In just a few years, SeedBlink has gone from a regional crowdfunding platform to building one of Europe’s most ambitious digital infrastructures for private investing. At the helm of this evolution is Andrei Dudoiu, who sees syndicates and secondaries as building blocks for a more connected, transparent, and flexible early-stage investment ecosystem.
In this interview, we explore why SeedBlink moved beyond crowdfunding, how their syndicate product reshapes co-investing for angels and founders alike, and what’s next as the line between individual and institutional capital continues to blur. This is a trend we’re seeing beyond SeedBlink across Europe, where agility in private markets and the way capital flows will determine whether the ecosystem can truly compete globally.
SeedBlink started as a crowdfunding platform. Why make the leap toward a full investment infrastructure – and what does that mean?
When we started, crowdfunding was a great way to give more people access to startup investing – and the CEE market was ripe for it in 2020. But we never saw ourselves as just a crowdfunding platform. From the beginning, our vision was bigger.
As we worked with thousands of investors and founders, it became clear that access is just one piece of the puzzle. The private market needed a proper digital infrastructure: tools for collaboration, structuring, equity management, and liquidity. Founders want better support preparing for rounds and managing investors. Investors want more flexibility and transparency, and the ability to co-invest with their networks.
So, evolving into a technology-driven infrastructure player became the natural next step.
Let’s talk about syndicates. What market gap did you see that led you to introduce this product?
To put things in perspective, there are two main ways to invest in a startup: directly in the cap table, which usually requires larger investments, or via a syndicated vehicle.
Angels and family offices were pooling capital, but stuck with costly legal setups and endless admin. Founders, meanwhile, wanted to group investors into one vehicle with transparency. We created our syndicates product to fill that gap and solve both sides: easy, scalable co-investing with clear structure.
In the traditional setup, how do syndicate deals usually work, and what challenges do lead investors typically face when organizing them?
Traditionally, organizing a syndicate means hiring a lawyer to set up an SPV, chasing 10–20 people for signatures, collecting wire transfers manually, and figuring out how to manage the vehicle over time, which comes with additional cost. It’s often chaotic – many email threads, WhatsApp groups, Notion docs, disparate spreadsheets. That’s admin fatigue.
There are also other elements to consider, such as follow-ons from existing or new investors and taxes upon exit. This means that the vehicle setup and jurisdiction are important factors as well. We use an Austrian nominee structure, which greatly simplifies things for everyone involved.
Then there’s the trust element: if you’re inviting your network to co-invest, they want to know the structure is legitimate and professional. Without a platform, it’s harder to convey that.
And finally, scalability: without proper tools, you can only do so many of these before the workload becomes unmanageable. That’s why many investors shy away from leading syndicates – friction outweighs the benefits.
How would you describe the typical profile of the people leading and participating in these deals? Who stands to gain the most from this approach?
We see two profiles here: on the one hand, there are active angels, investment clubs, even family offices. Participants (i.e. co-investors) range from fellow angels to professionals or ecosystem peers, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) who want exposure to deals they couldn’t access on their own. In terms of industry, we’re talking about any sector really, whether it’s tech solutions, real estate, etc.
On the other hand – and it gets especially interesting here – there are informal investment groups: founders who’ve become investors, entrepreneurs, friends of founders. Rather than everyone navigating a legal maze or one person bearing all the administrative burden, they can syndicate one-off deals or occasional investments in a structured, compliant way. A syndicate solution saves time and makes the process completely manageable.
What’s SeedBlink’s role in a syndicate, and what remains in the hands of the lead investor?
The lead is still the driver: they source the deal, rally co-investors. We take care of the rest: setting up the nominee vehicle, ensuring compliance, handling KYC, payments, managing follow-ons, and automating reporting. We support the entire digital journey of a syndicate creation and ongoing management.
Leads can focus on the relationship with the startup and their network, while we handle the administrative heavy lifting.
Do you think the line between institutional and individual investors is becoming increasingly blurred?
In some ways, yes. You now have non-traditional players acting almost like mini funds: they lead rounds, write meaningful checks, and leverage trusted networks with strong local insight.
We give these individuals access to professional tools and structured co-investment opportunities. The result is that the distinction between institutional and individual capital is less stark, and the ecosystem as a whole becomes more connected and efficient.
There’s a lot of talk lately about secondaries. Tell us what trends you see here.
Liquidity has always been a pain point in early-stage investing. You invest, you wait… and wait. That’s why we started facilitating secondary transactions – first within SeedBlink-funded companies, and more recently also externally, for access to more mature, usually pre-IPO-stage companies.
It adds flexibility: maybe a founder wants to sell a small stake to reinvest or for personal comfort. Maybe an early investor wants to de-risk or invest in a new opportunity. We support those needs.
What’s next for SeedBlink?
Besides the syndicates for investment clubs we launched this summer, we’re about to introduce something that will truly change how founders fundraise and it’s not just fluff marketing talk. We’re bringing AI-powered tools to help founders prepare smarter and faster for funding, and get in front of investors.
There’s also a strong community angle: startups get discovered by investors, both from the SeedBlink network and their own, while investors bring in peers to co-invest, whether in SeedBlink deals or their own.
We’re excited to see it all unfold.
