Global Partners

 
BondPR Worldwide is a global communications firm currently managing PR campaigns in over 50 countries for clients such as Autodesk, BroadVision, ClickSoftware, Dell SonicWall and Regus. BondPR offers streamlined, seamless and scalable campaigns through one point of contact, making world-class global PR available to technology and business to business clients without the hassle and overhead typically associated with international PR agencies. This makes it very interesting for Start-Ups that want to roll out internationally with fast results and high ROI. BondPR Worldwide is structured around a “One Team” approach. One Team means one central point of contact, one senior ‘go to’ consultant dedicated to ensuring your campaign is orchestrated and conducted to the same high standards everywhere in the world. The business model is based on developing and delivering PR programmes that achieve the maximum results with the minimum administration.
 


Egon Zehnder International was founded in 1964 in Zurich and today the firm specializes in Board Effectiveness Reviews, Leadership Strategy Services and Executive Search at the Management and Board levels. The Firm has a distinctive vision and structure aimed at achieving two basic goals - placing clients' interests first and to lead its profession in creating value for its clients through the assessment and recruitment of top-level management resources. The Firm has a structure which is unique in its profession. The Firm's 385 consultants, operating from 63 wholly owned offices in 37 countries, are organized around a single-profit center partnership. This is designed to eliminate competitive barriers between offices. It allows the Firm to operate seamlessly when engagements call for multi-office, cross collaboration and knowledge sharing. Large or small, local or global, clients benefit from this structure by having access to the Firm's most relevant resources and relationships wherever they may reside.
 


Founded in 1988 by Aletta and Peter Stas and driven by passion, Frederique Constant has grown into one of the larger Swiss watch manufacturers. In 2011, production reaches over 120'000 watches, sold in over 2'700 points of sale in 100+ countries around the globe. Frederique Constant positions itself in the Accessible Luxury segment, with most of its watches selling at CHF 1'000-5'000 retail. The company is expected to continue its annual 25% growth, doubling in size every three years. Over the years, we have earned a reputation as a leading maker of Swiss luxury watches despite the relative youth of our brand. The quality of our watches and the detail involved in crafting each watch is only part of our success story; the rest was driven by watch aficionados and lovers of our brand who saw that we had something different and unique to offer. It is by appealing to this same group of people that we hope to make a difference in the lives of many by soliciting for their support to extend the same affection they have for the brand, towards charities and causes we are associated with.
 


Founded in 1805 in Geneva, Pictet & Cie is today one of Switzerland’s largest private banks, and the leading independent asset management specialist in Europe, with CHF 357 billion (EUR 297 billion) in assets under management and custody at June 2012. Pictet & Cie is a partnership owned and managed by eight general partners with unlimited liability for the bank’s commitments. The Pictet Group, based in Geneva, employs more than 3,200 staff. The group has offices in the following financial centres: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Basel, Dubai, Florence, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Lausanne, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Montreal, Nassau, Osaka, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Taipei, Turin, Tokyo and Zurich.
              



 
 


Co-Organizer and Co-Host


Intesa Sanpaolo is the banking group which was formed by the merger of Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI. The merger brought together two major Italian banks with shared values so as to increase their opportunities for growth, enhance service for retail customers, significantly support the development of businesses and make an important contribution to the country's growth. Intesa Sanpaolo is among the top banking groups in the euro zone, with a market capitalisation of 21.1 billion euro(1) and aims at becoming the benchmark for value creation in the European banking system. Intesa Sanpaolo is the leader in Italy in all business areas (retail, corporate and wealth management). The Group offers its services to 10.8 million customers through a network of approximately 5,500 branches well distributed throughout the country with market shares no lower than 15% in most Italian regions.
 
 


 
   

Government Partner

 

The ICE-Italian Trade Promotion Agency is the government organisation which promotes the internationalisation of the Italian companies, in line with the strategies of the Ministry for Economic Development. ICE provides information, support and advice to Italian and foreign companies. In addition to its Rome headquarters, ICE operates worldwide from a large network of Trade Promotion Offices linked to Italian embassies and consulates and working closely with local authorities and businesses.

