Munich Startup: What motivated you to start the company?
Jade Robinson: Born and raised in South Africa, I witnessed my father build and scale his own company at an early age—this sparked my interest in entrepreneurship. My professional experience at Amazon further solidified this desire. Watching Jeff Bezos build a generational company from an idea showed me what's possible with the right mix of vision, execution, and perseverance. Overall, though, I simply love being in charge of my own destiny, decisions, and actions. I value the flexibility that entrepreneurship brings, as well as the opportunity to positively impact others.
Munich Startup: What would you have liked to have known before starting your first business?
Jade Robinson: That you shouldn't take the opinions and advice of others, especially VCs, too seriously, but weigh them up and ultimately trust your own mind to make the final decision.
Munich Startup: How has your company been financed so far?
Jade Robinson: We've paid for a lot of things ourselves so far and won small prizes worth a few thousand euros, but we'll soon be receiving funding from the Exist-FT scholarship. This support will sustain us for the next two years, hopefully starting September 1st.
Munich Startup: When and where do you get the best ideas?
Jade Robinson: My best ideas actually come to me in my dreams—even if they're usually science fiction novels rather than business ideas. Business ideas tend to arise when I see a real problem, especially one that annoys me or moves me emotionally.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Jade Robinson:
- Tea with milk and sugar
- Notion
- ChatGPT
Munich Startup: Your top tip on the topic “Pitching”?
Jade Robinson: Practice, practice, practice. I always memorize my pitch so that on the day itself, no matter what happens, I know I can deliver it.
Munich Startup: Does this seem like a good time to start a business? Why?
Jade Robinson: Yes, I think it's a great time to start a business because we're currently on the recovery side of the post-COVID slump in startup funding. There's also a lot of attention surrounding new technologies like AI and quantum computing. There are also many programs that support founders with networking, business development, and fundraising.
Munich Startup: Which technology or industry would you focus on for your next startup?
Jade Robinson: I would love to start a startup in the field of femtech or women's empowerment. I would be most excited to establish a non-profit organization that helps women in need.
Munich Startup: In your opinion, what could be improved at the Munich startup location?
Jade Robinson:
- Expanding early-stage financing – through both public and private programs – to support financing rounds below €10 million.
- Strengthening digital administrative services specifically tailored to entrepreneurs and reducing bureaucratic hurdles when starting and running a business.
- Promoting diversity through active support of founders with a migration background – for example through networks and equity financing.
Munich Startup: Which founder would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask them?
Jade Robinson: There are too many! But probably Jeff Bezos, because his formula for innovation and building a strong corporate culture is, in my opinion, unmatched.
