Invest Europe marks vibrant European VC scene at Paris conference

• Invest Europe’s Venture Capital Forum takes place in Paris on 16 & 17 October
• Experts to discuss next steps for expanding European VC industry

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:

• France as a Blueprint for European VC Evolution – With French VC fundraising tripling over the last five years, experts identify the reasons behind the success, as well as the lessons that can be applied to other countries and regions around Europe.
• LPs on VC: Capitalising on the Momentum – A group of experienced investors discuss the evolution of European VC and ways to sustain growth and performance in the future.
• Industry Transformation: Increasing Ticket Sizes and New Models – The debate tackles ways of driving growth equity and other funding sources that can provide later-stage support for European start-ups.

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.