esi: Who are you, what do you do and what makes you an expert on your start-upcountry?
Sebastian: We are the Allianz Digital Accelerator, a team of corporate entrepreneurs – or intrapreneurs – working on developing new, exciting digital business models for Allianz, the biggest insurance company in the world. Our team is very diverse – from experienced Allianz managers to former start-up founders and serial entrepreneurs. As a team, we have a vast network within the entrepreneurial community in Germany, Europe and beyond. We are based in Germany where Allianz has its roots. We embrace this heritage, but want to create new value propositions on a global scale.
esi: What is cool about your start-upcountry, what inspires you and keeps you thriving?
Sebastian: We feel that financial services in general and insurance in particular are an “underdeveloped area” when it comes to innovation and the activities of unconventional, innovative start-up companies. At the same time, we are convinced that this is an area of untapped potential, which we are keen on venturing into. With backing by Allianz, its huge customer base and more than 120 years of insurance experience, we want to strongly support many people, teams, start-ups and companies to shape the insurance industry of the future with us. Germany is a great starting point for many start-ups with a vibrant start-up culture in Berlin and the economically strong Munich, home of leading corporations such as Allianz, BMW, Munich Re, Siemens or Infineon.
esi: What makes you shake your head about your start-upcountry, what needs to be improved?
Sebastian: Country borders play a much smaller role in the digital than in the physical world. But language barriers are just as difficult to overcome. If a European company starts with a new business model and has only one target country in mind, it will be unlikely to become big on a global scale. However, this national focus is typical for European – perhaps especially German – start-ups. We hope for more teams like Researchgate or Soundcloud which – while still “starting small” – have internationalization firmly set in their sight.
esi: What’s some cool fact we are likely not to know about your start-upcountry?
Sebastian: Berlin-based Rocket Internet is the world’s biggest company builder, having founded more than 100 companies in more than 50 countries in the past three years and with more than 30,000 employees in their portfolio companies. Cologne-born Munich resident Oliver Samwer is the world’s biggest single person fundraiser, having raised 1bn USD in 2012 and likely to raise up to 1.5bn USD in 2013.
esi: Thank you for the interview.
About the interviewpartner:
Before joining the Allianz Digital Accelerator, Dr. Sebastian Sieglerschmidt founded and managed his own e-commerce company backed by Rocket Internet and Holtzbrinck Ventures.
