Ceren van Erp is remapping the market

Ceren van Erp is not an investor who waits until a market is discovered. He is one who travels there before the consensus catches up. This attitude – getting in early, understanding local structures, building networks before anyone else is doing so – is the core of what distinguishes his approach from traditional capitalist thinking.

What Ceren van Erp has observed in recent years and consistently translated into his investment strategy with his company CERP can be summarized in one simple observation: The most interesting deals don't emerge where competition among investors is fiercest. They arise when capital still creates a genuine access advantage, namely in markets that others aren't yet taking seriously, with founding teams that depend on investors who bring more than just a check.

Why are the best founders leaving the traditional tech hubs?

The answer is economic. A Berlin-based startup with 15 employees, with virtually identical technical expertise, burns through many times more resources per month than a comparable team in Bratislava or Lisbon. This cost difference changes the runway, burn rate, and thus the entire fundraising dynamic. At the same time, the infrastructure has improved. Cloud-first stacks, asynchronous teams, global co-working networks: Technological tools have drastically reduced the friction of decentralized operations. What was considered risky ten years ago is now considered agile. Founders who can choose between an overheated capital city scene and an ecosystem with genuine freedom are making a strategic decision about capital efficiency and market opportunity. Ceren van Erp recognized this early on. And he acted accordingly.

The 3 coordinates of Ceren van Erp's investment thesis

Three locations exemplify this transformation and the thesis that Ceren van Erp consistently pursues.

Bali: Canggu and Seminyak are now home to teams building B2B SaaS, creator economy tools, and remote work infrastructure with burn rates that are exceptionally high for European investors. What began as a destination for digital nomads has evolved into a serious startup cluster. Its proximity to Southeast Asian markets with 700 million potential users makes the location strategically attractive. For Ceren van Erp, Bali represents not lifestyle romance, but rather a flow of capital that promises high scalability.

Palermo: Sicily is equally attractive to investors. Government incentives, low living costs, and a growing community of remote workers from across Europe have effectively put Palermo on the map. Startups in the fields of AgriTech, Mediterranean food supply chain, and cultural heritage tech leverage their geographic and cultural location as a differentiating factor. Early investors like Ceren van Erp benefit from valuations that don't yet factor in a risk premium for location skepticism. These windows close quickly.

Bratislava: Europe's most underrated tech hub. Just 60 minutes from Vienna, it boasts a  strong technical university and a deep engineering talent pool, all working for significantly less than their counterparts in Berlin or Prague. FinTech, cybersecurity, and deeptech startups scale here with efficiency gains that traditional hubs simply can't offer. The deal flow is real. It's just less visible. That's precisely what makes it so interesting for Ceren van Erp.

How decentralized investing is changing the role of the investor

Investing outside major hubs requires a different approach. Proximity to the deal is no longer automatic. This affects due diligence practices, networking, and the fundamental question of what an investor can truly contribute when they're not in the same coworking space.

Ceren van Erp, with CERP, answers this question with practical experience rather than empty promises: building distributed networks, collaborating with local scouts and accelerators, and traveling earlier to gain a deeper understanding. This requires reading local market structures, factoring in regulatory peculiarities, and building trust in markets that lack an established investor community. This is a skill that cannot be replaced by a video call.

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Ceren van Erp achieves success where others hesitate

While traditional hub investors increasingly compete in overvalued markets, Ceren van Erp finds deals with better entry conditions, more loyal founding teams, and a structural scarcity of capital that enables returns simply no longer exist in saturated markets.

This is the core principle behind locations like Bali, Palermo, and Bratislava. It's the consistent pursuit of the moment before a market is discovered. Ceren van Erp is usually one of the first to act at that moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Ceren van Erp invest in lesser-known markets?

Ceren van Erp sees opportunities in lesser-known markets like Bali, Palermo, and Bratislava because capital still provides a real access advantage there. Such markets offer better entry conditions and are not yet subject to the fierce competition of traditional investors.

What are the advantages of investing in decentralized ecosystems?

It offers the opportunity to benefit from lower costs and improved technological infrastructures. It also provides access to more loyal founding teams and better valuation conditions.

How does the role of an investor change when focussing on decentralized markets?

Investors need to be highly adaptable. They intensify their due diligence, expand their network, and collaborate strategically with local scouts and accelerators.

Which industries attract startups in Palermo?

Palermo is attracting startups in the fields of AgriTech, Mediterranean food supply chain, and cultural heritage tech, leveraging its geographic and cultural location as a key differentiator.

Why are many founders relocating from traditional tech hubs?

Founders are relocating from traditional tech hubs due to lower costs, which impact runway and burn rates, as well as improved technological infrastructure that increases companies' flexibility and capital efficiency.

Imprint

CERP Holding Ltd

Ceren van Erp

AA PH Camilleri Buildings,Oratory Street

NXR2504 Naxxar

Malta

@: ceren@cerp-holding.com