FLORIAN GSCHWANDTNER

Florian Gschwandtner stands as a prominent figure in the European tech and investment landscape, currently serving as a Partner at 8eyes GmbH. This firm acts as his primary investment vehicle, through which he channels his extensive expertise and capital into promising early-stage technology companies. His journey from a visionary entrepreneur to a strategic investor is marked by significant achievements and a deep understanding of scaling successful digital businesses.

Gschwandtner is perhaps best known as the co-founder of Runtastic, a groundbreaking fitness app that revolutionized how millions tracked their health and workouts. Under his leadership, Runtastic grew from a startup into a global phenomenon, eventually being acquired by Adidas in 2015. This monumental success provided him with firsthand experience in product development, market penetration, team building, and navigating the complexities of a major acquisition. His transition from an operational role to an investment capacity was a natural progression, driven by a desire to empower the next generation of founders.

At 8eyes GmbH, Florian Gschwandtner's investment focus is broad yet strategic, primarily targeting early-stage technology ventures. He has a keen interest in sectors such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), consumer technology, e-commerce, health and fitness technology, mobility, and education technology. His investment philosophy often involves not just providing capital but also offering mentorship and leveraging his vast network to help portfolio companies achieve their growth ambitions. He is particularly active in the DACH region, supporting local innovation.

His career background as a founder gives him a unique perspective, allowing him to identify scalable business models and resilient founding teams. Florian Gschwandtner's notable investments and advisory roles include companies like Tractive, a leading pet GPS tracker company; Storyblok, a headless CMS platform; Byrd, an e-commerce fulfillment solution; refurbed, a marketplace for refurbished electronics; and GoStudent, an online tutoring platform. These investments reflect his commitment to backing innovative solutions that address real-world problems and have strong market potential. Through 8eyes GmbH, Florian Gschwandtner continues to shape the future of technology by investing in and nurturing the startups that will define tomorrow's digital economy.