Interview Edition: Calum Cameron

Describe yourself in 50 words or less.

I’m Calum Cameron, an Australian nomad before the digital was possible, I am constantly searching for new ideas and models for shaking up the world. For the past eight years I’ve been living in Estonia because here we have the appetite (and track record) for disruption and access to the people to make it happen.

What led you to investing in startups?

Funding is only one of the resources early stage startups need to build their vision, but it is often essential. What they also need is a focus on the right things and access to the people who can help them execute. Accelerators are the best way of bringing these services together as a platform and why I joined Startup Wise Guys.

What startups are you currently involved in?

Loads. Startup Wise Guys has invested in over 40 teams and I continue to work with many of them years after they completed the program. Some of the more recent teams are Investly.eu, SorryasaService.com, MRPEasy.com, Publishdrive.com and rmi.education. I’m also very excited about two new teams in the cleantech space to be announced soon.

Describe your typical day from waking up to going to bed.

Wake. Exercise (a bit). Work in a local café, where I can concentrate, for a few hours and head into the office to work with the SWG team, our portfolio teams and partners. After work (whenever that is) I try to get in some time with my family and playing with other startup ideas.

Tell us about your best investment so far and why it succeeded.

Personally, committing to Startup Wise Guys where I get to have fun and expand my mind all day! We’ve only invested money and resources into very early-stage companies so it will take some time to see which of these succeed but I am confident in a few of them.

Tell us about an investment you made which turned out to be unsuccessful.

Over the years we have had a few teams that were bad fits and so we have agreed to part ways: if we can’t help them, then everyone’s time is being wasted. None in particular I would call out but highlights the fact that investments are a long term relationship.

7 years from now: how did your contribution change the startup world?

Even in a small way I have helped some seriously valuable – as in they are doing something really useful – companies gain their edge and move faster. This could be through mentoring, connecting or funding. Whatever it takes.

What trend would you bet your money on? And how will it influence everyday life?

Cleantech. Water supplies in particular. There is nothing more fundamental to human life than access to clean water for hydration, sanitation and irrigation. Now is crunch time for solving the challenges to getting clean water to where it is needed. If we miss it then humanity is in for a rough time.

What does it take for a startup to impress you?

When they combine real, world-challenging ambition with an urgent, but systematic, approach to learning. Deep market knowledge is also exciting but this can be learnt, so the faster they can discover what needs to be done, and how to do it, the better.

What do you offer your partners when you’re not throwing money at them?

Most of the investment from early-stage accelerators is actually the time we put in to helping the teams succeed: discovering markets; selling; building products; building and managing their team; and raising further investment (if they need it).

Describe what a business relationship with you looks like.

It’s personal. Business relationships are all about trust, and that happens at an individual level. They are also about sharing value, no sustainable business relationship exists unless everyone takes value from it. I don’t negotiate but look for ways everyone wins.

What advice would you give first time entrepreneurs and young startups?

Start slow so you can go fast. Find a problem or opportunity that really excites you because it is going to be a tough and long journey; and then take the time to validate it, otherwise you’ll build something amazing that nobody wants. And always remember that startups are about learning, so approach everything as an experiment.

Calum Cameron, from Startup Wise Guys

Calum in action

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