Kolja Heskamp

Commander
DISC Type : D

Non-Executive Board Member at HR-Benefit Digital GmbH

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Overview

Kolja Heskamp is a Founding Partner at torq. partners, where he operates as a Fractional CFO for startups and scaleups. He specializes in building scalable finance functions, supporting fundraising efforts, and advising on equity storytelling. He holds an MSc in Management of Innovation from Rotterdam School of Management.

He has extensive experience in the startup sector, having supported over 100 companies through various growth phases. He has conducted more than 30 due diligence processes and has helped raise over €300 million in equity and debt for businesses.

Unique fact: Kolja pioneered the fractional CFO model in Germany, co-founding one of the countrys first specialized finance consultancies for startups and scaling it from a 3-person team to a 35-person firm.

Personality Overview

Risk-Taker

Impact-Driven

Strong-Willed

They are very proud of what they do.  More than the product, they care about the effectiveness of the product. They like to be in a position where they can control the conversation and terms.

Topics They Care About

Scalable Finance
His core focus is helping fast-growing companies build finance functions that scale with their ambition, turning finance into a growth enabler rather than a bottleneck.
Startup Fundraising
He actively publishes content and hosts podcast episodes on the evolving VC market, providing practical strategies for founders navigating the new fundraising reality in 2025.
Equity Storytelling
A key part of his advisory work is helping founders structure compelling narratives that resonate with investors and effectively communicate a company's vision and value.

Media Appearances

Kolja has no verified media appearances

Work History

11-2025
Non-Executive Board Member at HR-Benefit Digital GmbH
9-2020
Founder & Managing Partner at torq.partners
3-2024 - 12-2024
Lecturer at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
5-2020 - 4-2021
CFO (interim) at OUTFITTERY
11-2016 - 4-2020
Managing Director & Shareholder at CoCo Finance GmbH

Education

2013 - 2014
MSc Management of Innovation from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University
2009 - 2012
BSc International Business Administration from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 8 Location : Berlin, Berlin, Germany Job Level : Leadership Designation : Non-Executive Board Member at HR-Benefit Digital GmbH
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Insights For Selling To Kolja

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points without becoming too analytical
  • Get to the point quickly instead of spending time doing small talk
  • Hold your ground without indulging in one-upmanship

DONT's

  • Do not spend too much time focusing on product tech or features
  • Avoid being a storyteller and don’t try to oversell
  • Don't try too hard to forge relationships with them

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Kolja is

  • Confidence in impact is paramount to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Kolja

  • If they are not convinced, they will have no hesitation in telling you the same.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Kolja move?

  • They can take decisions very fast if you manage to convince them.
  • Can Kolja take some risk or not?

  • The risks don’t matter much to them.

You And Kolja

Personality Compatibility


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