The World Congress of Angel Investors WBAF 2020 will convene in Istanbul 17 – 18 February 2020 to shape the global agenda of equity markets.
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership of Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) promotes angel investment as an innovative financial inclusion tool and as an asset class at the global level.
For the first time ever, the World Business Angels Investment Forum is providing a unique opportunity to 100 selected start-ups and scale-ups to pitch their businesses on the Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS) of the World Congress 2020. The 2020 GFRS is supported by the WBAF Angel Investment Fund, whose mission is to invest in startups and scaleups who pitch on the GFRS. The aim is to showcase the world’s top startups and scaleups, which, typically, are funded companies in the process of raising €50K – €3M, with the ultimate goal of globalizing.
Two presidents, four prime ministers and twelve government ministers have already confirmed their participation. More than 1500 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to attend World Congress 2020.
WBAF 2020 will feature 32 panel discussions at 7 summits. All will run concurrently. After the Congress, you will have access to videos of each session, so you needn’t worry if you are unable to attend some sessions that are scheduled at the same time as another one you wish to attend.
- Angel Investors Summit
- Global Startups Summit
- Global Woman Leaders Summit
- Science, Technology & Innovation Summit
- Fintech Summit
- CEO Investors Summit
- FDI Summit
Visit WBAF 2020 Official Websit
Grand Opening Ceremony 2020
A ministerial round table on critical issues and the state of the world will conclude the Grand Opening Ceremony
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) will focus on angel investors partnering with private equity funds at the World Congress of Angel Investors in 2020.The discussions will explore how private equity funds, wealth management institutions, famiy offices, co-investment funds can foster open innovation and deliver more business value through partnerships with angel investors, start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs.
The World Congress of the World Business Angels Investment Forum starts with the Grand Opening Ceremony, an invitation-only event for 500 special guests from around the world. The Grand Opening Ceremony includes keynote speeches from renowned businessmen, entrepreneurs and investors from around the world, presidential and ministerial speeches, video messages, the formal signing of economic cooperation agreements and an opening bell that signals the official opening of the Congress. A ministerial round table on critical issues and the state of the world will conclude the Grand Opening Ceremony.
Watch – The Grand Opening Ceremony 2019
Angel Investors Summit – WBAF 2020
Shaping the 2020 agenda of the world equity markets
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) will focus on angel investors partnering with private equity funds at the World Congress of Angel Investors in 2020.The discussions will explore how private equity funds can foster open innovation and deliver more business value through partnerships with angel investors, start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs.
Panel 1: Global Leaders Action Plans 2020:
Developing angel investment as an asset class in the era of worldwide digital transformation
Panel 2: Announcing Angel Investment 4.0: Angel Investment Funds
Panel 3: Creating opportunities for deeper angel investor engagement in financing smart cities
Panel 4: Innovative techniques to maximise startup potential: Building an entrepreneur-friendly and disruptive community through multi-stakeholder engagement
Panel 5: Developing a global dialogue between startup and FDI ecosystems to increase cross-border investment
CEO Investors Summit – WBAF 2020
Top business leaders from all over the world
On their retirement, corporate CEOs will have more time to mentor start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs. They come with a good financial package and a vast network that they have built over the years. The only thing they may lack is know-how: they need to learn about the principles of investing in start-ups and about founding a company from scratch. The time is now right for the CEOs of today to take a smart step — to focus on the potential of their future role as angel investors. The World Business Angels Investment Forum is taking the initiative, creating an international platform to support the transitioning of today’s CEOs to the qualified angel investors of tomorrow. WBAF believes that G20 countries can do more to foster economic development by involving CEOs more directly in early-stage equity markets.
Panel 1: Contributing to the social good through corporate venturing
Panel 2: A new role for corporations in fostering innovation and developing new value chains
Panel 3: The increasing role of corporate venturing in entrepreneurs’ financial journey
Panel 4: A startup CEO + a multi-million-dollar corporation CEO = a better return on investment
Fintech Summit – WBAF 2020
Transforming the finance industry by incorporating cutting-edge technology
The FinTech Summit – WBAF 2020 in Istanbul will address the challenges and opportunities of the global fintech ecosystem. Global equity market leaders — family office managers, wealth management executives, stock exchange executives, financial experts, policymakers, academics, active members of early-stage investment markets, bank executives and WBAF delegates — will come together to discuss a wide range of topics related to transformations in the finance industry through the incorporation of cutting-edge technology.
