Deepdive I – The Winning Team: How Investors Assess Startup Teams Beyond the Pitch

In startup investing, the team is often the most significant predictor of success or failure. Teams are still frequently assessed based on intuition and first impressions.

In this practical workshop, investors will explore what aspects of a founding team are worth assessing before making an investment decision. Differences between individuals, team dynamics, and decision-making style are directly linked to results, risk management and resilience under pressure.

The workshop provides investors with concrete tools:

• a clear and practical framework for assessing team risk and team potential
• real-life examples showing how team dynamics become visible in decision-making, execution and growth bottlenecks
• focused questions and observation points that can be applied directly in pitch situations, founder meetings and follow-up discussions

The workshop is led by Essi Karvonen, Psychologist, Senior Advisor and Partner at HRS Advisors. Essi brings a nuanced understanding of team dynamics and the effect of individual behaviors and interpersonal relationships within teams.

After this workshop, you’ll learn to see team risk and team potential more clearly and make investment decisions with confidence.

Participation requires a valid A’Pelago Initiative 2026 ticket and advance registration. Due to limited space (35 participants), A’Pelago reserves the right to select participants based on applications.

workshop by

HRS Advisors is A’Pelago's Business Partner providing recruitment, psychological assessment, and leadership development services, grounded in a strong understanding of human behavior at work.