Christian Magel is the founder of Boston-based Venture Lane, a curated startup hub which houses up to 25 early-stage tech companies between two and 15 employees.
Magel is an international startup veteran, business angel and go-to-market expert who cut his entrepreneurial teeth in Europe and Australia. He was the co-founder of amaysim, an Australian telecommunication company where he served as chief marketing office and executive director. Magel helped grow amaysim to and beyond IPO, and the company became Australia’s largest mobile virtual network operator (MNVO).
Prior to amaysim, Magel was co-founder and chief marketing officer of simyo, a customer-centric challenger brand in the European mobile provider space that became the world’s largest online-based MVNO. Magel helped lead simyo to a successful exit to E-Plus, a subsidiary of KPN (Royal Dutch Telecom) in 2007. Prior to that, Magel was European marketing director at Letsbuyit.com; he has also held senior marketing positions at ProSieben Digital Media, Entertainment Media Verlag and Club RTL.
Since founding Venture Lane in 2018, Magel has quickly become an active member of this Boston tech community. Recently, with so much uncertainty surrounding the economic impact of Covid-19, Magel decided to open up Venture Land’s typically member-only content and deployed a successful digital events series for Boston startups.
Boston Speaks Up · 045: Venture Lane Founder Christian Magel
Pre-podcast quick Q&A below:
Where did you grow up?
Munich, Germany
What word best sums up your childhood?
Freedom
What is the first career you remember wanting to pursue?
Professional soccer player for Bayern Munich
When did you move to Boston?
2017
What brought you to Boston?
I married a Boston girl 20 years ago
What do you miss most about Germany?
The sense of social responsibility and a sane government
What word best encapsulates why you found your passion in entrepreneurship?
Change, creation and freedom
This year you started Candid Company as a bi-annual invite-only networking dinner which brings together 100 of Boston’s best and brightest tech entrepreneurs for thought-provoking conversations. How is this event changing in light of COVID-19?
Experimenting with virtual versions of bringing people together
How would you describe the challenge of working and parenting during the pandemic?
With older kids: be emotionally supportive
You spent much of your career innovating in the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) space. What do you enjoy most about that market?
Having been able to facilitate a long-lasting structural change in a huge market that touches millions of lives
What’s your number one tip for founders?
Be intentional, focus
Where were you when you were struck with the idea for Venture Lane?
On a yoga mat
Venture Lane has a really novel curated members model. Where does your model derive from?
Wanted to create the best home an early stage startup can have
What are you looking for in companies to join Venture Lane?
Traction, growth, big market, collaborative nature of founders and teams
Why does Venture Lane focus primarily on software companies?
That’s what we are good at
Venture Lane is well gender-balanced and diverse: 39% of member CEOs are women; and 38% of members are international. How does this diversity benefit members?
A more balanced, collaborative home for teams
Your members have raised more than $28 million in funding, and generated $20 million in annual recurring revenues. What Venture Lane accomplishment are you most proud of?
Forming a support system with impact
How would you describe Venture Lane’s pivot to digital events during the pandemic?
Fast and impactful
Venture Lane just recently conducted a survey with Boston early stage startups on how they deal with COVID-19. What were the main findings?
Early stage companies are actually handling the crisis well so far
What makes Boston a great city for you to build Venture Lane?
A unique ecosystem of talent, ideas, expertise, give-first attitude paired with humbleness
What would you change about Boston?
Be more daring and embracing joy
Fill in the blank. The future of Boston is…
Much better than many think
What would you change about the world? I.E., What problem facing the world would you most like to see solved?
Inequality / the fair chance to live a livable life
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