Bettine Schmitz trained as a mathematician at Imperial College London before studying business at ESCP, then spent seven years at Axel Springer Plug and Play helping more than 80 early-stage companies through over 50 financing rounds, giving her hands-on experience with how companies actually get built. Beyond her work at Auxxo, she co-founded The Evangelistas, a network of around 180 female business angels, was named Female Investor of the Year 2022 by Startup-Verband, and organizes communities outside investing too, including the 10,000-plus member parent group Eltern in der Krise and the German chapter of TechBikers.