Beata Klein
Beata is one of our Partners based in Berlin. She is especially passionate about B2B SaaS companies irrespective of industry and enjoys spending time with anything from Climate to Dev-tool founders.
I was born into a family that lives in the same place, running the same farm since the 17th century. Growing up outside Gothenburg, dreaming big meant pursuing a career at a large corporation, buying a house, driving a Volvo, and starting a family. But for some reason, I realized that maybe this wasn't the path for me. I decided to study engineering, learning to think about large problems, whilst at the same time going quite deep into certain technical subjects. I joined Tele2 in Kinnevik’s renowned Chief of Staff/Executive Trainee program working alongside senior execs early on in my career, eager to absorb how a large business is run. I learnt so much but also realized that the world of big telcos was not my long-term calling. Instead, I wanted to work with quite the opposite - companies starting from scratch and redefining innovation.
Gemma, Fred, Michelle and Beata in London
I moved to Vietnam to experience a culture the complete opposite of what I was used to, and co-founded a Vietnamese ed-tech startup. I saw first-hand that while the big picture may look quite easy from the sidelines, when you are in the thick of it, making actual decisions about your company, the day-to-day can be very far from that outward image. I also learned that the riskiest thing that any of us can spend is our time. That's the one thing we're never gonna get back - and so must be ruthlessly prioritized.
While Vietnam was adventurous, I missed the dark and cold weather of Sweden. I love wearing knitted polo sweaters. I love being outdoors, running, walking, hiking and skiing. I would never go on a warm vacation to just lie on a sun lounger. So naturally, I decided to move back to Sweden.
I analyzed the local startup landscape to find a company I would like to work for. As part of my research, I wanted to make sure that I knew the investors behind these companies as I had experienced firsthand what impact the right investor could have on the company and the founders’ journey. In virtually all of the companies I wanted to work for, the name Creandum crossed my path. I didn’t know them then, but it seemed that they were doing something right. I checked out their website and saw that they were looking for an analyst. And I applied.
Nick, Beata, Johan and Peter passing by
Being an investor is one of the most joyful and inspiring things I can think of doing. I derive immense joy from seeing someone improve and become the best version of their circumstances - be it within family, friends or at Creandum. Being a facilitator in that process is profoundly rewarding. From that first seed of an idea to something rooting and growing, that's what it is all about.
To this day, every stage in my life has been more or less one step after another. It's exciting to not know everything that's going to happen and be surprised by the interesting things that you can put on your list of things you've done in life when you look back.
Beata with Richa, CEO of Complyance
