aws Equity

With aws equity we support Austrian start-ups with venture capital - with the common goal to bring the idea to market maturity.

Fields of business

All

Size of the companies

At the time of investment: start-ups with

  • less than 50 FTE and
  • less than  EUR 10 million turnover

Development phase

  • Start-up phase: up to 6 years after foundation of the enterprise

Requirements

  • Company location is Austria.
  • The product is ready for the market.
  • The business model is scalable and has a recognizable customer benefit and proof of concept/proof of market.
  • Market size and market volume: The company has plausible growth prospects for the next 2-3 years.
  • The management team has relevant experience or training and is strong in implementation.
  • Silent participations: The company is already generating sales in its core business.

Success rate

1 - 3 %

Type of investment

Equity investments or silent partnerships with

  • flexible contract structures and
  • market conditions.

Amount of investment

  • Flexible – normally around EUR 500,000 up to EUR 5 million

Investment purpose

  • Market launch of an innovative product or an innovative service
  • Internationalization
  • Acquisition of new markets
  • Production transfer of R & D results
  • Sales Development
  • Investments in production facilities
  • Investments in working capital

Term

Up to 10 years

Payout

Flexible – as defined in the investment agreement

Cost

Share in the profit and/or the value of the enterprise as defined in the investment agreement

Additional support

No investment avaiable

  • Companies that are not based in Austria
  • Companies whose product is not yet ready for the market
  • Companies. whose business model is not scalable and has no identifiable customer benefit and no proof of concept/proof of market
  • Companies whose management has no relevant experience or training
  • Companies that - in the case of silent partnerships - still do not generate revenues in their core business

From first contact to exit

  1. Meet us: We invite you to share your plans with us. For preparation please send us
    • a short introduction of your company,
    • the shareholder structure,
    • the last two financial statements - if available,
    • your medium-term planning,
    • your capital requirements and
    • a plan for which you want to use the capital.
  2. Preliminary contract: Together we work out important cornerstones for our collaboration, which we include in a letter of intent.
  3. Due Diligence: Together with external experts, we analyze economic, legal and ecological aspects.
  4. Investment agreement: By signing, we begin our cooperation - based on shared goals, professionalism and partnership.
  5. Participation phase: We are always happy to advise you - without interfering with our daily business: with our first-class network, our market expertise and our funding and financing knowledge.
  6. Exit: After 10 years at the latest we retire – in close coordination with you. How? You can read this below under «Exit».

Duration of the Due Diligence

2 - 4 month

Exit

  • Silent Partnerships: Payback, in most cases beginning from year 3 of the term
  • Equity Investments: sale of the shares, in most cases to third parties
  • Other Scenarios: e.g. conversion to other financial instruments, merger, IPO