COMPANY PROFILE
At Mangrove we want to be involved in the great entrepreneurial journeys.
We believe that entrepreneurs are the real stars and spend our time traveling extensively across the globe looking for the next big thing. More than anything, we are smart cheerleaders. We recognize that being an entrepreneur is a lonely place and that the single most important thing is having supportive shareholders as you go through the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey.
We have had the privilege of being involved as early investors with such tremendous successes as Skype, Wix, Brands4Friends, and Nimbuzz. We have had the honour to be investors in four 'Unicorns' - Skype , Wix , WalkMe and LetGo - and we see many more in our growth portfolio.
I am the co-founder and CEO of Mangrove.
I grew up in Africa and Egypt, went to university in the US and have lived in Europe for 25 years, integrating values of ambition, humility and open-mindedness along the way.
I launched our firm in 2000 on the belief that talent is everywhere and that bold entrepreneurs should make more money than we do. This philosophy is imbedded in our firm’s DNA. I think entrepreneurs are the real stars and I spend my time traveling extensively across the globe looking for the next big thing.
I am interested in weird ideas. In fact, the weirder, the better. I engage with entrepreneurs who want to disrupt the norm and change the world. I am critical, direct and impatient, yet always supportive. I currently serve on the boards of FreedomPop, JobToday, and Wix (NASDAQ: WIX). I’ve had the privilege of being involved with Skype until the company was sold to eBay as well as being part of the Wix IPO, where I currently serve as the company’s Chairman.
I was named to the Forbes Midas List in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as one of the top 100 global deal makers in technology and have been selected on multiple occasions as one of the most influential persons in Luxembourg.
I spent the first 10 years of my professional life at Arthur Andersen, ultimately becoming a Partner in their business consulting practice before running their European venture capital fund. Meanwhile, I invested personally into several small businesses, tasting success when my brother took his company, the Frederick Brewing Company, public in 1997.
Passionate about Africa, cars, football and wine, Outside of Mangrove Capital, I sit on the boards of Galenicum, a leading European generic drug company and the Mangrove Foundation, a philanthropic organization.
I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida and speak English and French fluently.
Mark Tluszcz
Hans-Jürgen Schmitz
I am one of the co-founders of Mangrove. I grew up in Germany in an entrepreneurial family where I was exposed early on to the chances and challenges of running a business. Always inclined to eventually start my own company, I co-founded our firm in 2000 with Mark and Gerard. Complementarity in the team is something I consider key in every investment opportunity I look at. At Mangrove we live that philosophy day in day out.
At Mangrove I focus on the universe of marketplaces and e-commerce across Europe and emerging countries such as India and Indonesia. Recognizing that in these businesses solid execution skills from the outset are equally as crucial as entrepreneurial spirit and the ambition to build big businesses. I lead our investments in Spreets (sold to Yahoo), Brands4Friends (sold to eBay) and I currently look after Mangrove’s investments in Helpling, Outfittery and Storeking.
In 2010, I co-founded the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association whose founding chairman I have been until 2015. During that period the Association grew to 150 member organizations, including many of the top international private equity firms. I also represent the industry in consultative bodies advising the Luxembourg Government on strategic development of the alternative investment industry.
I attended the University of St. Gallen where I completed my studies in international banking and finance in 1989.Followed by the first decade of my career which I spent in various roles at Arthur Andersen.
While travelling extensively, I've called Luxembourg my family’s home for the last 25 years. In my spare time I fancy alpine skiing and mountaineering, and (m)any things vintage.
David Waroquier
I joined Mangrove Capital Partners in 2006 and became a Partner in the firm in 2011. I am open-minded and curious by nature and I enjoy travelling and discovering different cultures, which makes me keen on developing business connections in new and sometimes untapped geographies.
Back in 2006, I pioneered early-stage investment from Western VCs in Russia. Since then, I established Mangrove as the reference partner for Russia-based entrepreneurs and a recognized expert of the local Internet ecosystem for other investors and observers.
My sectors of interests revolve around consumer Internet and e-commerce across Europe, scouting for startups that involve essential shift or disruption in technology, business model or consumer behavior. I particularly enjoy being involved with founders who are passionate about their business and whose personality traits combine creativity, humility and ambition, all major components for future success. I currently serve on the boards of Lesara, KupiVIP, RedPoints, Synerscope and Enigma.
