Vita

Hi, I’m Frank.

European serial founder, technology investor and bestselling author. I love innovation and believe we can build a great future.

Since 1994 I have founded and led technology- and design-driven companies. Today I invest in disruptive technologies through Freigeist and TEQ Capital and try to inspire as many people as possible to love innovation.

Frank Thelen
Profile

Five roles, one conviction

Founder

Softer Solutions, twisd, ip.labs, doo

I have been building companies since 1994. With ip.labs I built the global market leader for online photo-service software and sold it to Fujifilm.

Investor

Freigeist, TEQ Capital

With Freigeist I back outstanding European minds building disruptive technology companies. At TEQ Capital we translate our VC approach to the public markets.

TV

DHDL, Markus Lanz, Maischberger

As a judge on the prime-time show “Die Höhle der Löwen" (Shark Tank) I became known to a broad audience and regularly discuss technology & innovation on talk shows.

Author

Startup-DNA, 10xDNA

In my books “Startup-DNA" and “10xDNA – The Mindset of the Future" I share how the right mindset lets us seize exponential opportunities.

Speaker

f.ounders, OMR, Bits & Pretzels

On Europe’s biggest stages I speak about frontier technologies, Europe as a location and the mindset we need now.

Track record

The journey as a founder

1994–2004

Softer Solutions, Create Media & twisd

Frank founded his first company at 18. Multimedia CD-ROMs followed, some of Germany’s first major websites, and with twisd a Linux-based internet router. twisd prepared for IPO but had to file for insolvency during the dotcom crash.

2004–2011

ip.labs

ip.labs develops and licenses an online photo-service platform. After five years and 100M+ users it became the global market leader. Fujifilm acquired it in 2008 — management held 100% of the shares at the time of sale.

2011–2013

doo

doo raised USD 10M. Its AI-centric “document app" won awards including Apple’s “App of the Year" and Microsoft’s “Innovate 4 Society Award".

since 2013

Freigeist & TEQ Capital

Frank founded Freigeist to back European tech founders early — including Lilium, Xentral, RobCo and Kraftblock. With TEQ Capital (10xDNA strategy) he brings the venture approach to public markets.

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