European Business Angels Investment Forum: Enabling Startups to Look at the Big Stage

The Soho Loft Media Group supported the forum organized by EBAN, Business Angels Association - Turkey (TBAA), Borsa İstanbul, and Forbes I Para Conferences on December 15 - 16, 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey.
 
 
Shangri-La, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo credit to shangri-la.com
Shangri-La, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo credit to shangri-la.com
NEW YORK - Jan. 19, 2015 - PRLog -- The first European Business Angels Investment Forum was held at the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Hayrettin İskelesi Sk İstanbul,Turkey from 8am to 4pm. The forum’s theme was ‘Access to Finance from Start-up to Scale-up to Exits’. Two hundred eighty four (284)  angel investors from 36 countries, as well as university officials, professors, bankers, company officers and crowdfunding platforms’ owners attended this forum.

The Forum featured 2 International Investment Forums with  22 jury members from 16 countries; hosted 16 startups pitchings from 8 countries and 6 panels with 33 speakers; showcased 1 firechat with 3 speakers; enjoyed 13 keynote speeches, organised 2 EBAN Institute Trainings  with over 50 participants and 1 workshop. The Forum also included a  visit to Innovation Center of Istanbul Technical University.

David Drake, Chairman and Founder of Victoria Global, The Soho Loft Media Group and LDJ Capital,  says, “It is important that we recognize the importance of angel investments in  supporting startups.  The European Governments know the importance of angel investment in funding startups and early stage businesses in Europe, so they provide tax incentives to individuals that  back small businesses as well.”

Candace Johnson, EBAN President,  remarked "In Istanbul our TBAA colleagues bridged the gap between Stock Market Exchanges and Business Angels with a most thoughtful, insightful Investors Forum in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, majestically presented to all present with midnight tours and local culture.”

“It has been the greatest privilege for EBAN to work with the newly established MBAN and ABAN entities this last six months and we are so looking forward to a glorious 2015 where cross-border engagement will give way to cross-continent engagement and wonderful global EMEA Success Stories," Johnson added.

Baybars Altuntas, of the Turkey Business Angels Association (TBAA),  introduced the forum to the participants. Keynotes were given by  Dr M.Ibrahim Turhan, Chairman and CEO of  Borsa Istanbul and Dr Onder Halisdemir, Aktif Bank CEO & Board Member and Chairman of Group Companies, from  Turkey.

After the welcome addresses given by EBAN President Candace Johnson and Tuncel Sunar, the Executive Chairman of  Forbes I Para Conferences in Turkey, opening speeches followed.  Another keynote on “The role of secondary markets in the European Early Stage Investment & Entrepreneurship Ecosystem” was given by Dr.Mustafa Kemal Yılmaz, Executive Vice President of  Borsa Istanbul in Turkey.

Six panel discussions interspersed with keynotes followed after a networking lunch. These were on the following topics:

Panel  1: How can Stock Exchange Markets help to fill the equity gaps?
Panel  2: How to create successful public – private early stage co-investment funds?
Panel 3: Cooperation or Competition? : Are Licensed Equity Crowdfunding Platforms  a competitor of the Stock Exchange Markets?
Panel 4: The role of angel investors to convert public money into smart money
Panel 5: Insights from the Turkish Business Angel Networks
Panel 6: Accelerators 3.0: Do the startups need only finance?

The second day of the forum was held in the Istanbul Technical University Technopark.  An international investment forum was conducted for business angels. Moreover, the  EBAN Institute Trainings were held for business angel network managers, business angels and would-be-business angels.

The  EBAN Institute Certificate was given to  participants who have completed the second day’s full programme.

There were numerous speakers, and these  included:

Anne Glover,  EVCA  President
Ali Babacan, Deputy Prime Minister & Chief Minister for Economy of Turkey
Baybars Altuntas, Chair of the European Business Angels Investment Investment Forum
Burcak Guven, Editor-in-Chief of  Forbes Turkey
Candace Johnson, EBAN President
Dr. Ibrahim Turan, President of Istanbul Stock Exchange Market in Turkey
Per-Ove Engelbrecht, European Commission, Head of Unit, SME Access to Finance
Tuncel Sunar, President of Forbes l Para Conferences

For further details, please visit:

http://thesoholoft.com/conferences/tsl-attends-european-business-angels-investment-forum/

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Visit www.thesoholoft.com for more information on upcoming (http://thesoholoft.com/upcoming-conferences/) and past (http://thesoholoft.com/past-conferences/) events.

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The Soho Loft Media Group is a global financial media company with 3 divisions:

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Contact
David Drake
david@ldjcapital.com
09175789069
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