Luca Eisenstecken

For me, an investment is primarily about the people involved. I do not care about where the founders are from or what logos are on their resume. In the end above it all, I care about developing a deep personal relationship, connection and trust. Founders must have a passion for what they do, they must live and breathe their business, they must have grit and determination, and hustle and humbleness - but most of all, they must be good people who we can forge a true partnership with.  

I grew up in a German-Italian family in Germany.

I was born and raised in Germany in a half immigrant family. My mom came to Germany from Southern Italy in her teenage years when her dad immigrated as part of the German government program to rebuild after WW2.

Working where others vacation is not as romantic & glamorous as it may seem.

Having majored in hospitality management for my Bachelor’s degree, I realised during one of my corporate finance classes how little I knew about how businesses actually work, especially on the financing side. At that moment, I decided to go to San Francisco in 2013 to pursue my Master’s degree, and I majored in Corporate Finance there.

Recognising your own weaknesses, and seeking help correcting them, is a vital part of being a successful founder.

Admit when you need help and do not be too proud to seek it - I have learned that lesson many times, often the hard way. 

As soon as I made it to SF, I knew I wanted a career combining tech and finance.

Based on that, I started my career in technology investment banking in San Francisco, advising lower mid market companies on M&A and capital raises. I wanted to be more involved longer term and be a partner rather than advising on a project basis, so I joined Vector Capital,  a value driven global technology private equity firm based in San Francisco, and spent 2 years in their investment team. There I was focused on sourcing and evaluating enterprise software investment opportunities, which mainly were leveraged buyouts.  

I properly switch off while traveling.

A road trip on dirt roads without cell phone reception & sleeping in a tent randomly pitched along the way beats a tropical beach vacation for me most days of the year - although I still do love the latter, which is more compatible with my wife and little son, and traveling in general.

My taste of music is most often characterised as “unique”.

I am a passionate metal fan, especially technical death metal, and I have a small collection of electric guitars that I have been playing for over two decades. I idolise Metallica, and have been trying to acquire the rhythm guitar skills of James Hetfield and lead guitar skills of Kirk Hammett but have failed miserably on both counts so far.