Over the last two decades, the world has experienced a ‘startup revolution’, and over the last decade, OECD countries have successfully developed an ecosystem for technology startups. With the U.S. still producing the vast majority of success stories, the challenge in Europe and Canada has become what to do about the next stage of the entrepreneurial development process: scaling up.
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum is committed to empowering early-stage equity markets. As a step toward this goal, they have included in the agenda of the World Congress of Angel Investors a number of particularly relevant events: a Take Invest Summit, a Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS) and Workshops for Startups. These will take place on 18 and 19 February 2019 in Istanbul. The mission is to showcase the top startups and scale-ups in OECD economies. These are, typically, funded companies that are in the process of raising €500K–€3M and that are aiming to globalize.
For the first time ever, the World Business Angels Investment Forum opens its main stage to startups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses at the Global Fundraising Stage and the Take Invest Summit. The mission is to showcase these businesses, which, typically, are funded companies in the process of raising €500K – €3M, with the aim of globalizing. The Take Invest Summit 2019, on the other hand, is essentially a co-investment and insights exchange platform for angel investors, entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses.
Connecting Startups and Scale-ups with Angel Investors: Helping the Next Generation of Great Companies Move Forward
On 18–19 February 2019, important angel investors of the world will come together in Istanbul at the annual conference of the World Business Angels Investment Forum with the goal of creating new ways for startups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses to access finance. At this gathering of angel investors—the biggest angel investment forum in the world—WBAF gives 66 start-ups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses an opportunity to connect with hundreds of highly qualified angel investors from five continents.
GFRS Global Fundraising Stage
For the first time ever, the World Business Angels Investment Forum opens its main stage to startups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses by allocating a special area within the World Business Angels Investment Forum, where 66 startups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses will each have a 4-square-metre 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 startups and scale-ups, which, typically, are funded companies that are in the process of raising €500K – €3M, and that are aiming to globalize. The Take Invest Summit 2019 is essentially a co-investment platform for angel investors, startups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses.
More information about GFRS is available here https://wbaf2019.istanbul/GFRS-2019-About
The Take Invest Summit of the World Congress of Angel Investors 2019 – Istanbul: A meeting point for smart finance, co-investments, open learning, and skill development
The Take Invest Summit 2019 is an important meeting point where carefully selected startups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses can connect with some of the most influential angel investors, co-investment fund managers, VCs, and private equities from around the world.
Aside from presentations by renowned thought leaders in the field of entrepreneurship and global angel investment, the summit will feature keynote speeches, fireside chats, presentations and panel discussions. Each one will offer important insights into the start-up ecosystem. The summit will also be an open learning space for entrepreneurs to increase their understanding of the investment strategies of angel investors, fundraising strategies of successful entrepreneurs, term-sheet negotiation techniques, company valuations, due diligence checklists of global investors, and ways to access co-investment funds.
Here is the agenda of the Take Invest Summit 2019 in the World Congress of Angel Investors.
Key Concepts for Start-ups: Understanding the Investment Strategies of Angel Investors, Angel Investor Groups, VCs, Private Equity Funds and Co-Investment Funds
This panel will focus on how we can increase open learning space opportunities for entrepreneurs to expand their understanding of the investment strategies of angel investors, the 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.
Increasing the Financial Inclusion of Migrants Through Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Migrants and hosting countries alike will benefit from increased financial inclusion of migrants. Migrants are keen risk-takers with a unique mindset who are able to empower economies in the pursuit of their dreams. As a natural outcome of increasing their financial inclusion, they will be more engaged with local economies, which in turn will mean more jobs, more social justice and increased revenue for governments. Migrants from Turkey in Germany are a good example. Migration to Germany started in the 1970s, and in the late 1990s, 50,000 Turkish migrant entrepreneurs had created 185,000 new jobs in Germany. The total amount of revenue generated by Turkish entrepreneurs in Germany is around 10 billion EUR. This panel discussion will focus on the question of how world economies can turn the ambitions of entrepreneurial migrants into a win-win scenario.
A New Road Map for Start-Up Ventures: Taking Into Account Changes in the Role of the Internet — from Information to Services to Values
From a technical point of view, the internet has evolved from the ‘internet of information’ to the ‘internet of services’ and is currently taking another step towards becoming the ‘internet of values’. This third phase focuses on standards around blockchain, digital payments and other areas for the exchange of value. This new of role of internet also affects the focal points of start-ups and leads to different types of start-up ventures that accommodate and derive benefit from this change. This panel will focus on the start-up ecosystem’s response to the expanding role of the internet and will explore the opportunities that are on the way for start-ups and scale-ups.
Enhancing Innovative Cultures Through Entrepreneurship: Innovation Education for Non-Business Students and Founders of Start-Ups, Scale-Ups and High-Growth Businesses
The past decades have seen a rapid increase in the offerings of entrepreneurship education worldwide. There is an explicit political agenda—both nationally and internationally— to promote entrepreneurship education at all levels of school systems. Policymakers expect entrepreneurial skills to be the key to developing an innovative culture, which in turn will result in higher competitiveness and economic growth. Educational systems and teaching methods must therefore move from traditional educational models to creative, interactive and student-centred ones that will prepare students to meet the challenges of the future. This panel will offer a unique opportunity for researchers, educators and politicians to share their experiences with the major challenges and advances in enterprise education, with a special focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.
