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Thomas Wilke

Thomas Wilke

Entrepreneur and investor focused on B2B software and technology companies

thomaswilke
Munich, Germany
Joined July 2025
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Summary

Thomas Wilke is a seasoned entrepreneur who successfully co-founded and scaled eCircle, a leading European marketing technology company. He oversaw product development and operations, growing the company to €50 million in recurring revenue across 11 European countries before its acquisition by Teradata. His direct experience in building and exiting a tech venture deeply informs his current investment philosophy. 42cap+3
As a General Partner at 42CAP, Thomas applies an 'Entrepreneurs First' conviction, leveraging his own operational and product leadership background to invest in early-stage, data-driven B2B software and technology companies across Europe. He focuses on supporting 'agility drivers' and 'seductive solutions', aiming for significant ownership in a focused portfolio to ensure active, non-annoying mentorship and strategic guidance for founders. 42cap+3
Beyond investing, Thomas is an active thought leader, sharing his insights on venture capital, entrepreneurial success, and exit strategies through published articles. His writings cover topics like efficient scaling, the importance of product-market fit, and thoughtful approaches to company exits, underscoring his commitment to fostering a robust startup ecosystem. medium+2

Work

Education

Writing

Exit: Taking Entrepreneurship into account

July 1, 2020

An article reflecting on the exit strategy for portfolio companies, featuring an interview with the co-founder of Shine. Wilke shares insights on accelerating companies and ensuring founders maintain independence, drawing lessons from his own entrepreneurial experiences.

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The ultimate lessons come from the deals you make

May 1, 2020

An interview detailing Thomas Wilke's entrepreneurial journey from co-founding eCircle to his role as a General Partner at 42CAP. He shares lessons learned from scaling a company, navigating economic crises, and his transition from an entrepreneur to a venture capitalist.

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Where We Put Our Mouth — And Our Money

February 1, 2019

An article discussing 42CAP's investment thesis, focusing on identifying agility drivers, seductive solutions, and data-driven business models in seed-stage companies. Emphasizes 42CAP's 'Peers amongst Entrepreneurs' approach and focus on European startups with global ambitions.

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Hobbies

Enjoys cycling, as evidenced by a personal social media post. nitter

Notes

JOJohannes Oettingen-Wallersteinsaid
TWThomas Wilke
is one of the first people they'd approach for angel investment in a DevTool or software infrastructure startup.

Jan 27, 2026

PLPeter Lasingersaid
TWThomas Wilke
is someone they consider especially insightful when it comes to early-stage investing in developer tools or software infrastructure.

Dec 10, 2025

MZMoritz Zimmermannsaid that if they were building a Spanish fashion/AI startup with $1M ARR,
TWThomas Wilke
would be among their top choices for a seed investor.

Nov 27, 2025

CDChristian Dahlensaid that if they were scaling a retail startup, they would hope to have
TWThomas Wilke
's help with decision making and hiring.

Nov 19, 2025

JVJulian von Fischersaid
TWThomas Wilke
is one of the first people they think of when it comes to investing in tools for productivity or business operations.

Nov 17, 2025

MZMoritz Zimmermannsaid that if they were building a scheduling or time management startup,
TWThomas Wilke
would be among their top choices as a first investor.

Nov 14, 2025

JOJohannes Oettingen-Wallersteinsaid
TWThomas Wilke
is one of the most impressive founders they've worked with or followed.

Oct 21, 2025

JOJohannes Oettingen-Wallersteinsaid
TWThomas Wilke
is one of the most insightful investors they've interacted with, especially for international opportunities like UK startups.

Sep 8, 2025

JOJohannes Oettingen-Wallersteinsaid they've seen
TWThomas Wilke
make a significant positive difference to founders as a seed or pre-seed VC.

Sep 3, 2025

JOJohannes Oettingen-Wallersteinsaid that if they were founding a startup,
TWThomas Wilke
would be among their top choices as an early-stage investor.

Aug 11, 2025