Stefan holds degrees in finance, tax law and business administration, and supports founders in areas such as funding, fundraising strategy, financial modeling, and investor communications.
Stefan Walter co-founded NAP (formerly Cavalry Ventures) in 2015 as a Berlin-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests very early, often pre-product and pre-revenue, emphasizing timing and founder readiness over traditional metrics. With a background in business economics and prior experience in tax and corporate law, Stefan has shaped NAP's investment philosophy to focus on expert founders building companies with proprietary data, instant utility, and strong interoperability. His approach prioritizes long-term partnerships that support startups without overcomplicating relationships.
At NAP, Stefan Walter leads a founder-friendly investment strategy that avoids unnecessary due diligence delays and complex negotiations, focusing instead on identifying startups with real market potential. Stefan and his team pride themselves on being straightforward and transparent, supporting portfolio companies with capital, guidance, and connections while maintaining agility in decision-making.
You'll gain valuable insights from Stefan Walter's experience in early-stage investing and his perspective on fostering strong founder-investor relationships in the evolving European tech landscape. Stefan will share lessons on identifying market potential in pre-revenue companies, navigating challenges of building innovative companies, and partnering effectively with investors who understand early-stage realities.
Meet Stefan Walter at How to Web Conference 2025 to learn his approach to transparent, founder-friendly venture capital that drives early-stage success.
Other featured speakers
Felix Martinez
Principal @ Seedcamp
Felix Martinez sources and supports early-stage startups at Seedcamp, Europe's leading seed-stage venture capital fund that has invested in over 490 companies including unicorns like UiPath, Wise, Revolut, wefox, Pleo, Sorare, Grover, viz.ai, and Synthesia.
Gregor Rebolj
General Partner @ Silicon Gardens Fund
Serial entrepreneur and investor with 20+ years experience. Scaled company from 5 to 100 members before strategic exit to Sportradar Group. Now leads founders-for-founders fund in CEE, coaching early-stage tech entrepreneurs.
Karol Szubstarski
Partner @ OTB Ventures
Karol Szubstarski specializes in Series A funding for breakthrough deep tech companies at OTB Ventures, a leading pan-European fund managing over €300 million in assets across SpaceTech, Enterprise Automation & AI, FinTech Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity sectors.
Sitar Teli
Managing Partner @ Connect Ventures
Seed and early-stage investor focusing on $500k-$2M rounds in European internet and mobile companies. Backs product and design-led startups with global ambitions, helping founders scale from concept to market leadership.