MIT New Colossus Project’s Post

As we wrap up another successful year with our #engagedinvestment conference, we reflect on our journey across the Central and Eastern Europe (#CEE) region, connecting ecosystems, networks, and investors. Despite the region's immense potential, fragmentation remains a challenge, with a multitude of countries, hubs, and local investors. Our aim is to foster a cohesive community of investors who see the region as a whole, not just individual countries.   We understand that our vision may not appeal to all, as local investments come with their own advantages. However, we're looking for those select few who are excited about opportunities beyond their local boundaries. If you're an investor who values diverse deals, our Engaged conference is the annual gathering for you.   At Engaged, we prioritize the needs of our investors. A key feature of our conference is deal-sharing, and this year, we've added an extra day for a Start-up Fair. This is a unique opportunity for investors to showcase start-ups they've invested in or are considering for investment. It's a platform to discover incredible co-investors and follow-on investors. The best deals often come from those you know and trust, making networking and trust-building a central aspect of our event.   But our conference offers more than just networking. Join us for engaging discussions on crucial investment topics, led by distinguished speakers and panelists. From the perspective of angel investors, VCs, and LPs, we'll delve into technical aspects, effective utilization of the region's potential, and investment strategies in specific verticals like Space Tech, Impact, Deep Tech, and Defence. Plus, with our interactive workshops, everyone gets to participate.   ❗ With just two weeks left and limited spots available, now is the perfect time to register if you haven’t already. Be part of our Engaged community, and let's unlock the vast potential of the CEE region together! Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN) Latvian Business Angels Network Lithuanian Business Angel Network LitBAN Hungarian Business Angel Network COBIN Angels Growceanu TechAngels Romania CEO Angels Club Business Angels of Slovenia Ivo Remmelg Lev Dolgatsjov Mikk Orglaan Donatas Dailide 🎯 PawelZylm Michal M. Bas Robert Ditrych Rita Sakus Kimmo Irpola Susan Kim-Chomicka Szabolcs Szakacsits Nikolay Nedelchev Lenard Horgos 💫 Ciprian Man Antal Karolyi Peter Csillag Alex Burciu Sandu Babasan Peter Balogh Cosmin Curticapean Malin-Iulian Stefanescu Milen Ivanov Bartek Pucek Janusz Diemko Justinas Pasys Gytenis Galkis Viktorija Trimbel Rok Habinc Nina Dremelj Matjaž Bavdek https://lnkd.in/gPqvDC_v

80 start-ups and over 100 investors has so far participated at Nordic Fund Day – we are now excited to announce the date and location for your favourite startup & investor event once again ... 🥁 🥁 🥁 Where: Amsterdam When: 30 October 2024 We're so excited to welcome you to the eighth Nordic Fund Day, where we gather the most promising Nordic start-ups, solving challenges related to our urban environments and our international financial network. This year we’re bringing the event to Amsterdam, with the aim of connecting Nordic companies with the even more European investors 🇳🇱🌷 Interessted? 1. Have a look at the recap video below from our last Nordic Fund Day 🎬 2. Check the link in the comments for more information 💡 3. Sign up as an investor 👋🏻 4. Apply as a startup before 1 September 💬 Got any ideas about who should we talk to in the Netherlands? Let us know! - Emilie Martinsen Christensen, Jørn Haanæs, KOMPAS VC, LUMO Labs, ClimatePoint

I’m grateful for the opportunity to take part in the Estonian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EstVCA) #balticVCAsummit last week. Here are my takeaways from two days of stimulating panels and discussions among veterans of the CEE capital market: ▫ Europe’s PE Industry does better on job creation than the average for the economy. ▫ Climate-related investments are the new sweet spot for value creation, but they remain underrepresented in PE funds’ strategies. ▫ AI is the future – but as a support tool, not a replacement for human fund managers. ▫ Only 7.4% of capital goes to startups with female founders, showing a sharp contrast between this sector and the region’s economy overall: in general, CEE does better than Western Europe on female workforce participation.

