By Riley Kaminer
Raising capital is often one of the most daunting challenges for any startup founder. It’s not just about securing funds but navigating a complex web of relationships that can make or break a company’s future. This is the exact problem Martijn de Wever, CEO and founder of Floww, set out to solve. Having spent years in the financial sector, de Wever became all too familiar with the inefficiencies in capital markets, particularly for early-stage companies.
“The world of startup investing hasn’t gone through the same digital transformation we’ve seen in other asset classes,” de Wever told Refresh Miami. “It was frustrating that, in 2013, you still couldn’t pick up the phone and simply invest in a startup as easily as you could in stocks or bonds.”
After founding his London-based VC firm, Force Over Mass Capital, de Wever realized the tools to streamline capital raising simply weren’t there. So in 2016, Floww was born: a platform that makes it easier for startups, angel networks, VCs, and brokers to connect and transact seamlessly, while ensuring regulatory compliance. “We wanted to remove the friction from the process of raising capital,” he said. “It’s a wonderfully complex problem to solve, but one that’s crucial for founders.”
Floww’s solution tackles the pain points of capital raising by providing a platform that allows startups to control who sees their data, from potential investors to partners. This approach, he noted, has been pivotal in helping founders focus on building their businesses rather than getting bogged down in endless rounds of fundraising.
Floww is now expanding beyond the UK – and their first stop? Miami.
The decision to establish a presence in South Florida was a strategic one. “We love Miami and the growing tech ecosystem here,” said de Wever, who is also moving to Miami. Miami’s energy, affordability, and connectivity to Europe and Latin America made it an attractive hub for Floww’s U.S. operations. Plus, Miami’s vibrant startup scene provided a fertile ground for Floww’s mission to help founders access capital more efficiently.
“One of the key factors that drew us to Miami was the community being built here,” he added. “The energy in the city is palpable. There’s a drive to get things moving, which resonates with us as entrepreneurs. You need that kind of high energy to push things forward, and Miami has a lot of it.”
While Floww’s U.S. expansion is still in its early stages, de Wever is already laying the groundwork for further growth. He and his team are building connections with local innovation centers and startup hubs, aiming to empower Miami’s entrepreneurs by providing the infrastructure they need to scale.
“We want founders to spend less time on the capital-raising process and more time on building their businesses,” de Wever emphasized. Floww is also launching an accelerator program in Florida, offering hands-on support to founders throughout their fundraising journey. This program will provide guidance on crafting a compelling narrative, structuring financial models, and even working with top-tier legal advisors.
For Miami startups reading this article, de Wever has a clear message: Floww is here to help you navigate the tricky waters of fundraising. “We’ve dissected what it takes to raise capital successfully, and we’ve built a system to support founders every step of the way,” he said.
As for the future, de Wever sees endless potential in Floww’s expansion into the U.S. market. “The opportunities here are massive,” he noted. “There’s a unique culture of innovation in the U.S. that makes it the perfect place for us to continue solving these age-old problems in capital raising.”
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