Andrew Romans
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Andrew Romans

General Partner, The Founders Club
www.Founders-Club.com
Palo Alto, California, United States United states
Business owner, Investor
Member since October 12, 2009
VEQ: NW-FR-NS
About Andrew
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I am a(n):

Entrepreneur

Companies I've founded or co-founded:

The Founders Club, Georgetown Venture Partners, The Global TeleExchange (The GTX)

Companies I've invested in:

Founders Club, Vinswer, Feefo, Comedy Blaze

Startups I worked for:

Motive Communications, Sentito Networks

If you are an entrepreneur, why?

When I hear a great idea I see the mountain. I never recovered from going from my bedroom into 18k square foot office with GTX

My favorite startups:

The Founders Club, Vinswer, BioMedix, Smeet, Lysanda, YCD Multimedia, Covagen, Trevena, Pieris Pharma, Chroma TX, Sensimed

What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?

Frustrating: The fear of investors, prospective employees & partners. They should not be so afraid. The loss of time with someone who does not make a move.

Rewarding: the buzz and the growth. It feels like it matters. "Into the great wide open...the sky is the limit"

What's the No. 1 mistake entrepreneurs make?

Failure to recruit the best people to join their team and board. It's all team, baby.

What are the top three lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur?

1) Solid strategy
2) Good team
3) Correct decision on how to allocate time

Full bio
  • Angel investor, former non-exec on 15+ tech boards
  • Venture Capital valuation expert experienced on VC deal terms, conditions, negotiations
  • Preeminent network of VCs focused on the US, Europe & Israel
  • Unique network of serial entrepreneurs
  • Founder & President of The Global TeleExchange (The GTX), a $100M telecom VoIP venture
  • Technical, co-founded UNIX systems administration outsourcing business in Silicon Valley and NYC
  • Managing Director EMEA VC backed VoIP software and equipment vendor – Sentito Networks (acquired by Verso Technologies)
  • Negotiated complex agreements for fiber optic network build for Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina during I-FOR stage of conflict during 1990's
  • Fluent in English, French and German, conversant in Czech and Slovak
  • BA in Politics, French and German literature from the University of Vermont, Duke University, Freie Universität Berlin & Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, MBA in Finance from Georgetown University completed on scholarship
  • International, born in Japan, grew up in New Jersey and Paris, studied and worked outside of the US for over 15 years: Tokyo, London, Paris, Berlin, Geneva, Bratislava, NYC, DC and now Silicon Valley
  • Dual national holding American and British / EU / Commonwealth passports
  • Charity, cofounder and Trustee Founders Foundation, Children's Charity Venture Capital Fund

Investor interests
Credentials Accredited Investor