Panel 1: The future of banking: How the digitalisation revolution is changing the role of banks
Panel 2: Opportunities and challenges for fintech startups in emerging markets
Panel 3: The rise of fintech incubation and accelerator programmes in banks and financial institutions
Panel 4: Involving angel investors in the financial road map of fintech startups
Panel 5: Angel advice: Funding your fintech business with smart and patient finance solutions
Global Startups Summit – WBAF 2020
An opportunity to connect with and learn from hundreds of highly qualified angel investors from five continents
Aside from presentations by renowned thought leaders in the field of entrepreneurship and global angel investors, the Global Startups Summit – WBAF 2020 will feature keynote speeches, fireside chats, presentations and panel discussions. Each one will offer important insights into the start-up ecosystem. The summit will be also an open learning space for entrepreneurs to increase their understanding of the investment strategies of angel investors, fund-raising strategies of successful entrepreneurs, term-sheet negotiation techniques, company valuations, due diligence checklists used by global investors, and ways to access co-investment funds.
Panel 1: Challenges of crowdfunding as a financial instrument to fill the equity gap in the early-stage phase of a startup venture
Panel 2: Innovative techniques to maximise startup potential: Building a disruptive entrepreneur-friendly community through multi-stakeholder engagement
Panel 3: Preparing an equity story for your startup venture: How to convert your jury member into an investor
Panel 4: What is the best finance for startups and scaleups?
Panel 5: Attitudes to entrepreneurial investment: Finding an investment that works for both investor and entrepreneur
Panel 6: Increasing the role of qualified mentors to boost the startup culture and early-stage equity markets
Global Woman Leaders Summit – WBAF 2020
The increasing role of women angel investor networks in early-stage equity markets
The Global Woman Leaders Summit – WBAF 2020 will explore the real reasons for the gender-based funding challenge, ways to overcome the challenge, ways that women founders – while lobbying for long-term change – can operate intelligently in the current ecosystems, how women can be coached on the realities of the market and which institutions should play a more active role in easing access to finance for women entrepreneurs.
Panel 1: Why women-owned startups are a better bet
Panel 2: Future trends: The increasing role of women angel investor networks in early-stage equity markets
Panel 3: Opportunities and challenges for women entrepreneurs in the global innovation value chain
Panel 4: Board Room: Empowering the world economy by including more women in company boards
Panel 5: Women emerging as strong leaders in the 21st century
Science, Technology & Innovation Summit – WBAF 2020 – Current challenges to entrepreneurial innovation financing, the chain of financing, equity gaps, and equity-based investments
The Science, Technology & Innovation Summit – WBAF 2020 will focus on current challenges to entrepreneurial innovation financing, the chain of financing, equity gaps, and equity-based investments. The discussants of the Summit will consider whether new types of investments such as international coin offerings (ICOs), crowdfunding, and angel investment can help bridge the equity gap in financing for innovative projects and under which conditions it is possible. They will also propose ways to bring more innovative ideas to market more quickly.
Panel 1: The financial challenge in the innovation chain: The funding gap between research and the market
Panel 2: The role of science and technology parks in creating a vibrant ecosystem to expedite getting innovative ideas to market
Panel 3: Launching an angel investor network for each science and technology park: A mechanism for accelerating the commercialization of innovative ideas and technology transfer
Panel 4: Developing a suitable intellectual property rights (IPR) strategy to achieve business plan targets: A roadmap for startups
Foreign Direct Investment FDI Summit – WBAF 2020
Seeking practical ways to develop a dialogue between FDI ecosystems and startup ecosystems
The Foreign Direct Investment Summit (FDI) – WBAF 2020 will seek practical ways to develop a dialogue between FDI ecosystems and startup ecosystems to empower local economies through co-investment and to develop innovative financial policies that will enhance the capabilities of FDI and startup investors. It will also explore ways to encourage the FDI ecosystem to engage with the startup economy and ways to create a global awareness about the benefits of collaboration between the world’s FDI economies and startup economies.
