Munich Startup: What motivated you to start the company?
Anne Connelly: I had a fantastic career at renowned companies like Pioneer Investments (now Amundi) and Morningstar. When I started my dream job as Managing Director of Morningstar Germany, it was clear to me that I could only do something on my own afterward. What I would do has matured over time. I observed that too many women didn't take care of their money and often blindly trusted their partners, sometimes with drastic consequences. I wanted to change that and founded Hermoney.
Munich Startup: What would you have liked to have known before starting your first business?
Anne Connelly: What value a co-founder can have in complementing one's own skill set.
Munich Startup: How has your company been financed so far?
Anne Connelly: I founded the company with my own money and financed it from cash flow. As we expanded our product range, we Business Angels added.
“Always be open to a conversation, it could be worth a lot of money!”
Munich Startup: When and where do you get the best ideas?
Anne Connelly: Sunday morning at my kitchen table.
Munich Startup: What are your 3 favorite work tools?
Anne Connelly: Slack, Zoom and LinkedIn.
Munich Startup: Your top tip on pitching?
Anne Connelly: Always be open to a conversation, it could be worth a lot of money!
Munich Startup: Does this seem like a good time to start a business? Why?
Anne Connelly: There's always a good time for a good idea. Today, people are taking a closer look, and not every idea is simply funded without intensively questioning the business model. That's a good thing.
Munich Startup: Which technology or industry would you focus on for your next startup?
Anne Connelly: I would stay in my area because I know it best.
Anne Connelly: More space for social impact business
Munich Startup: In your opinion, what could be improved at the Munich startup location?
Anne Connelly: There should be more space for social impact businesses so that these companies have time to become sustainably profitable.
Munich Startup: Which founder would you like to meet in person? And what would you ask them?
Anne Connelly: Philipp Westermeyer of OMR. How did he successfully build a modern media brand?
