A Magical Escape for Robin Capital’s First AGM and Retreat

From a seated dinner on the side of a mountain to a helicopter ride, find out what we got up to at Robin Capital’s first AGM and Retreat.

It’s not every day that you have a chandelier-lit dinner on the side of a mountain surrounded by some of Europe’s top investors and founders. But that’s exactly how Robin kicked off his Retreat and Annual General Meeting at “I am Escape ” in Sankt Salvator, last Wednesday.

As we emerged from our Land Rover Defender shuttle cars and scaled the small, but steep hill, to meet the other guests, my eyes filled with wonder – “Is this really for us?”

On top of the hill, was a long table laden with plates, glasses, and cutlery, adorned with crystal chandeliers. All around us, we could see the mountains, the pine trees, and the valley below.

The hot sun was slowly making its way down towards the treeline. And, as we helped ourselves to drinks, the conversations started to flow.

Once everyone had arrived and scaled the hill to meet everyone, Robin jumped up onto one of the Land Rovers to formally kick off the evening. He spoke about the importance of community, of trust, and of being open with each other.

Then, it was time to line up and fill our plates with barbecued meats and salad and take our places at the table. We talked, wined, and dined, all through the blue hour. Then, when it got dark, the chandeliers lit up casting a warm glow across the entire group. DJ Wolf Kolster ’s music played out across the hill, under the moon.

This was just the beginning of a magical 2 days.

The journey

I have been working with Robin for the past 6 years. He was one of the first people I ever worked with when I started freelancing and I have helped him with many writing projects over the years.

For me, it was an honour to be invited, but I can also say that this is exactly the kind of person Robin is. In the mix of the 60 guests, were founders he has invested in, his Limited Partners, investors from other funds, but also those who have helped with accounting, legal matters, branding, web design and writing.

For me, getting to the Retreat and AGM for 2 days meant bringing my husband and 13-month-old son from Hamburg. We booked flights to Ljubljana, car hire, and an Airbnb in Friesach (the closest town). We made it work. This wasn’t an opportunity that I was going to miss.

Getting to Sankt Salvator was a real adventure. We flew into Ljubljana and drove through the mountains across the Austrian border. Many of the other guests carpooled from Salzburg, Munich, Klagenfurt, and beyond. This was a journey that we all took gladly – sometimes you have to go a long way to escape from the daily grind and this was a chance to switch off and connect with many like-minded people.

Arriving at “I am Escape” on Wednesday evening was the culmination of many long journeys and there was a buzz in the air from the very first moment.

Day 2

Day 2 of the Retreat began on Thursday afternoon. We were all picked up from Friesach or the Iris Porsche Hotel in Sankt Salvator and brought up to “I am Escape”. As we arrived, the helicopter landed in the field and everyone rushed over to watch.

After a quick briefing from Robin, it was time for the first group, including me, to take to the skies in the helicopter. Once we’d all bundled in, the blades started whirring and off we went.

The experience of flying so high above the mountains, circling the Retreat, and diving over the crest of a hill was unlike anything I have ever experienced. At one point, we dropped about 30 feet and my stomach fell through the floor.

When we were back on land, we headed over to the stable for drinks and snacks. The sun was fiercely hot, so many people were set up inside the stable building either working at one of the many tables or sitting around talking.

The Art Tour

Half of the group headed off on a trip to a hut in the mountains with Vagabund Moto but I opted for the Art Tour with artist Fabian Knecht . Fabian is a friend of Bernhard Schluga – our host and owner of “I am Escape.” ?Fabian is currently building an art installation on the cliff face next to Bernhard’s home, the same cliffs that Bernhard used to climb as a child.

Fabian’s work is anti-authoritarian and nonconformist. Since 2015, he has been working on a series called “Isolation” in which he constructs exhibition spaces in the outside world. Instead of bringing nature into museums, he is bringing museums, or exhibition rooms, ?into nature and capturing natural phenomena that can’t be replicated. This is exactly what he is doing at Bernhard’s home in the Carinthian mountains.

The tour took us up to the side of the mountain and up onto a structure that cost €500,000 to build. This structure has been built to frame a specific part of the cliff face and will house an exhibition room in the coming weeks.

Once we’d made it back down, it was time to refresh our drinks. While we mingled outside, a notary from Sankt Salvator showed up to sign some paperwork and check passports with the Limited Partners so that they could become part of the German registry. Many of the guests also returned with fresh haircuts thanks to the barber in the garage.

We then sat down for two panel discussions led by Viktoria Lindner (CEO and Co-founder at Bloom). The first panel was about AI with Max Bachem (CEO and Co-founder at Xaver), Fabian Beringer (from VidLab 7), and Jonas Diezun (from Beam.ai ). The second discussion was about DNA for good with Renaud Visage (former CTO of Eventbrite and climate investor) and Jerome Ternynck (founder and Chairman of the Board at SmartRecruiters). To finish, we were all invited to form groups of 6 to discuss ways in which we could “do good” in our own companies.

The weather had been amazing all day, so the next stop was the pool.

After a quick and refreshing dip in the pool, we dressed for dinner and were told to find a table with people we hadn’t spoken to yet. We all fell into easy conversations while we snacked on charcuterie and fresh bread. Our smoked salmon starter was served and then it was time for Robin’s speech.

Framed by the huge glass doors of the stable, Robin spoke about family, about trust, about being vulnerable, and about making friends. It was clear that the Retreat was about all of us and the friendships that we had been able to build. In a time of increased remote work, human connection, and relationships are more important than ever, and over the past year, Robin has leveraged his network and his friends, many of whom were present to start something bigger than himself. He was full of gratitude and, as he had promised, he had a long list of thank yous and a long list of stories to share with us all.

The evening ended with a delicious main course, served family style so we could share the braised meat, mashed potato, and buttery vegetables. We shared a few glasses of Robin’s wine and enjoyed our cheesecake and berries for dessert, before wrapping up with coffees.

In the balmy evening air, a few of us shared some expertly made Gin and Tonics from the event sponsors Kyr? Distillery Company , and danced to the beats from DJ Wolf Kolster. Then it was time to leave in the Land Rovers one last time.

So, what did I get out of the event?

As I’ve said, I’ve worked with Robin for the past 6 years, but this was the first time I met him in person. This event was a chance for me, along with the other guests, to see firsthand everything that he stands for.

From talking with so many of the founders, investors, and team members of Robin Capital, I heard the same story again and again, Robin is someone who stands by his people and invests with his heart. He doesn’t just say it, he does it, every day.

He puts in 110% and really genuinely cares about everyone he works with. Yes, there may be other investors out there, but Robin does more than just invest money, he invests his time, his energy, and his passion, and you could feel this in every single detail at the Retreat.

By hosting his Retreat at “I am Escape,” Robin, and our hosts Bernhard and Kathi Schluga, took us into their home and created a one-of-a-kind retreat where everyone could come as they were, share their stories, and feel supported by the new friends they had made. Robin works with conviction and to see so many people, especially people who are normally very busy, show up is a testament to him and what he is doing with his fund.

Bernhard inherited this land and these buildings from his grandfather and, he and his wife Kathi have made something truly stunning. My thanks go out to them for pouring so much love into every single part of their home and making hosting 60 people look easy, even with their tiny baby to take care of. ?

There’s only one word to sum up the Retreat with: magic.

By Ellie Sellwood

Thanks to Claudia Weaver for the amazing photographs. ?