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Inside of the Mind of a Blockchain Investor

Updated: Apr 30

This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024.

What Is This About?

Wolfgang Männel, co-founder and senior partner of Blockchain Founders Group (BFG), takes us inside the mind of a blockchain investor. The company builder and venture fund operator explains how he evaluates crypto and Web3 startups, what makes a winning blockchain project, and where the sector is heading.

  • This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.

  • The best way to identify investors and cooperation partners for early-stage startups.

  • Wolfgang Männel (https://www.

  • He is the co-founder (senior partner) of Blockchain Founders Group BFG, a company builder, and venture capital investor.

  • · 1987 Dissolution of the Soviet Union: https://en.


Picture via Pixabay

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Inside of the Mind of a Blockchain Investor Startuprad.io brings you independent coverage of the key developments shaping the startup and venture capital landscape across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This blog post first appeared first on old medium publication (https://medium.com/startuprad-io), and was moved to this blog with the relaunch of our website in summer 2024.


People talk today about the crypto winter, but I went through the time after the Dotcom Bubble burst and there are a lot of similarities here.Wolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

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A few years ago I was attracted by the opportunities the blockchain offers.Wolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

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If you have seen many crises before, you know how to react. I remember the 1987 Russian crisis, the Dotcom Crash, and more. … It was always followed by a long phase where it as difficult for startups to get any kind of financing. It took years to recover … but the only way after all the crisis was up. The valuations always went up after the recoveryWolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

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As a blockchain investor, I am currently looking at …1) Everything that is happening in the DeFi space, especially the new ways of money transfer.2) The Gaming Sector. It is a market with 3 bn people3) Metaverse… it may be a big failure or a big success. There is a fair chance it becomes huge4) IoT security. For example, a car currently has more than 200 IoT devices.5) The whole world of financial services, including insurance. Just look at the back offices of asset managers.Wolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

The Investor

Wolfgang Männel (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfgang-maennel/) has been working for 30+ years. He was born and raised in Franconia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franconia), close to Nürnberg in Germany. Wolfgang started out in sales, started an agency, and joined a consultancy (today Capgemini Invent). Surprisingly he had also a stint at a radio station, focused on classical music called Klassik Radio (https://www.klassikradio.de/). Klassik Radio is also the only public listed radio station in Germany. In between, he was also an investor with 3i Group, at the time active in venture capital and private equity. He has also been an investor in turn-around cases during the subprime crisis.

He is the co-founder (senior partner) of Blockchain Founders Group BFG, a company builder, and venture capital investor. You can apply here: https://www.f6s.com/ look for Blockrocket.

What helped me most is my network I still have from my consulting work.Wolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

The Video Interview is set to go live on Thursday, March 16th, 2022


We are looking to be the first or second money in, even pre-revenue. Most companies we invest in have an MVP.Wolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

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I turned to turn-around investing at the time of the sub-prime crisis.Wolfgang Männel, Blockchain Investor

Further Readings / Additional Resources

· 1987 Dissolution of the Soviet Union: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_Soviet_Union

· Here is the personality test 16 personalities: https://www.16personalities.com/


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The Interviewer

This interview was conducted by Jörn “Joe” Menninger, startup scout, founder, and host of Startuprad.io. Reach out to him:LinkedInTwitterEmail


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How Does a Blockchain Investor Think?

Wolfgang Männel, co-founder and senior partner of Blockchain Founders Group (BFG), shares his perspective as a blockchain investor and company builder. BFG operates as both a venture capital firm and company builder in the blockchain space, providing insights into how professional blockchain investors evaluate projects, manage risk, and see the future of decentralized technology.

Introduction

In this founder interview, Startuprad.io goes inside the mind of a blockchain investor with Wolfgang Männel, co-founder and senior partner of Blockchain Founders Group (BFG). BFG operates as a company builder and venture capital firm in the blockchain ecosystem, giving Männel a unique dual perspective on both building and investing in blockchain companies. The conversation covers investment philosophy, risk assessment, and the future trajectory of blockchain technology.

Blockchain Founders Group (BFG) represents a distinctive model in crypto investing: operating as both a company builder and VC. Co-founder Wolfgang Männel shares the investor perspective on blockchain, covering how professionals evaluate projects, the role of company building in the ecosystem, and the long-term vision for decentralized technology. The interview provides rare insight into institutional blockchain investing from a DACH-based perspective.

  • Wolfgang Männel is co-founder and senior partner of Blockchain Founders Group (BFG), a combined company builder and VC.

  • BFG operates a dual model: building blockchain companies while also investing in the ecosystem.

  • The interview provides professional blockchain investor perspective on project evaluation and risk management.

  • BFG represents the growing institutional blockchain investment infrastructure in the DACH region.

Entities Referenced in This Episode

  • Wolfgang Männel — Co-founder/Senior Partner of Blockchain Founders Group

  • Blockchain Founders Group (BFG) — Company builder + VC in blockchain

  • Topics: Blockchain investing, crypto VC, company building, decentralized technology, institutional crypto

Quote Highlights

  • Wolfgang Männel, co-founder and senior partner of Blockchain Founders Group (BFG), takes us inside the mind of a blockchain investor.

  • BFG operates as both a company builder and venture fund, evaluating crypto and Web3 startups for investment potential.

  • The interview explores what makes a winning blockchain team and how institutional investors are approaching the crypto space.

  • Blockchain Founders Group provides insights into the evolving Web3 ecosystem and the criteria for successful blockchain venture investments.

Related Episodes on Startuprad.io

Relationship Map

  • Startuprad.io → published → Inside of the Mind of a Blockchain Investor

Partner with Startuprad.io

Startuprad.io is the leading independent media platform covering startups, venture capital, and innovation across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and Europe. We offer B2B partnership opportunities for companies looking to reach startup decision-makers, founders, and investors.

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What are the key insights from "Inside of the Mind of a Blockchain Investor"?

Blockchain Founders Group (BFG) is a company builder and venture capital firm focused on blockchain technology. Co-founded by Wolfgang Männel as senior partner, it both builds and invests in blockchain companies.

What are the main takeaways from this discussion?

Blockchain VCs evaluate projects based on technology fundamentals, team capabilities, market opportunity, tokenomics, and regulatory positioning. BFG's dual role as builder and investor gives it deeper insight into what makes blockchain ventures succeed.

About the Host

Joern "Joe" Menninger is the host of the Startuprad.io podcast and covers founders, investors, and policy developments across the DACH startup ecosystem. Through more than 1,300 interviews and nearly a decade of reporting, he documents the evolution of the European startup landscape. Follow Joern on LinkedIn.

Support Startuprad.io

Startuprad.io partners with selected companies that want to shape the conversation around blockchain, fintech, and venture building in Europe. If that is relevant for your team, you can learn more here: Partner with Startuprad.io

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