11 Oct 2019
Investors, VC fund managers and entrepreneurs will meet in Paris next week to discuss how to encourage more investment into Europe’s booming start-up scene in order to create more European champions.
In 2018, European venture capital raised €11.4 billion and invested €8.2 billion into companies, both record amounts for an industry that goes from strength to strength. It was also a stand-out year for exits, as the listings of music streaming market leader Spotify and Dutch payment processor Adyen cemented European VC’s position on the global stage. Activity has continued strongly in 2019 with the recent IPO of Germany's BionTech, a pioneer in cancer immunotherapy treatments, and the sale of rare diseases specialist Therachon to Pfizer.
To mark the step-change in the industry, Invest Europe, the association representing the European VC industry and its global investors, is returning to Paris for its annual Venture Capital Forum, which will be held at the Verso Conference Centre in the heart of the city on 16 and 17 October. The Venture Capital Forum is for investors and VC fund managers and focuses on how to support an evolving European VC industry that is creating larger funds, making bigger investments and generating improved performance.
The packed programme is designed to encourage knowledge and best practice sharing among industry participants. It includes discussions on hot topics for the VC industry and investors, such as:
Attendees at the Venture Capital Forum will hear about European VC performance from Uli Grabenwarter, Director for Equity Investments at the European Investment Fund, Europe’s leading VC investor. They will also receive insights into European and US VC trends from Ross Morrison, Partner at Adams Street Partners, one of the world’s oldest private markets investment management services firms.
Pascal Cagni, French Ambassador for International Investment and Chairman of the Board of Business France, and Lionel Assant, Senior Managing Director and European Head of Private Equity at Blackstone, will deliver keynote speeches.
“European venture capital goes from strength to strength,” said Thierry Baudon, Invest Europe’s Chair. “With top companies like Spotify, Adyen and Therachon hitting the headlines, investors are realising this is an opportunity they can’t afford to miss. Ensuring that more investor capital can flow into innovative start-ups to support them throughout their growth journeys is a top priority.”
In addition to informative speeches and panels, Invest Europe’s Venture Capital Forum provides great opportunities for industry networking. During the conference, Invest Europe has organised a number of events to bring investors, fund managers and entrepreneurs together, including the LP/VC Rotating Networking Dinner, and a cocktail reception at the Hôtel de Matignon, hosted by French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe.
For more details on Invest Europe’s Venture Capital Forum, visit the official website.
A limited number of free press passes are available for the event. Members of the press should contact the Invest Europe media team.
Media enquiries For more information please contact
Eric Drosin
Communications Director
Elena Díaz Ureta
Communications Manager – Media & External Relations
You can accept or refuse cookies. Accepting cookies is usually the best way to make sure you get the best from a website.
Most PCs automatically accept them but you can change your browser settings to restrict, block or delete cookies if you want. Each browser is different, so check the 'Help' menu of your particular browser (or your mobile phone's handset manual) to learn how to change your cookie preferences. Many browsers have universal privacy settings for you to choose from.
How to manage cookies in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in most versions of Internet Explorer can be found by clicking the tools option and then the privacy tab.
How to manage cookies in Firefox
Cookie settings in Firefox are managed in the Options window's Privacy panel. See Options window - Privacy Panel for information on these settings.
How to manage cookies in Chrome
Click on the spanner icon on the toolbar, select settings, click the under the bonnet tab, click on content settings in the privacy section.
How to manage cookies in Opera
You can manage cookies in Opera if you Click on settings, then Preferences, then Advanced and finally Cookies
How to manage cookies in Safari
Choose Safari, then preferences and then click security. You should then be able to specify if and when Safari should accept cookies.
To manage cookies on your mobile phone please consult your manual or handbook.
Get more help about how cookies work with specific browsers.
If you decline cookies, some aspects of Invest Europe site may not work on your computer or mobile phone and you may not be able to access areas you want on the website. For this reason we recommend that you accept cookies.
If you delete all your cookies you will have to update your preferences with us again and some aspects of our site may not work.
If you use a different device, computer profile or browser you will have to tell us your preferences again.
If you'd like to learn more about cookies in general and how to manage them, visit aboutcookies.org.
We can't be responsible for the content of external websites.
Opt-out of cookiesThis is for members only. To view in full login or join Invest Europe today.
Find out more