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The Investors’ Forum is the annual flagship event of Invest Europe.

Every journey starts with a decisive step. Invest Europe’s ESG KPIs study is an ambitious project and does require time and effort from firms.

2023 was a landmark year for Invest Europe as we celebrated our 40th anniversary with events, new publications and communications that highlighted private equity and venture capital’s contribution to Europe’s economy and society.

Private equity and venture capital is about building better businesses that create jobs, sustain communities, drive economic growth, and address climate change and sustainability issues, while generating value that translates into returns to support European savers and pensioners in retirement.

“The industry is providing an immense contribution to innovation. If you look at all sectors, most of the innovations today come from startups.”

What's the role of private equity and venture capital in Europe?

What has private equity and venture capital taught you? Resilience; Positivism; How to always look at the world in a transformational way

What has private equity and venture capital taught you? “You have to be humble, patient, kind, disciplined and prudent. It’s a complex balancing act.”

"How can private equity and venture capital shape a better tomorrow? By addressing some of the key challenges society is facing: social, environmental and geopolitical.”

“We have done a very good job of solving first-world problems with technology. The biggest opportunity now is in using technology to solve the world’s biggest challenges.”

“The role of the industry today is to make new technologies emerge. We are helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals and their dreams.”

What is private equity and venture capital’s role in Europe?“We need to adapt to a purpose-driven investment approach, where we are aware of the role we have to play to bring about sustainability.”

How can private equity and venture capital shape a better tomorrow?“By investing with values and with purpose.”

Patrick Polak, Partner of Newion Partners and Board Member and Member of the Venture Capital Platform Council of Invest Europe, looks at how Europe’s entrepreneurial talent, combined with a growing track record of scaling business globally, has driven the continents start-ups forward and will lead to even greater venture capital success stories in the future.