Approach
Approach is a Singapore-based boutique advisory and angel investment firm founded by former Spotify CTO Andreas Ehn and former Wrapp VP Marketing Lisa Enckell, offering technical due diligence, go-to-market strategy, and product strategy services to startups, VC and PE funds, and corporates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSingapore, Singapore
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Approach does
Approach is a Singapore-based boutique advisory and angel investment firm founded in 2015 by Andreas Ehn and Lisa Enckell. Andreas was Spotify's first employee and CTO, and Lisa was VP of Marketing at Wrapp and a founding team member of Antler VC, where she now serves as a venture partner. The firm operates as a lean two-principal practice, supported by a single part-time research assistant on a 10-hour-per-week retainer.
Approach offers three core professional services: Technical Due Diligence (led by Andreas, evaluating technology capabilities and strategic fit for VCs, PE funds, and corporates considering acquisitions or investments), Go-to-Market Strategy (led by Lisa, covering positioning, branding, and data-driven marketing communications and automation for companies launching products or entering new markets), and Product Strategy (joint advisory work on long-term product vision and product-market fit). Engagements are delivered directly to clients; there is no software product, platform, or SaaS component. Distribution relies on founder-led channels: the approach.world blog, personal Twitter accounts (@ehn, @enckelli), podcast appearances, and a 21-day email course on marketing for early-stage startups.
Revenue is generated through professional services fees. Beyond consulting, Approach maintains an angel investment portfolio of more than 40 companies globally, including early positions in Spotify (2006) and Uber (2009), as well as Clue, Antler, Aspire, Mavenoid, Bokio, Timekit, Sunrise, Wrapp, Opbeat, and Videoplaza, with the most recent disclosed investment in Persimmons in 2024. The firm is privately held by its two founders with no institutional capital, no headcount growth signals, and no publicly disclosed financial metrics.
Approach firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Approach
- Legal name
- Approach
- Website
- https://approach.world
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Approach is a Singapore-based boutique advisory and angel investment firm founded by former Spotify CTO Andreas Ehn and former Wrapp VP Marketing Lisa Enckell, offering technical due diligence, go-to-market strategy, and product strategy services to startups, VC and PE funds, and corporates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Approach industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Strategy Advisory (BPAHADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Strategy & IT Advisory (BPAEAAAA)
Keywords
Where Approach is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Singapore
- HQ country
- Singapore
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Approach business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Revenue generated from consulting engagements including technical due diligence for investors, go-to-market strategy services, and product strategy advisory work. Services are provided to startups, VCs, private equity funds, and corporates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Research Assistant (Part-time) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Approach product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Approach is a Singapore-based boutique consulting firm that provides three core professional services: Technical Due Diligence (evaluating technology startups for VC, PE funds, and corporates), Go-to-Market Strategy (positioning, branding, and data-driven marketing for companies launching new products), and Product Strategy (long-term product vision advisory toward product-market fit). These advisory engagements are delivered directly by the two founders, Andreas Ehn and Lisa Enckell, who also make angel investments in technology startups worldwide.
Product overview
Approach is a Singapore-based consulting firm offering three core professional services: Technical Due Diligence, Go-to-Market Strategy, and Product Strategy. These consulting engagements are delivered by founders Andreas Ehn (former Spotify CTO) and Lisa Enckell (former VP of Marketing at Wrapp) to technology startups, venture capital funds, private equity funds, and corporates. The services are standalone consulting offerings rather than a software product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Approach
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Approach technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Approach partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AntlercoreAntler is a global VC firm that turns talent into founders. Lisa Enckell was part of Antler's founding team and helped scale it to 20+ cities worldwide. She now serves as venture partner. Andreas and Lisa were advisors to Antler and part of starting the firm in Singapore.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Approach competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Andreessen Horowitz: Large US venture firm with an extensive operating-partner network that delivers GTM, product, and technical advisory to portfolio companies and external clients. Overlaps with Approach on serving founders needing positioning, product, and tech strategy support, though at much larger scale.
- Sequoia Capital: Premier global VC with deep advisory and platform resources for portfolio founders covering product, GTM, and technical hiring. Comparable to Approach in serving high-growth technology founders, but with vastly greater scale and an institutional operating-partner team.
- First Round Capital: Seed-stage venture firm famous for its Review product and extensive founder-advisory platform (First Round Review content, community, and operating support). Comparable to Approach in serving early-stage founders needing GTM and product guidance, anchored to a specific fund.
- EY-Parthenon: Strategy and M&A advisory arm of Ernst & Young that performs commercial and technology due diligence for PE and corporate acquirers. The most direct scaled competitor to Approach's technical-DD service line.
- Bain & Company: Global strategy consultancy with technology and private equity advisory practices that include commercial due diligence and product strategy. Overlaps with Approach's technical-DD and GTM offerings, particularly for PE and corporate acquirers.
- McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting leader with practices in corporate strategy, GTM, and digital/tech transformation. Competes with Approach for GTM strategy and product strategy engagements where clients want scaled consulting teams rather than founder-led boutiques.
- Alvarez & Marsal: Global professional services firm with a strong M&A and operational-due-diligence practice serving PE and corporate buyers. Direct competitor for technical and operational DD engagements where Approach serves private equity clients.
Direct peers
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Global startup accelerator and venture investor offering founder mentorship, corporate introductions, and GTM support. Overlaps with Approach's positioning, GTM, and product-strategy work for early-stage technology companies.
- Antler: Global early-stage VC with a founder-support and advisory layer. Lisa Enckell was a founding team member and is a venture partner at Antler, and Approach provides services to the same audience (pre-seed and seed founders) with overlapping GTM and product strategy offerings.
Emerging players
- Reforge: Membership-based education and community platform for product, growth, and engineering leaders. Comparable to Approach on the GTM and product-strategy axis, but Reforge has productized frameworks and cohorts rather than bespoke consulting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Approach social profiles
Digital presenceApproach financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Approach leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Approach funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Approach M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Approach
What does Approach do?
Approach is a Singapore-based boutique consulting firm that provides three core professional services: Technical Due Diligence (evaluating technology startups for VC, PE funds, and corporates), Go-to-Market Strategy (positioning, branding, and data-driven marketing for companies launching new products), and Product Strategy (long-term product vision advisory toward product-market fit). These advisory engagements are delivered directly by the two founders, Andreas Ehn and Lisa Enckell, who also make angel investments in technology startups worldwide.
Is Approach a public or private company?
Approach is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Approach founded?
Approach was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Approach based?
Approach is headquartered in Singapore, Singapore, in the Asia region.
How does Approach make money?
One revenue line is on record: consulting Services.
Who are Approach's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, First Round Capital, EY-Parthenon, Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company and Alvarez & Marsal. Direct peers are Plug and Play Tech Center and Antler. Reforge is listed as an emerging player.
Does Approach have an API?
No public API is recorded for Approach.
What industry is Approach in?
Approach's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAA, Corporate Strategy Advisory, with a secondary code of BPAHAOAA, M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.