Panel 1: Leveraging the competitive advantages of investment promotion agencies and economic development boards in global startup value chain
Panel 2: Foreign direct investment in SMEs from startup to scaleup to exit to boost cross-border investments: How can startups and scaleups contribute to FDI growth?
Panel 3: New role for IPAs: Connecting local startups with global investment markets, easing access to smart finance, and increasing a country’s FDI
Panel 4: Leading and driving the FDI process for startup businesses: A step-by-step road map for investment promotion agencies and economic development boards
GFRS 2020 – Global Fundraising Stage
Helping the next generation of great companies move forward
At this gathering of angel investors — the world’s biggest angel investment forum — the World Business Angels Investment Forum wants to give 100 start-ups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses an opportunity to connect with hundreds of highly qualified angel investors from five continents. We are therefore allocating a special area at WBAF 2020, where 100 start-ups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses will each have a designated area to showcase their business. They will thus have exposure to highly qualified angel investors, family office executives, co-investment fund managers, angel investment group directors, corporate venture executives, accelerator executives, technopark investment directors and venture capitalists. The mission is to showcase the world’s top start-ups and scale-ups, which, typically, are funded companies in the process of raising of funds with the aim of globalizing. The Global Fundraising Stage 2020 will essentially be a co-investment platform for angel investors, start-ups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses. In addition to opening an exhibition booth, each team will be asked to make a 3-minute pitch to investors on the Global Pitching Stage.
FDI Stage 2020 – Invest in This Country!
Invest-in-This-Country presentations on the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Stage
The Foreign Direct Investment Stage (FDI) is a global convergence of various entities ranging from economic development board leaders to investment promotion agency executives, all of whom come to share with global investors the unique opportunities in their respective countries. The FDI Stage is tasked with identifying emerging trends and furthering the Forum’s mission of easing access to finance for projects that have high potential for delivering a good return on investment.
WBAF 2020 offers a unique occasion to selected investment promotion agencies and economic development boards to present opportunities in their countries for global investors on the FDI Stage on18 February.
QBAC+ Angel Investor Executive Programme
The next cohort of the certification program will start immediately after WBAF 2020
An intensive course will be held in Istanbul at the Swissotel The Bosphorus 19 – 21 February, which will provide an opportunity to be recognised as Qualified Angel Investor. For anyone new to angel investing, this is an invaluable course that covers the most important aspects of investing and ways to avoid the pitfalls angel investors may encounter.
- This course is for professionals (including CEOs) from listed companies or anyone who has an entrepreneurial background
- university students, start-ups, and entrepreneurs who want to learn what angel investors are looking for when they are planning to invest in new businesses,
- directors of business angel networks, acceleration and incubation centres and technoparks, and
- anyone who wants to set up a business angel network or create a business angel investment group.
Master Classes & Workshops 2020
Fostering the kind of creative thinking that leads to innovation by open learning and skill development
The WBAF Business School offers a wide variety of workshops at WBAF 2020, using a range of inputs (case studies, panel discussions, and presentations, to name a few), all of which encourage active participation and interaction on the part of those attending.The WBAF 2020 Masterclasses & Workshops serve not just business angels; all types of stakeholders are welcome, ranging from entrepreneurs and SMEs to banks and stock exchanges to incubation and acceleration centres. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the development of skills and expertise and to foster the kind of creative thinking that leads to innovation and eventual success in the ever-changing market environment of the 21st century.
World Excellence Awards 2020
Saluting those who stand out in imagining, discussing, and shaping the future of an entrepreneurial world
With its Excellence Awards, the World Business Angels Investment Forum looks beyond borders. It seeks to promote and nurture start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses, SMEs, angel investors, and a dynamic business community throughout the world. From business angels to policymakers to academics, the Awards salute those who stand out in imagining, discussing, and shaping the future of an entrepreneurial world. Given the diverse challenges the world is facing in the twenty-first century, it is important to recognise that entrepreneurship and angel investment can have a major impact on our future, offering new ways to increase economic opportunities and to foster social justice. The World Excellence Awards of WBAF 2020 will be presented to the winners at the VIP Gala Dinner on the evening of 17 February 2020 after a VIP Reception and Red Carpet Walking.
About World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF)
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) is an international organisation aiming to ease access to finance for businesses from start-up to scale-up, with the ultimate goal of generating more jobs and more social justice worldwide.
