6 Questions for...Katja Ruhnke, Business Angel with a Clear Vision
Investments with a positive effect on the world
"... in government agencies, people never think "out of the box". That's why digitization is such an important step..."
Katja Ruhnke worked on and off stage for 10 years and founded her own theater production company before she returned to the family business and discovered her passion for start-up financing. As a business angel, she now invests in innovative start-ups to drive their visions and ideas forward and to support the start-up scene.
In this interview, she tells us how she feels about the status quo in the construction industry and what solutions she would like to see in the future.
1. Dear Katja, thank you for your time! Would you please introduce yourself briefly?
My name is Katja Ruhnke and I am co-founder and CEO of CK Venture Capital GmbH. With this investment vehicle, I invest in startups alongside my sister Conny Hörl. I invest as a business angel with a focus on impact investments.
2. Your motto at CK Ventures is: "We invest to make the world a better place." What do you want to improve in the world?
Environment, education, equal opportunities, poverty ... there are currently an incredible number of areas that need work. I firmly believe that, with technical innovations and the right attitude, mankind will succeed in getting to grips with the major problems we have created in recent decades. We see great young companies every day that are dedicated to finding exactly these kinds of solutions. But it takes capital and know-how for these companies to even have a chance of developing a real impact. That's why we see it as our duty to invest in them. We always base our decisions on the SDGs and want to do our part in achieving these goals.
3. You yourself have experience with adding a new storey at the CK Workplace. RoofUz wants to digitize construction and simplify the process with serial production of rooftop additions. What do changes do you think urgently need to be made to make building easier in the future?
Reducing bureaucracy and streamlining regulations. Quite honestly, if I have to spend 10 percent of the budget on expert opinions alone, something is simply going wrong. Building, especially in wood, is therefore unaffordable, the fire protection regulations, for example, are in my opinion partly taking on absurd features, I am currently talking to many developers who have built in wood or in wood-hybrid and they all report the same thing. Germany loves thoroughness, but in my opinion we are currently overshooting the mark. As a result, building has become far too expensive. In addition, the procedures all take too long and the authorities never think "out of the box". That's why digitization is such an important step.
4. What do you think will change in the future if more women start investing?
Capital is power and it shapes the future, which is why we need female investors. Studies clearly show that the majority of women want their investments to have a positive effect on the world. With more female capital, the shift toward greater sustainability will also succeed.
5. What do you find particularly exciting about RoofUz or what do you expect us to achieve?
There is a drastic housing shortage in Munich, for example. I think RoofUz can make a valuable contribution here to creating additional living space. The digital-systems approach can reduce construction cost, which would make it a real option for more owners. I also hope that you'll be able to help simplify building regulations, because you can serve as a clear template for processes and requirements. Currently, regulations attempt to take cover every conceivable issue, even if it isn't relevant to the property at all. I hope that with approaches like yours, transparency and standardization will create a significant improvement.
6. If you had one wish for the construction industry, what would it be?
More openness towards new technologies and collaboration with startups. I think the construction industry is still far too stagnant in this regard and is resting on its laurels after the golden years it had in the past.