Maximizing Returns Through Experience Investing
"wait, what." is a boutique investment firm specializing in transformation capital, where traditional finance meets disruptive innovation to create extraordinary value. Operating at the intersection of established industries and emerging technologies, we partner with visionary companies that challenge conventional wisdom and redefine their sectors through sustainable, tech-enabled transformations.
Our expertise lies in identifying overlooked opportunities where strategic capital deployment, combined with operational excellence, can catalyze exponential growth and industry evolution. With a deliberate focus on companies that make us pause and say "wait, what?" we invest in ideas that initially seem counterintuitive but harbor the potential to reshape entire markets.
Investment Thesis
"wait, what." identifies and capitalizes on transformation opportunities in traditional industries through strategically deploying technology-enabled capital. Our thesis centers on generating alpha by actively managing two primary investment vehicles: the Placemaking Investment Fund and ARC SPV.
Alpha Generation Strategy
Market Opportunity
We target the intersection of traditional industries and emerging technologies, specifically focusing on the multi-trillion-dollar nearly-stranded commercial and residential real estate market. Our unique position allows us to identify mispriced assets and opportunities that conventional investors overlook.
Active Management Approach
Our strategy employs a three-tiered active management framework to generate superior returns:
- Deep market research and analysis to identify undervalued transformation opportunities
- Proactive operational involvement in portfolio companies to drive value creation
- Strategic timing of market entry and exit based on transformation cycles
About Tobias Temmen
Tobias Temmen, a visionary ex-banker now serving as an investor, venture partner, and advisor, spearheads wait, what.’s investment thesis. With an in-depth grasp of capital investments across public and private markets, real estate, impact investing, and transition capital, Tobias offers a profound depth of knowledge.
The work of renowned systems thinker Donnella Meadows inspired his journey from traditional finance to experience investing. Recognizing that shifts in human experience and perception most effectively drive systems change, Tobias has made it his mission to catalyze fundamental transformations through innovative, experience-focused investments.
Over his career, Tobias has occupied significant roles at leading financial institutions, refining his expertise in portfolio management, strategy development, and venture creation. His remarkable credentials are further enhanced by an Executive MBA from the esteemed Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Tobias possesses a sharp awareness of emerging trends and a profound grasp of systems dynamics, allowing him to pinpoint and leverage transformative investment opportunities. His commitment to fostering impactful change through experience-based investments is central to wait, what.'s mission to deliver outsized returns while shaping a better world.