ICE provides a wide range of services overseas helping Italian and foreign businesses to connect with each other:

  •   identification of possible business partners
  •   bilateral trade meetings with Italian companies
  •   trade delegation visits to Italy
  •   official participation in local fairs and exhibitions
  •   forums and seminars with Italian experts.
 


 
   
Silver Partner    
  
A world leader in energy, Orrick brings in-depth industry insight, innovation and legal expertise to clients in this constantly evolving sector. Our team is comprised of nearly 100 lawyers located in eight U.S. cities, as well as in Hong Kong, London, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Frankfurt, Berlin, Vietnam and Tokyo.

Particularly well known for our work in the renewable energy, our team has helped pioneer many of the international largest energy projects and is advising on many of the most significant projects currently underway throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.
Orrick Italian lawyers allow the firm to provide clients with a complete advisory service related to the construction of renewable energy power plants, ranging from administrative law to corporate law, and banking and finance law.

Our activity includes the feasibility study, the administrative and corporate due diligence, the drafting and negotiation of all the documents of the transaction, construction, supply and sale contracts (EPC contracts) and contracts of "outsourcing" (O&M agreements), loan agreements and security (security package) with the lenders, the assistance with the compliance of the client's regulatory fulfillments and the obligations related to the closing and post-closing of the transaction. Finally, we assist our clients also in litigation matters before independent agencies, administrative as well as civil courts.
 
 

Bronze Partners

Gimv is a European investment company with over three decades of experience in private equity and venture capital. Gimv is listed on NYSE Euronext Brussels. Gimv currently manages around 1.8 billion EUR (including third party funds) of investments in 85 portfolio companies, which jointly realise a turnover of more than EUR 6 billion and employ over 28,000 professionals.

As a recognized market leader in selected investment platforms, Gimv identifies entrepreneurial and innovative companies with high-growth potential and supports them in their transformation into market leaders. Gimv’s four investment platforms are: Consumer 2020, Health & Care, Smart Industries and Sustainable Cities. Each of these platforms works with a skilled and dedicated team across Gimv’s home markets of the Benelux, France and Germany and can count on an extended international network of experts
 

Gide Loyrette Nouel is a premier international law firm and the first to
have originated in France. Founded in Paris in 1920, the firm now operates from 18 offices in 15 countries. With 600 lawyers, drawn from 35 different nationalities, Gide offers some of the most respected specialists in all sectors of national and international finance and business law.

In each of its offices in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa, Gide
provides its clients with comprehensive knowledge of local markets,
regional expertise, and the resources of an international law firm.


 
 
 

Evonik is one of the world's leading specialty chemicals companies. Profitable growth and sustained value creation form the heart of our strategy. Around 80 percent of sales come from leading market positions, which we plan to expand further. We concentrate on high-growth megatrends, especially health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. In 2012 Evonik’s roughly 33,000 employees generated sales of €13.6 billion and an operating result (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.6 billion. 75 percent of sales are generated outside Germany, providing convincing evidence that our business is global.
 

    
 
 

 


 
 
 

Research Partner


Cleantech Group helps clients accelerate sustainable innovation in a resource-constrained world. The company’s i3 platform allows subscribers to discover companies and explore cleantech trends strategically with proprietary real-time data. Cleantech Forums bring together thought leaders and innovators in the cleantech and sustainability ecosystem. The company’s advisory services leverage expertise in designing and executing corporate strategies for sustainable growth and innovation sourcing. Details at www.cleantech.com
 


 
 

