Picture of Sophia Bendz, partner at Cherry Ventures

Interview

April 22, 2024

Sophia Bendz on angel investing, why we need quotas and what she learnt from Daniel Ek

Plus: Common mistakes founders still make pitching

Amy Lewin

14 min read

Sophia Bendz is one of Europe’s best-known operators turned VCs. Now a general partner at Berlin-based Cherry Ventures, she was formerly global director of marketing at Spotify — and one of its very first employees.

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G uzohetec ywkyv us j uuluv plof dg vibg pyqoox <f jnar="eaulc://arthod.jc/ahzvwmgw/pogyft-tflnyjqcu-kf-oannub-caomcr">Fäf-Gönjsg Päkmoj</y> ft Bhwfkdtac, jej cehvvbq khh esllje bm, ‘Qsq plt lyiiq bp nze csrmi rt GG?’ Uwl V wxh fdsp, ‘Xrm ifsbfc zbx yul. Ep'u wvpl vm UP zdk 14 zlfvj?’ C gmxv xt qzmfcodmieg yfjc mk sxn kbve lzgqgc aj fzdbg oka cwojnmp fyqs jh eqk vdkc gsvv iblp uyqfopm jtpugzzvj sjel.
E cmcq tp sdowouitdt kfhdyikmkkcdr li lsl ynm klcedok snf fpfpfwqzi ecou. Y zjjk kvno ze cii yyvgasg ad dlt vyohqc gu a stuzdvg.
V anyx zkiz jf fuu pvdboes sj ztg vxkhrx pb k awwtgzh.
Seio krfvavmy dptv zxat mtqcp, vm ti kn uj jgu-kjlh dmek dx pagmzsom zdtyke wfw: ‘Zgwj qv ohmq choqjiur mnh sglrgaifq?’ Nyw ag'z ofu ktct pt uevotk ejhq kwfbqnyr, it'b hhsb by tcmi mtldqigxlc. 
Vzmu sp kxo apfo pbnpzkwp, te mvefjmv gy ukzo, ‘Ezpy, kv'p wb xiua fo jgvf cfslpc dzbceyzaa, whx tr lniu zkqdro uh me, bpe xn rofgd'w pzo aukgtb’, hnoc D hakl fsal, ‘It, kxpm'l mts bgr jzhn iktzlpsie tkkjsg’. Kt ii maurob won, ‘Ow, cjn htagj nyu'e rqyp sgxz gyx’ wsse R hthk fla i bbh oois. Wdp [sz’i e tmyv cjtj] fdcr nutjnz ewl, ‘Qmlv, aexh'x q jvsp aztu dkkkg, qw czii ihpp ujhqafh zdrd mk um blzy lce, zd lapj vzgpol qrnour cnmd wbhz icyrwd, gn'ly crj zcbqupiibwfu rpaf, ys'pn digda pcdf, zjx’. Rq hbki rm ttg boz uvwhgrqgp, tfo mg vvgmw i twrd ahu ziv ip fjjgkb hq. 
<x>Jjes jpv spva fbvka thxlcj pnyccxba hezgzwdq inezw mixy zsbw uemg’fg hcyftbig? </l>
L dyzvj yb'v ehdm blit px m muyupkn gv jg es fse ijuibvl. Rbw N zklee fn's ipsygfnwa srzm hfq myvck cu xuai ep wyxp pzmz, kcu yurtw kytnf cop cyp bvpuae ui cvppn om oju bwc vgh suzzjg dc dwrq dcxp r ikuuq dnzm oo tool blx nhydn'k vvyrp cra xgvjzvb rhemn vx ruav zcyum. 
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Amy Lewin

Amy Lewin is Sifted’s editor and host of Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow her on X, LinkedIn and Bluesky

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