SICTIC Business Angel of the Year 2024
Adrian Adank was recognised by SICTIC as Business Angel of the Year 2024, underlining his active role in the Swiss startup and angel investing ecosystem.
Read postSwiss venture investments, syndicates and board services
Backing founders where technology meets resolve.
Adank Ventures invests through established venture networks, selected syndicates and board work, bringing experience and a pragmatic entrepreneurial lens to ambitious companies.
Portfolio companies
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Active investments
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Exits
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Board mandates
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Investment view
Founder quality, trust and execution.
Adank Ventures invests beyond pure financial return. The focus is on founders with grit, selling power and the discipline to turn trust into scalable business. Strong ideas matter, but execution, focus and market access matter more.
Founders over credentials
Conviction starts with the people: resilience, commercial instinct, clarity and the ability to sell count more than academic polish.
Trust as a growth engine
The best companies build trust with customers, partners and investors. In a noisy market, trust can become a scalable advantage.
Execution beats theory
Especially in SaaS and technology businesses, defensibility often comes from focus, sales discipline and speed of execution rather than IP alone.
Swiss roots, international ambition
Adank Ventures looks for companies that can start from Switzerland but think beyond it early, with the ambition and pragmatism to scale internationally.
Behind Adank Ventures
A personal investment view matters.
Adank Ventures is the investment activity of Adrian Adank, shaped by entrepreneurial experience, board work and a long-term family office perspective. The focus is on technology-driven companies where capital, judgement and practical support can make a meaningful difference.
As a single family office, Adank Ventures invests with its own capital and a long horizon. Decisions are personal, selective and pragmatic: conviction matters, but so does the ability to be useful beyond the investment itself.
The monogram
The hand-drawn A stands for the Adank family name and for a single family office perspective: investing as sole owner, with responsibility beyond one generation. The flowing lines and two loops refer to infinity multiplied by infinity, a quiet expression of sustainability, continuity and work done for the next generation.
It is intentionally not perfectly symmetrical. That imperfection is part of the message: Adank Ventures is hands-on, pragmatic and guided by an 80/20 mindset. Progress, judgement and commitment matter more than polished perfection.
News
Selected personal milestones and portfolio highlights from the Adank Ventures network.
Swisspreneur podcast appearance
Adrian joined Swisspreneur for a conversation about entrepreneurship, investing and the Swiss startup ecosystem.
Read postFirst syndicate for the hypt Seed round
Adrian announced his first international syndicate for the Seed round of hypt. Milan Aircraft is the second syndicate currently being built.
Read postInvestment contact
Investment requests should go through the networks.
Adank Ventures does not operate as an open inbound investment office. Founders looking for funding should use the existing venture networks, syndicate platforms and co-investor channels where the investment process is already structured. Direct investment requests cannot be reviewed or answered due to limited resources.
Network approach
Curated routes create better decisions.
Network first
New opportunities should come through established networks such as SICTIC, Aare Ventures, Verve Ventures, LEVA or trusted co-investors. This creates context before a company is reviewed.
Structured process
Where a syndicate is appropriate, onboarding, KYC, signatures, pooling, investor communication and ongoing administration should run through a dedicated platform and deal manager.
No open inbox
Direct investment requests cannot be reviewed or answered due to limited resources. Founders should use the relevant network route instead of contacting Adank Ventures directly.
Syndicates
A syndicate gives selected co-investors access to a shared investment position while keeping legal structure, administration, communication and governance manageable.
What it is
One pooled position, multiple co-investors.
In a syndicate, several co-investors invest together through a simple partnership. The syndicate holds the shares as one pooled position, and each investor economically owns a proportional share of that syndicate based on the committed amount.
Legal structure
The deal manager represents the syndicate.
The deal manager represents the simple partnership towards the startup, coordinates shareholder matters and acts according to the signed syndicate documentation. This keeps the startup's cap table and communication more efficient.
Why it helps
Smaller tickets, cleaner execution.
The structure can make smaller tickets efficient, reduce cap table complexity for the company, and centralise investor communication, documents, follow-ons, votes and later distributions.
How to join a syndicate
The following steps describe the typical path for selected co-investors from invitation to closing and ongoing administration.
- InvitationSelected investors receive access to the platform or data room.
- Soft commitmentInvestors indicate non-binding interest and the desired amount.
- KYCIdentity, beneficial ownership and source of funds are checked before participation.
- ReviewDocuments, terms, risks and costs are reviewed by each investor independently.
- Hard commitmentThe final investment amount is confirmed.
- SignatureThe partnership agreement and related documents are signed digitally.
- PaymentInvestment amount and setup fee are transferred according to the instructions.
- ClosingFunds are pooled, shares are acquired and ongoing administration starts.
What the fees cover
The setup fee does not only cover account opening. It compensates the structure, coordination and administration required before closing and during the holding period.
Legal setup, syndicate documentation, digital onboarding, KYC and AML checks, investor data, data room, signatures and secure document handling.
Collection and pooling of funds, coordination of closing mechanics, share acquisition and the setup of the ongoing investor administration.
Setting up and coordinating the syndicate, aligning with the startup, platform, advisors and investors, and representing the syndicate as shareholder.
Investor communication, updates, documents, votes, follow-on rounds, exit coordination, distribution calculations and dissolution of the structure where needed.
Legal and investment note
Syndicates are by invitation and do not constitute investment advice, a public offer or a return guarantee. Each co-investor makes their own investment decision and accepts the illiquidity and total-loss risk typical for startup investments. The binding terms are always the signed transaction documents.
Mandates
Selected CFO and board mandates where Adank Ventures contributes operational judgement, governance experience and hands-on support.
Portfolio
A selection of direct investments, syndicates, board mandates and co-investments across the Adank Ventures network.