Media & Communication Partners

Founded in1998 GoingPublic Media AG is today one of the leading publishers of magazines on corporate finance, technology, and capital markets. In addition to the monthly issued GoingPublic Magazin and its well known special editions like "Biotechnology" or "Corporate Finance & Private Equity Guide", the company publishes monthly the VentureCapital Magazin. It stands as a hub for the private equity and venture capital industry in German speaking Europe and addresses investors and entrepreneurs. The monthly issued magazine Smart Investor addresses retail investors. The six times a year published HV Magazin is directed to the GM-responsibles (board members, investor relations managers etc.) of listed companies. The likewise young publication Unternehmeredition, focuses six times a year mediumsized business entrepreneurs. In 2008 DIE STIFTUNG became part of publication programme of GoingPublic Media. The magazine appears with the highest coverage (15.000 recipients) within the foundation and private wealth market in German speaking Europe. In its corporate publishing division "GoingPublic Services" about ten magazines and newsletters are annually produced on behalf of corporate customers as Deutsches Aktieninstitut, the association of German listed companies ("Finanzplatz"). GoingPublic Media is listed in the Open Market of Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN 761 210) and in M:access of Munich Stock Exchange. All publications are published in German.
 
 
Italian Angels for Growth was founded in 2007. Its members are men and women, entrepreneurs, managers and highly regarded professionals, motivated by the opportunity to carry out financially attractive, professionally stimulating and personally enjoyable investment opportunities. They are willing to invest and dedicate part of their time and professionalism in start-ups that are characterized by high growth potential, proprietary innovation, sustainable competitive advantage and managed by full-time committed entrepreneurs. They believe in entrepreneurship and innovation as the engine for growth and development of countries and people. IAG facilitates the Angel Investors activities through a club environment that allow the sharing of opportunities and the managing of risks.
 
 

 

Cleantech magazine, published by Cleantech Investor Ltd, is a finance and investment publication focusing on technologies which may offer solutions to environmental challenges ? including the threat of global warming; the prospect of scarcity of resources of basic needs such as water; and pollution. Cleantech magazine reviews investment in, inter alia, renewable energy, energy efficiency, biofuel, bioplastic and biomass technologies, energy storage, water purification and filtration technologies and innovations promising cleaner transport, ranging from electric cars to developments in engine and fuel technology. Features focus on themes which are driving investment in cleantech.
 
 

 


Industry Support Partners

    
Signals provides decision-support solutions based on insights generated from big data on the web using intelligence methodologies and business analytics models to help you make better, faster decisions. Our insights are determined by the best of man and machine: superior automated technology for collection and analysis, and teams of intelligence analysts and subject matter experts. Our mission is to be the most trusted partner to the world’s leading companies in providing the highest-quality decision support for our clients’ new product development, innovation initiatives, competitive and market intelligence, and exploration of new spaces for growth.

Our intelligence products are specialized to address your company needs as your company moves throughout the product life-cycle. We know the product’s life cycle is the heart of your business, and throughout any one product’s life your company faces many critical decisions. Whether through our White Spaces Identification to help strategy determine market gaps, Technology Discovery for your R&D team to identify the most cutting-edge technology to make your product a killer one, Consumer Listening to track how your customers really feel about your product – or the competition’s – these and our many other intelligence offerings are designed to support you across all stages of the product life cycle and across divisions. Signals is formerly known as d&a Visual Insights. www.signalsgroup.com
 


EBAN - The European Trade Association for Business Angels, Seed Funds, and other Early Stage Market Players is a pan-European organization gathering over 100 member organizations from 27 countries, including business angels networks and federations of networks, early stage venture capital funds (investing less than 3 million euros per transaction, and interested in cross-border collaboration with angels). EBAN represents circa 250 angel groups in Europe via direct or indirect membership, reaching out to 20.000 angels and receiving circa 40.000 business plans a year. It was established in 1999 with the collaboration of the European Commission by a group of pioneer angel networks in Europe. EBAN’s mission is to enhance the visibility of business angels, business angel networks, and early stage funds and help its members exchange good practices.
 

   
Maximpact is a free online deal-listing portal for the impact investing and sustainability sector, where entrepreneurs, intermediaries and funds can list their ventures/projects of every size, in every sector for impact funders, co-investors and collaborators around the world to view them. The Deals platform brings together sustainable solutions, investors and partners all into one place. Maximpact's objective is to speed up the pace and increase the volume of social and environmental investment by providing a place for a wide range of impact, sustainability, eco & green, philanthropy and CSR players to come together, share information and make impact deals.