David Kuczek

Describing his approach as generalist, but with an optic for heavy-hitting companies that can change the world, David has worked with HV on projects such as Urban Sports Club, Flixbus and Greator.

David was born in communist Poland in 1976. He moved to Freiburg in Germany when he was four. This stark cultural transition greatly impacted him. He learned to cherish entrepreneurial freedom and its infinite possibilities, while staying true to his origins. As with many former immigrants they were a permanent source of motivation in his entrepreneurial endeavours.

In the early ‘90s, David was influenced by his brother's obsession with computers. Instead of diving into science and information systems, David's interest was in the business side of things. He embarked on long-term studies, where he studied nightlife as intensely as economic theory. In early 2004 he worked on an MIT Sloan internal eLearning project. He taught himself programming, which he channeled towards several amateur social networking start-ups - none of them quite took off.

But his passion for the internet remained unbroken. It drove him to venture capital. He started off as an intern at HV capital in March 2005. For over a decade he shaped the German ‘Gründerszene’. David participated in HV Capital’s early investment in StudiVZ, Lieferheld and Westwing. Today, he led HV Capital’s investment in companies as varied as Flixbus, Vaha and Urban Sports Club.

David compares entrepreneurship to a marathon. ‘You have to remain patient but have a clear long-term goal’ he says.