Zoomed to CEE 🔍 Is CEE region outside the investment focus of the general western VCs? 🤔What are the challenges CEE founders face when attracting the western capital? 🤑 This is the actual topic, which we believe need to be addressed in higher frequency from both sides - the west VCs perspective and CEE VCs perspective. And why so? 🤔 We witness higher risk-aversion in investing in countries and cultures we understand less. 😲 But is such behavior rational, or are investors losing the lucrative returns when not backing CEE startups? 😥 Our principal David P. will discuss it with Linda Võeras from Karma Ventures and Iwona Cymerman from FundingBox Deep Tech Fund at SpinLab - The HHL Accelerator event in Leipzig next Spinlab #Investors Day. 🥳 We are persuaded that understanding the pros of investing in CEE is crucial for being less risk-averse and overall lead to better investment returns for everyone. 🚀🏆

Only one week away from the Inaugural Texas Venture Gala & Forum, April 12-13, 2024! Texas is one of the most collaborative ecosystems out there. But the explosive growth across our great state has created an environment where it's hard to even know who is here. This event will finally bring everyone together in the same room. We're excited to have special guest speakers from the highest levels of the Texas State Government, the statewide venture community, and capital allocators of all types. The Texas Venture Gala & Forum Breakfast Keynote will be kicked off by the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's Executive Director, Adriana Cruz, followed by a variety of investors on breakout sessions throughout the day. Venture capitalists, LPs, corporates, heads of angel networks from across the state, family offices, emerging managers, incubators, accelerators, city chambers & economic development corporation startup funds, and more will all be present. Additionally, top leaders from the Texas State Legislature and the CEOs of the Texas Higher Education Commission, Texas Economic Development Corporation, and the Texas State Chamber of Commerce will be speaking at the event. This is a momentous occasion for our community, and we've never had a moment like this before. Get more information and purchase tickets/tables at https://lnkd.in/g694idr3. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect and collaborate with the best in Texas' growth and innovation ecosystem. #texas #growth #innovation #venturecapital #localgovernment #investors #capitalallocation Texas Venture Alliance Texas Venture Fest (formerly the Texas Venture Crawl) CS Freeland Glenn Hamer Marc J. Adesso

📣 Chalmers Ventures' Ana Maria Popescu & Louise Brudö featured on Breakit's list of 151 female investors in Swedish startups! 🌟 We're thrilled that our two brilliant Investment Directors, Popescu Ana Maria (Head of Venture Creation & Pre-seed Investment), and Louise Brudö (Investment Director), have been recognized on Breakit's list of 151 Female Investors in Swedish Startups! 👏 It's a great initiative to shine a spotlight on the need for diversity and assist more startup founders in finding their next investor, and to provide new challengers with additional perspectives beyond their existing networks. 🤩 👏 With that in mind we want to take the opportunity to highlight all the brilliant female investors in our team: ⭐️ Evelina Stoli Wängberg (Pre-seed Investment Manager) ⭐️ Sofia Kocher (Seed Investment Manager) ⭐️ Linda Hedenblom (Seed Investment Manager) To read the full article, check out the 🔗 in the comments below.👇 📸: Breakit ...... #ChalmersVentures #deeptechinvestor #impact #deeptech #Breakit #femaleleadership #techinvestors #sustainability #femaleinvestors

We heard you, and we're on our way! 🇺🇸 If you're thinking of starting or investing in a business, RSVP now to learn more from two of the best in the PH startup scene. This event is open to founders, investors, operators, and anyone interested in startup innovation in the Philippines. 🌍 #founders #investors #operators #startup #innovation #Philippines

Join us for Start-up Meet up Tuesday 21 November for round table peer discussions and expert advice on some key topics: 💡 Building an investor syndicate for life sciences companies ❓Know your VC - what does their side of the table look like? ❓What does “investor ready” mean – and are you? ❓What challenges do you face when scaling a small biotech? 💡How curated innovation ecosystems can help accelerate cures 💡Engaging and partnering with big pharma as a small biotech ❓ What is the value of values-based recruitment?

Why shall I never pitch in my first meeting with investors? Is it just to be contrarian and be different from everyone else? Nope. I never understood why I shall I never pitch in the first meeting until a founder pitched to me in our first meeting. Lately, I've been scouting for VCs in the MENA region and the UK. So, I've been meeting and connecting with a lot of startup founders. I do my due diligence, because I put my reputation on the line regarding the founders that I introduce to VCs. I personally need to have strong conviction towards them to introduce them. Some founders have great companies, expertise, and traction. But the moment they screen share their pitch deck and pitch, I instantly lose conviction and interest, even if they are populating Mars 😬 I don't know why. I believe because it is a bit awkward, as in, I expect us to have a fruitful conversation. I'd like to know what was the reason that led them to start this company. Their hero story, what are their motivations? I've did this multiple times when I was a founder (pitching in the first meeting), and most of the time, it didn't go well. The only time it went well was when I built a relationship with the fund manager and few other people in the IC. I didn't have someone tell me all this as a first-time founder. I'm not glad I blurted out everything in the first meeting with investors, but it sure was fun 😅 Again, a picture of The GrEEK Campus, where I blurted out everything in the first meeting with investors.