaluate and invest in startups, how venture capitalists work with their Limited Partners and their investments and what investing vehicles are most commonly used when investing in a startup. These webinars provided valuable insights and information and we were pleased to see such strong positive feedback from our members who attended.
We plan to host more educational webinars in 2023 to continue supporting the growth and development of our members as angel investors. Overall, we believe that supporting angel investment education is crucial for the success and sustainability of the startup ecosystem, and we are committed to playing a role in this effort.
Improvements
In 2022, we took a good step forward in streamlining our operations by creating a Catalog Resource for our T.A.N. members. This will allow our members to easily share their skills and services with the startups that we weekly discuss with, helping them to accelerate their growth.
We also made it a priority to improve the experience for our new members by creating an Onboarding Kit that provides them with all the information and resources they need to get started with us. This has helped to increase participation in the meetups and also connection between the members.
Lastly, T.A.N has introduced SPV creation as a service. This service is dedicated to T.A.N. investors empowering them to invest in a diversified portfolio of startups, lowering risk and costs, while hopefully increasing potential return. It provides the members with assistance in their investment management and regular reporting, as well as more flexibility and control over their investments.
In addition to those improvements, at the start of 2023 we will bring a new colleague into our administrative team. This will further increase our ability to efficiently manage the day to day operations.
In this new year we plan to introduce another benefit; access to all of the startups that we evaluate. This will give our members the ability to thoroughly review and evaluate potential investments that don’t get past the T.A.N. board’s filter to present at meetups.
Investments
Despite the fact that the past year has been marked by many challenges and uncertainties, which affected the investment landscape, T.A.N. members carefully chose to make some wise investments this year. They represent the strategic approach that our members take towards investing, especially during these uncertain times.
Overall, we believe that the focus on quality over quantity has helped our members to make wise investment decisions. We look forward to building on this foundation each year.
Licenseware – enabling companies reduce the costs, risks, and complexity associated with software license management
Voxa – a paid streaming service for audio books and ebooks, with Romanian and English content
Telios – the largest telemedicine company in Romania which delivers comprehensive, quality healthcare services to the clients of their B2B clients
StageMe – they empower online shops to deliver eCommerce video live streaming (main growth factor in the eCommerce space worldwide, recently adopted by AliBaba and Amazon)
Footprints – by using artificial intelligence and algorithmic automation it offers offline retail companies the possibility of converting anonymous traffic into profitable ones.
Codewell.ai – create digital employees that automate entire departments and take the customer experience to a whole new level.
Bookr – an app which allows clients to discover salons, groomers and stylists nearby and book appointments directly from their calendars
Goals for 2023
Increase the number of our members to 120; we plan to do this by actively recruiting new potential members using personal connections as well as various online channels.
Host more educational events; we aim to provide one relevant topic each quarter.
Expand the group's reach; we will continue to network with other angel groups and venture capital firms to increase the pool of potential investment opportunities.
Increase the group's visibility; we will build a strong online presence and participate in industry events to help the ecosystem while we increase the group's visibility, attracting new members and investment opportunities.
Increase the group's international reach; we consider joining international angel investment groups to connect, learn and to apply good practices within our network.
