The World Congress WBAF 2020 of the World Business Angels Investment Forum – an affiliated partner of the G20 – in Istanbul on 17–18 February 2020 is an excellent opportunity to connect with more than 1500 delegates from multiple disciplines from over 100 countries.
WBAF 2020 is the biggest event of the world’s early and post-early stage equity and capital markets. It is a unique opportunity not only for angel investors, VCs and policymakers to exchange ideas on best practice and collaboration, but also for industry and business leaders to forge new connections and pursue business opportunities.
WBAF 2020 provides an established platform for executives of private equity funds, wealth management institutions, family offices, banks, stock exchanges, science and technology parks, incubation centres, acceleration centres, investment promotion agencies, economic development boards, chambers of commerce and industries, municipalities, innovation agents and industry bodies to further develop rich, meaningful global networks. The Congress therefore offers industry leaders global access to the best and the brightest in the business world.
WBAF 2020 introduces four new summits
Global Fundraising Summit / Global Woman Leaders Summit / Science, Technology & Innovation Summit / and FDI Summit.
Summits provide a unique platform for large organisations to lay out the challenges and opportunities they face to both local and international solution providers. They also offer an excellent opportunity for innovators, entrepreneurs, angel investors and researchers to connect with big players in the tech industry and in government to seek solutions to problems that impact communities around the world.
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 Fundraising Summit
Global Woman Leaders Summit
Science, Technology & Innovation Summit
Fintech Summit
CEO Investors Summit
FDI Summit
Grand Opening Ceremony
The Grand Opening Ceremony of the World Congress is an invitation-only event for 500 special guests from around the world. After the ceremony, there will be a Ministerial Round Table to address the critical issues and state of the world.
VIP lunches with ministers
WBAF 2020 will host VIP lunch discussions for 150 selected investors from around the world on both Monday and Tuesday. Presidents, prime ministers, ministers and mayors who attend the VIP lunches will deliver short speeches. These lunches open the way for networking with high-level guests of the World Business Angels Investment Forum.
Global Fundraising Stage for 100 selected entrepreneurs
WBAF 2020 is allocating a special area where selected 100 startups, scaleups, and high-growth businesses will each have an area to showcase their business and to pitch their businesses on the Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS) on 18 February.
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.
GFRS participants will have a free Investment Readiness Workshop from the WBAF Business School. They will also have a free one-on-one mentoring session with a qualified mentor of the World Business Angels Investment Forum.
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.
The WBAF Business School will offer, free of charge, 3 international workshops and 2 masterclasses
It is the position of the WBAF Business School that when investors have had the advantage of training in the best practices of negotiating deals for early-stage investment, they are in a better position to ensure a good return on their investments. With this in mind, the WBAF Business School offers a wide variety of training programmes using a range of input types (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 Business School wants to take advantage of the Congress to deliver free workshops and masterclasses to support participants’ professional development.
World Excellence Awards and VIP Gala Dinner
Through the World Excellence Awards, the World Business Angels Investment Forum celebrates high growth and success in the equity and capital market – recognising the fastest growing brands and acknowledging the founders, angel investors, crowd-funders and early-stage venture capital investors behind them.
Open to both companies,investors, NGOs, policy makers and public institutes, these awards recognise the year’s most disruptive new market entrants and provide a definitive list of the most exciting individuals and organisations to watch in the investment, equity and capital space.
World Excellence Awards 2020
Reception & VIP Gala Dinner, Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul
Monday, 17 February 7pm – 11pm
Qualified Angel Investor Course with a proficiency test (QBAC+) 18–20 February
QBAC+ has quickly gained global popularity, making its way from London to Doha and now Istanbul. Soon after the Qualified Angel Investor Course (QBAC+) concluded at the London Stock Exchange Group, development agencies in Turkey decided to make the programme available to their staff. Then the Qatar Development Bank hosted it in Doha. And now the programme is scheduled to run in Istanbul immediately after WBAF 2020. It is open to anyone wishing to become an angel investor. Even experienced angels have found it extremely valuable. Consider taking advantage of being in Istanbul for WBAF 2020 to also attend the QBAC+ course.
An impressive line-up of world renowned speakers
WBAF 2020 will be a unique opportunity to hear from and meet in person with an impressive line-up of world renowned speakers. Joining the Congress will be presidents of global business associations, executive directors of private equity funds and wealth management institutions, global woman leaders, current and former presidents, prime ministers and of many government ministers. Further internationally acclaimed speakers will be announced soon.
Registration is now open
Registration for the Congress is now open, and early-bird rates are available. Angel Investor Review encourages you to promote this opportunity to colleagues in your organisation and your wider network who would benefit from the tailored programme of WBAF 2020. To register now or for more information, please visit the WBAF 2020 official website: www.wbaf2020.istanbul
Maximising the opportunities for your organisation
Contact Ms Christina McGimpsey, Secretary General of the World Business Angels Investment Forum to discuss how you can maximise opportunities for your organisation at WBAF 2020. Her email is: Christina.McGimpsey@wbaforum.org
Looking forward to meeting you in person at the World Congress 2020 in Istanbul!
Baybars Altuntas, WBAF President says ‘‘I encourage every staholder of the entrepreneurship and investment ecosystem to be part of the discussion on shaping the 2020 agenda of the world equity and capital markets. I firmly believe by working together across borders, with a common vision, and with these smart dynamics in mind, we are well placed to bring about positive change in the global economy.”
More about the Congress: www.wbaf2020.istanbul