I started my career at Monsanto, where I made my first steps into the magic of innovation in the plant and animal science divisions. After that, as a Director, I have been managing the Supply Chain and Logistics business consulting practice, successively at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young. Before joining Mangrove, I led operations for 2 years at Lumension, one of Mangrove’s portfolio companies that we sold in 2014.
Together with my wife, I have a passion for adventurous travelling in remote and weird areas of the globe, where we can get close to local wildlife and culture and enjoy photography, one of my favorite hobbies. I also play the piano and keyboards, improvising songs with friends or with my three daughters. Outside of Mangrove Capital, I sit on the board of the Mangrove Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Luxembourg with supported projects in Africa and Asia.
I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Nautical Sciences from the Antwerp Maritime Academy and a Master in International Business and Management with high honors from the Brussels Management School. A Belgian national, I speak French, English, Dutch and German.
Roy Saar
I joined Mangrove Capital Partners in 2011.
Throughout my career, I have been involved in business creation around the globe, focusing on four continents and examining the world of technology from various perspectives.
In my 15 years of experience, I have acquired knowledge in various technologies, including software, IT services and Internet.
I founded and developed several start-up companies, taking leading roles such as business-angel, company vice president and entrepreneur. I bring corporate, start-up and investment experience to Mangrove, which helps me support our entrepreneurs during the first steps of their ventures, as well as protect their interest at later stages.
I strongly believe in out of the box thinking and a "no-bull" approach. I introduce investment opportunities to the Mangrove team only when I am intrigued by both a business idea and a unique founding team. I consider myself a hands-on investor and currently sit in the board of WalkMe, Wix and ProoV.
As a Partner at Mangrove, I’m looking for our next Unicorn company in the fields of: SaaS, Mobile, New media, Adtech, FinTech and Security.
I started my career as a Marketing Manager for an American Consumer Goods company and moved to focus in technology in the late 90s, when I co-founded Sphera Corporation, a company providing automation, provisioning, virtualization and management of Saas solutions to hosting companies and Telecoms. The company was acquired by Parallels in 2007. Later, I founded RFcell Technologies, an RF engineering company serving the wireless and cellular market and was involved in the foundation of Wix – a leading cloud-based web development platform company (NADSAQ: WIX)
I hold Bachelor's Degree in Economy & Administration from the Tel Aviv University.
Outside of work, I am involved in nonprofit initiatives in Africa (such as Malaria eradication project) and I am a City Council member and a volunteer Park Ranger.
I enjoy water sports (surfing, scuba diving and sailing), horseback riding and am an amateur numismatist.
Michael Rabinowicz
I am General Counsel at Mangrove, where I manage the firm's legal affairs and am responsible for the structuring, negotiation and execution of investments and exits. I also assist Mangrove’s investment professionals with portfolio management matters.
Prior to joining Mangrove, I was a Senior Associate in Baker & McKenzie’s Corporate Group in London, where I advised clients on domestic and cross-border private equity, M&A, joint venture and capital markets transactions. I also spent eight months on secondment to the Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets division of the Macquarie Funds Group as legal counsel, where I advised on private equity transactions in the infrastructure and energy sectors.
I grew up in Sweden and the United Kingdom and have also studied or worked in the United States, Germany, Israel and Hong Kong. I have, therefore, always had an international outlook and a belief that transcending national boundaries is not only often critical to business success, but also tremendous fun. I am, therefore, excited to be part of a team at Mangrove that is multi-cultural, open-minded and always dedicated to finding the best investment opportunities, whether in the more mature markets of Western Europe or in emerging markets such as Russia and Israel.
I am admitted as a Solicitor of the Superior Courts of England and Wales and hold a BA in International Relations and German (magna cum laude) from Tufts University and an MA in Law from the University of Bristol.
I speak English, Swedish and German and live in Luxembourg with my wife and two children.
Willibrord Ehses
I am a Partner and the Chief Financial Officer at Mangrove, where I am responsible for finance, operations, compliance, administration and investor relations. I currently sit on the boards of various Mangrove investment and management entities.
