New b-to-v Executive Chairman and new b-to-v office in Berlin

During his career and various senior management positions in the publishing sector and also in other industries, Jochen Gutbrod the new Executive chairman of b-to-v has successfully introduced the concept of online business models to traditional publishing houses. And he earned himself a reputation in the market for his involvement in different prospering investments in a number of successful start-ups such as Brands4friends, Search Metrix, StudiVZ and Zalando. Since May 2010, Gutbrod is CEO of Raffay Group and also responsible for the activities of the group's venture arm, RI Digital Ventures. Raffay's digital venture portfolio is large and comprises companies such as Auctionata, BlackLane, StudiTemps, and Westwing.

Since 2011, Gutbrod is actively engaged in the b-to-v Circle of Investors. "Jochen Gutbrod is one of the most active venture capital investors in Europe. He has initiated and inspired the digitization of the business of numerous traditional companies. And he has an exceptional sensitivity for disruptive elements and changes in markets. After a number of joint investments, it is an honour for us that Jochen has agreed to become our Executive Chairman. His experience and skills will further strengthen the b-to-v funds and the b-to-v investor network and make us even more effective" said Florian Schweitzer, co-founder and partner of b-to-v. Jochen Gutbrod added: "For over a decade, b-to-v has combined venture capital expertise with the extraordinary capabilities of the members of Europe's leading investor network. b-to-v's approach is unique and different from traditional venture capital companies: b-to-v does not only manage funds, but also leverages the skills of the members of the b-to-v investor network systematically, i.e. in terms of the selection of investments, and in terms of supporting the portfolio companies on an ongoing basis. Both investors and founders of companies benefit from this strategy. I am very happy to help shape the future of b-to-v."

New office in Berlin
Regarding the new office in Berlin Florian Schweitzer comments: "Berlin has become one of the most successful start-up hubs in Europe with an ecosystem that fuels and strengthens its growth. There are only few places in the world which allow founders to scale their start-ups internationally, and Berlin is certainly one of the hottest spots right now. Take one of our portfolio companies, the Berlin-based chauffeur service Blacklane, for instance. Blacklane's team has managed to expand its business dramatically and, within 100 days, make its services available in 100 cities world-wide." Jochen Gutbrod adds: "The new office increases our visibility and allows us to be even more active in the German market, which we believe is important because the process of digitization, which has taken place in the publishing industry and in commerce over the past 15 years, is still to begin in many other industries. Start-ups bring innovation and flexibility to large entreprises which the latter require for their competitive strength and survival in the future. We want to bring both sides together on an ongoing basis."