Is the European climate for early-stage start-ups improving again? After the European fundraising ecosystem was somewhat more cautious in the years following the corona boom, the question is: how is it currently developing?  Fabian meets George Robson, Partner at Sequoia Capital, probably the best-known venture capital fund in the world.  Together they talk about financing start-ups with high capital requirements, the fine line between optimistic vision and realism when pitching and the right approach to investors like Sequoia Capital. What you learn: Which investor should you seek for your startup if you're building more of a cash-heavy business? Market assessment: Are consumer products making a comeback? Sequoia Capital: How does Sequoia invest and what does the company value in founders? How much storytelling in the pitch is good and when does it become too much? How important is the warm intro really and what chances do you have with cold outreach to investors? Here you can find tickets for MERGE: https://merge.berlin  Don't forget to use the code UNICORN for 30% off. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery       George Robson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgerobson   Sequoia: https://www.sequoiacap.com/   Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S         Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) Is the European fundraising ecosystem waking up again? (00:04:21) How do I approach investors if I'm building a startup that combines hardware and software instead of the usual b2b SaaS startup? (00:07:12) What investor am I looking for if I'm a cash-heavy business? (00:11:40) How does investing at Sequoia work? (00:14:20) Are consumer products experiencing a comeback? (00:18:15) When it comes to pitching, where is the fine line between storytelling and "being too much"? (00:23:45) How to get in touch with Sequoia?