Invest Europe
Investors’ Forum 2026
Conferences
Geneva, Switzerland
•
18-19 Mar 2026
The Investors’ Forum is the annual flagship event of Invest Europe. The forum brings together leading LPs and GPs for an exceptional conference that is recognised throughout the private equity industry for the quality of its content and the calibre of its delegates.
Agenda
Programme Task Force
Sofie Kulp-Tåg
Senior Investment Manager, Private Equity, Skandia
Merrick McKay
Partner and Head of Private Equity for Global Private Markets Solutions, Patria
Philipp Patschkowski
Managing Director, Neuberger Berman
Valentina Franceschini
Partner, Wise Equity
Louis Godron
Managing Partner, Argos
All arriving delegates are invited to a Welcome Cocktail on March 17 at the Hotel President Wilson, from 18:00 to 20:00.
*All time in CET
Performance Day: 18 Mar 2026
Fundraising Day: 19 Mar 2026
09:00 – 09:15
Welcome
Eric de Montgolfier CEO, Invest Europe
Elias Korosis Invest Europe Chair - Global Investment Partner, Federated Hermes Private Equity
Helen Steers Conference Co-Chair - Partner, Pantheon
09:15 – 10:30
Performance in Private Equity: where are we?
Private equity and venture capital confidence recovered in the second half of 2025 after renewed trade and geopolitical challenges weighed on European fundraising and caused investment and exit activity to contract in the first six months of the year. Invest Europe surveys in partnership with the EIF and Arthur D Little showed that VC and private equity GPs were increasingly optimistic about fundraising, investment, and exits, while 40% of LPs were more drawn to Europe due to uncertainty created by the US administration and its tariff policy. Long-term outperformance by European buyout and venture funds adds another incentive for investors considering capital deployment. We take a deep dive into the latest data and draw on the experiences of leading practitioners to paint a picture of where the European private equity and venture capital industry stands today, and to project its path forward.
T. Bondurant French Chairman, Adams Street Partners
Ivan Vercoutere Managing Partner, CIO, LGT Capital Partners
10:30 – 11:00
Networking Break
11:00 – 11:45
Decoding value creation: beyond multiple expansion
Investors are interrogating the source of value creation more deeply than ever. For the majority of GPs, operational improvement and support at portfolio companies is consistently a core focus, with managers considering organic growth, portfolio company acquisitions, and additive strategies including the application of AI to company processes. Yet, multiple expansion and leverage remain important contributors to returns and part of the value creation matrix. We ask, how are GPs actually generating returns to investors? What is the real role of operational improvement in driving value creation? And how can private equity firms achieve higher valuations in periods of multiple contraction?
Eric de Montgolfier CEO, Invest Europe
Alexandre Flavier Partner, Hg
Martin Huth Firm Managing Partner, Triton
Dirk Markus Founding Partner, AURELIUS
Nicolas Slim Partner, Growth Equity, InfraVia Capital Partners
11:45 – 12:30
European mid-market buyouts: a mass Darwinian event, or another pendulum swing?
Europe’s mid-market is a unique strength. The segment is characterised by a deep pool of experienced managers present across the continent, creating best-in-class companies in critical sectors including IT, business products and services, and health. Invest Europe data shows Europe’s mid-market returning 17.05% since inception to the end of 2024, higher than North American peers and other segments of Europe’s buyouts industry. Europe’s mid-market also gives investors access to fast-growing private businesses found nowhere else in the world, with a deep potential investment pool of 32 million SMEs and 240,000 mid-sized enterprises. However, in a bifurcating market, where large managers get larger and others specialise, European mid-market GPs are experiencing mixed fortunes. Is consolidation, or even extinction, inevitable for many in the industry? Or is a renaissance on the cards as investors seek out the alpha that mid-sized managers can generate?
Louis Godron Managing Partner, Argos Fund
Carolina Espinal Managing Director, HarbourVest
Sofie Kulp-Tåg Senior Investment Manager, Private Equity, Skandia
Merrick McKay Partner and Head of Private Equity for Global Private Markets Solutions, Patria
12:30 – 14:00
Networking Lunch
14:00 – 14:50
LP-only Roundtable: How should GP capabilities in AI influence LP capital allocation decisions?
Marleen Dijkstra Managing Director, Carlyle AlpInvest
14:00 – 14:50
Roundtable: Emerging trends in fund terms and structuring, negotiation levers, and what genuinely moves the needle for LPs and GPs
Chris Elson Partner, Proskauer
Jorn de Ruijter Head of IR, Partner, Main Capital Partners
14:00 – 14:50
Roundtable: When Brussels moves markets: capitalising on regulatory momentum
Martin Bresson Public Affairs Director, Invest Europe
15:00 – 15:50
Roundtable: AI’s impact across the investment chain: from sourcing and due diligence to portfolio value creation and productivity
Valentina Franceschini Partner, Wise Equity
Nenad Marovac Founder, Managing Partner, DN Capital
15:00 – 15:50
Roundtable: Continuation funds & Secondaries: market dynamics, investor expectations, and how to assess quality in a fast-evolving segment
André Aubert Partner, LGT Capital Partners
Alexandre Armbruster Head of Private Equity & Infrastructure funds, Caisse des Dépôts
Patrice Verrier Managing Partner, Abenex
15:00 – 15:50
Roundtable: Deal-by-Deal models: reassessing the relevance of deal-by-deal approaches in a constrained fundraising environment
Christiaan de Lint Managing Partner, Headway Capital Partners LLP
Fabien Rizzi Managing Director, Céleste Management
15:50 – 16:15
Networking Break
16:15 – 17:00
Creating value with ESG: how climate and decarbonisation strategies contribute to returns
ESG best practices and climate standards remain firmly embedded in European private equity and venture capital, driven by continued demand from investors, despite the Trump administration’s rollback of sustainability and climate disclosures for business in the US. The vast majority of GPs and LPs in Europe intend to put the same attention or more on ESG in the near term, Invest Europe’s 2025 sentiment survey with Arthur D Little found. Sustainability and climate initiatives in Europe extend far beyond reporting to investors and regulators, with increasing evidence that holistic approaches including decarbonisation drive higher profits, valuations, and returns to investors. Through case studies and data, we shine a spotlight on climate and energy transition strategies at portfolio companies to demonstrate how value creation and ESG go hand in hand.
Erika Blanckaert Senior Public Affairs Manager - Head of Sustainability, Invest Europe
Bertrand Camus Partner, Summa Equity
Nino Tronchetti Povera Managing Partner & Founder, Ambienta
17:00 – 17:30
EIF Performance Data: a view of the latest data and insights from the EIF
As Europe’s largest investor in VC funds, the European Investment Fund has an unmatched portfolio of equity investments that spans all regions of Europe and beyond, as well as all stages of venture capital and lower mid-market private equity. With over three decades of investment experience, the EIF has built expert focuses on life sciences, cleantech, ICT, and more recently AI. Deputy CIO and Head of Equity Investments Uli Grabenwarter shares the latest data on European VC performance, as well as thought-provoking insights into the continent’s start-up ecosystem and its future.
Uli Grabenwarter Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Head of Equity Investments, EIF
17:30 – 17:45
Day 1 Wrap-up
Helen Steers Conference Co-Chair - Partner, Pantheon
18:15 – 18:30
Departure to reception & dinner Bus transfer
19:00 – 20:30
Drinks Reception (By invitation only)
Le Cube
20:30 – 22:30
LP/GP Rotating Networking Dinner (By invitation only)
Le Cube