Panel: The State of Venture and Angel Investment in Europe
Entrepreneurs will hear directly from local investors about what is getting funded today, what are typical terms and what can the entrepreneur expect when fundraising in today’s market. Conversations will be led by VCs, Angels and Corporate Business Development experts and moderated by a seasoned legal expert active in negotiating in the current business climate for startups.
Workshop: Leadership, Relationships and the Role of the Startup Executive
It has been proven that entrepreneurs can be made. Raising capital and pursuing high growth is all knowable and learnable. What is the role of the founder in growing in to the entrpreneur leader. This session will focus on the key attributes of effective executive leadership and the importance of building lasting business relationships that lead to success (Confidence, Networking (deliberate/effective networking), Decision making, Execution, Being comfortable with your role as leader/having fun!).
Workshop: Resources for Creating Investor Presentations
Entrepreneurs will gain an understanding of the best practices for investor presentations with a focus on how to articulate your company as an attractive investment opportunity. Included in this session will be the essentials for presentations to angels, venture capitalists and strategic investors.
Facilitators: Irene Bejenke Walsh, Managing Director, MessageLab Simone Brummelhuis, Founder, CEO, The Next Women
Roundtable: Developing a Blueprint for Today's Market
This session will help entrepreneurs gain a fundamental understanding of how investors evaluate investment opportunities; how they evaluate the structure of a company, the team, the market opportunity, IP and the business model.
Panelists: Catherine Beech, OBE, The Sage Group Sally Goodsell, Chief Executive Officer, Finance South East Melanie Perkins, Lead Manager, The Aspire Fund
Workshop: Mitigating Risk
Entrepreneurs will learn to view the inherent risks within their business as seen by a potential investor or strategic partner. Risk elements include: founder, market, competitor, timing, financing, marketing, distribution, technology, products, hiring.
Facilitator: Chris Blake Emma Loisel
Panel: Own Your Financials Panel
Financials are essential to both a successful business and fundraising. This session will prepare the entrepreneur for the first and subsequent meetings with investors. Participants will learn the terms and skills needed to create a defensible financial picture of the company helping them to better articulate and defend the business model and strategy.
Panelists: David Bloom, Managing Director, fd unlimited Paul Kelly, Interim Finance Director, Triquetra Anna Sofat, Founder, Addidi
Workshop: Tax Essentials for the Entrepreneur
From how to structure your business as the most tax efficient investment vehicle to R&D tax credits, this interactive workshop will ensure that the entrepreneur is tasked with the key tax essentials. Led by tax specialists, the workshop will also include important tax housekeeping items and the importance of correctly implemented share schemes to incentivise management. Through case studies, entrepreneurs will leave being tax aware.
Panel: How and why to prepare your company from Day One for Due Diligence
Through examples, the panelists of investors will highlight common mistakes in the formation and structure of companies and the failure to anticipate the due diligence process. You will learn the foundation needed to build a successful high growth company, including managing data and records with the future in mind. The panelists will also discuss the importance of working with your team and advisors and building a long term relationship between the investor, CEO and founders.
Panelists: Maria Dramaloiti-Taylor, Founder and Managing Partner, Protos Capital David Gee, CEO, TTP Ventures Alex Hoye, Chief Executive Officer, Latitude Group Dominique Valentiny, Independent Investor and Consultant, Valentiny Advisory Services Jon Vollemaere, Founder and CEO, Vollume
Workshop: Setting Your Company Up For Successful Due Diligence
Entrepreneurs need to prepare for the standard questions and have specific company documents readily accessible for the due diligence process. This will be a working session with a standard due diligence check list to identify the process and the necessary components. The workshop will be run by a legal professional with in-depth experience of managing the due diligence process on behalf of their investor and company clients.
Panel: Navigating the Corporates or “Dancing with Elephants”
This roundtable will help the entrepreneur identify opportunities and successfully navigate the maze of the multinational corporate structure to win them as customers, strategic partners and potential acquirers. Panelists will include corporate executives and corporate innovation teams and will offer a rare opportunity for the entrepreneur to engage with the key people influencing decisions today.
Workshop: Partnership Deals - Which Ones are Worth Doing, Which Ones Aren't
Strategic partnerships and collaborations present themselves during the development of business. This session will delve into the strategic pursuit of potential partners and collaborators. Experts from the business development, venture and banking world weigh in on this critical topic.
Facilitators: Maria Dramaloiti-Taylor, Founder and Managing Partner, Protos Capital Marilyn Huckerby, Director, SEEDA Sarah Ryan
Workshop: Effective Communications for the Entrepreneur
In today’s complex world of communication, PR opportunities are endless. However, every entrepreneur should adopt a strategic and informed approach. This workshop will not only discuss what every entrepreneur should be thinking about in relation to PR and marketing but, importantly, when and how. This interactive session is led by Isabel Fox, founder IF Communications, a dynamic independent PR agency specialising in innovation, venture capital, technology, telecoms, mobile and media.