After the Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) Directive was transposed into Luxembourg law in July 2013, I put in place the organizational structures, procedures and policies that allowed Mangrove to become one of the first authorized AIFMs in Luxembourg in mid-2014. Since then, I have also served as Mangrove's conducting officer for the key areas of Compliance & Legal, Risk Management, Valuation and Finance.
I also happen to be fascinated by disruptive ideas that can make a difference to the way we live and change our future. I, therefore, enjoy supporting and advising our founders and their start-ups and have occasionally served as an active board member or as interim CFO for our portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Mangrove in 2002, I spent 15 years as an auditor at Arthur Andersen in its Frankfurt (Germany) and Luxembourg practices. As a Wirtschaftsprüfer (Certified Public Accountant), Steuerberater (German Tax Adviser) and Expert Comptable (Luxembourg Registered Accountant), I audited and consulted for medium and large size international companies and also gained significant experience in M&A transactions, corporate valuations and company turnarounds.
Outside of Mangrove, I serve as a non-executive member of the board of BMW i Ventures and Compliance Partners S.A. and as a member of the “Valuation & Accounting” working group of the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LPEA).
Coming from a wine making family, I am passionate about wine and my own vineyard. I spend most of my free time with my family and playing various sports. I live with my wife and two children in Germany.
I hold a Diploma in Business Administration (Finance, Audit and Tax) from the University of Applied Sciences of Trier.
Nikolas Krawinkel
I am a Principal at Mangrove, where I seek out start-up teams with transformative business ideas, global ambitions and an impatient drive to succeed. I firmly believe that the most successful business models are those that open up new markets (whether by reducing product complexity, increasing product affordability or both) rather than those that incrementally improve upon existing offerings. My primary sector focus is consumer internet and market places, where I am able to leverage my earlier experience running and advising e-commerce businesses, but I also have a keen interest in mobile and SaaS.
I started my career as a management consultant in the Deutsche Telecom group, where I advised global companies on business development, restructurings and IT infrastructure projects. Next, I served as Asia representative of Rebate Networks, an e-commerce incubator and investment vehicle, before co-founding and running an online drugstore based out of Germany.
Prior to joining Mangrove in 2015, I spent two years as Managing Director of Glossybox, a beauty discovery e-commerce platform.
During my time at Glossybox, I accelerated revenue growth, drove international expansion and, through a series of restructuring steps, brought the company to profitability.
I was born and raised in Germany, but have studied and worked all over the world, including in China, Argentina, the United States, the UK and Southeast Asia.
I hold an M.B.A. from London Business School and UC Berkeley as well as a Diploma in Business Administration from European Business School (Östrich-Winkel).
Yannick Oswald
I am a Principal at Mangrove, where I focus on consumer applications and brands as well as B2C and B2B SaaS businesses and marketplaces. Above all, I like working from an early stage with driven entrepreneurs who want to take over the world by offering a frictionless customer experience combined with an innovative business model and a vision to leverage mass format changes such as mobile, AR, audio and voice. I am particularly passionate about finding opportunities at the underexplored “edges” of the venture market, be they geographic or demographic. I currently serve as a board member of Sybel, Safe365, Attentive.us, Echobox and as a board observer at RedPoints, Flo, GetAlbert.
I began my career working as an VC analyst with FJ Labs in New York, where I focused on angel and seed stage ventures. Back in Europe, I founded a B2B SaaS start-up that digitizes the mobile communication flow between the various stakeholders of the investment fund industry. Next, I joined the strategy team of BIL, the oldest and second largest bank in Luxembourg, where I worked on the development and execution of the group’s global strategy across all business lines and geographies. I joined Mangrove in 2015 and in early 2017 launched the Europe’s Female Founders community, a series of meet-ups and office hours across Europe designed to build a community to support the next generation of female tech stars.
I am a member of the Society of Kauffman Fellows (Class 23), a global network of venture capital professionals in leading firms around the world, and of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Shapers. I hold an MSc in Business Engineering from Solvay Business School in Brussels, Belgium, and spent a year studying at Universidad de San Andrés in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I am fluent in English, French, German, Spanish and Luxembourgish. In my spare time, I kitesurf, play tennis, run and snowboard.