For the first time ever, the World Business Angels Investment Forum, as the biggest annual gathering of the world early stage equity and investment markets, will have 5 important summits running concurrently: the WBAF Annual Conference 2018 for angel investors, the Take Invest Summit 2018 for start-ups and scale-ups, the FinTech Summit 2018 for finance executives, the Impact Investment Summit 2018 for impact investors, and the CEO-Preneurship Summit 2018 for CEOs of global $100-million-dollar-plus companies. Eacg will address the main challenges and opportunities of the world economy in 2018. This session is to give an overview of what are we going to talk about in these summits, how we built the content, how we designed WBAF 2018 and what the main criterion were for the selection of invited speakers. At the end of this session, you will have an idea about the expected outputs of WBAF 2018.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
12:00 PM
Panel 3 : Global Action Plans of Global Leaders: Unlocking the potential for innovating and developing global partnerships for economic development and for achieving the sustainable development goals of the United Nations
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
On 25 September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a new set of development goals that are collectively called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Agenda is a culmination of many years of negotiation and was endorsed by all 193 member-nations of the UN General Assembly, both developed and developing – and applies to all countries. Then-UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon noted that ‘’the new agenda is a promise by leaders to all people everywhere. It is an agenda for people, to end poverty in all of its forms – an agenda for the planet, our common home.’’ In this session, you will hear about the 2018 action plans of global leaders of early and post-early stage equity markets in response to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
12:30 AM
VIP Lunch – by invitation only
12:30 AM - 14:00 AM
Key Note Speaker: Mehmet Simsek, Deputy Prime Minister, Turkey
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
14:00 AM
Panel 4 : New Rules of Wealth Management: Including more angel-backed investments and private equity in a diversified family office portfolio
14:00 AM - 14:30 AM
Any family making use of wealth management services has a twofold responsibility: to understand where their money is going and to understand their relationship to it. Unfortunately, until now, inclusion of early stage investments in the portfolios managed by family offices and wealth management executives were very close to none. So it is now time to start a dialogue between wealth management executives and players of early stage equity market such as angel investors, accelerators, private equity and crowdfunding platforms. This panel aims to develop a dialogue on including early stage investments in wealth management portfolios. How can we develop a start-up portfolio to attract more family offices to invest? How can we help families develop a good understanding of start-up and scale-up investments? How can we mitigate the risks of early stage equities to attract more wealth management in the ecosystem? This session will propose an innovative methodology to attract global wealth management for early and post-early stage equity markets.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
14:30 AM
Panel 5 : The rise of the Secondary Market: Global Challenges and opportunities in regulated and un-regulated secondary markets, easing access to finance for start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs
14:30 AM - 15:00 AM
World capital markets meet with an unstoppable rise of secondary markets. Since reaching liquidity is so expensive and time consuming via IPOs, alternative ways to replace IPO liquidity are increasing tremendously in developed countries. Most of the alternatives involve secondary markets and unregulated secondary markets. This panel will discuss the challenges and opportunities for investors when they encounter options at secondary market(s). How can regulators convert challenges to opportunities to empower the world economy? What will be the trend in secondary markets in the upcoming years? How can securities and stock exchange authorities and unregulated market players sit around the same table to discover innovative financial instruments to ease access to smart finance?
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
15:00 PM
Panel 6 : New Roles for Development Banks: Leading co-investments and financing high-growth businesses to empower the early and post-early stage investment market
15:00 PM - 15:30 PM
Private banks and private investors are unwilling to risk their capital for long-term investments in sustainability for fear that those investments are neither economically nor financially viable. A global framework is therefore being prepared to better incentivise sustainable private investment and public-private partnerships. At the July 2015United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, a comprehensive policy framework was adopted which underscored the potential role that development banks could play in achieving sustainability. This panel will attempt to discover ways to include angel investors, accelerators, innovation centres, incubation centres and crowdfunding platforms in developing a new role for development banks. How can partnerships be developed between angel investors and development banks to fuel innovation? How can development banks lead/create co-investment funds to support the start-up ecosystem? How can development banks take more active role in developing partnerships between private and public institutions to invest in SMEs?
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
16:00 PM
Panel 7 : Angel Investment as a New Investment Instrument for Islamic Finance
16:00 PM - 16:30 PM
By the end of 2018, Islamic finance assets will reach $2.7 trillion, which is 2% of global finance assets. Islamic banks, in addition to local and international players of capital markets, are set to benefit from this growth sector. But when you examine Islamic investment assets and portfolios, early stage investments are almost non-existent. Angel investment, on the other hand, is booming globally and is expected to reach a $50 billion market size by 2020. What is interesting is that angel investment is 100% compatible with Islamic investment principles and, perhaps surprisingly, the Islamic finance ecosystem is not yet familiar with angel investment., How can we create an awareness of angel investment in Islamic finance ecosystem? How can we develop co-investment funds between Islamic finance instruments and angel investors? How can we change the mindset of investors in Islamic countries to move from investing in real estate to investing in start-ups?
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
16:30 PM
Panel 8 : The G20 Agenda on Angel Investment and Early Stage Investment Markets: Converting public finance to smart finance in cooperation with angel investors
16:30 PM - 17:00 PM
Promoting innovation and sustainable industrialisation requires easy access to finance and financial services that facilitate investment. The IFC estimates there are more than 360 million to 440 million formal and informal micro, medium, and small enterprises (MESMEs) worldwide. According to the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, many of these firms cite limited access to finance as one of their main constraints to growth. However, for the first time ever, proposals approved by G20 leaders last July in Hamburg included a reference to the importance of angel investment as an innovative source of finance to fuel innovation and the entrepreneurship ecosystem. This panel session will build on the G20 framework to try to ease access to finance globally. How can G20 countries include more public money to early stage investment markets? What would be the best pathway to connect know-how, mentorship, and the network of angel investors with G20 economies to support financial freedom for start-ups, scale-ups and high-growth businesses? How can we convert the G20’s public finance to smart finance in co-operation with angel investors?
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
17:00 PM
Panel 9 : Regional Focus: The V4 Early Stage Investment Market and Connecting the International Visegrad Fund with Global Capital Markets
17:00 PM - 17:30 PM
From July 2017 to June 2018, Hungary will be holding the rotating presidency of the Visegrad Group for the fifth time. The theme, V4 Connects, reflects the significant positive impact of the Visegrad Cooperation in connecting the four countries (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland) in terms of politics, economy and culture, while also focusing on tasks related to connectivity: improving energy and transport links in broader region, and working on a well-connected, innovative region ready for the digital age. Equally important is the V4 presidency’s commitment to further improving dialogue, trust and cooperation between the V4 and other partners, both within the EU and globally. The presidency supports the successful functioning of the International Visegrad Fund, the V4’s common institution working for strengthening the relations in the V4 region. The presidency will initiate the renewal of the Fund’s mobility scholarship schemes, including providing opportunities for researchers and start-ups. This session will give insights from V4 countries about the start-up and scale-up ecosystem in their respective countries. Panellists will discuss possible ways of creating co-investment funds with global investors to empower the V4 and EU entrepreneurial ecosystem, and ways in which the V4 Fund can be connected with global capital markets.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Where
Istanbul
TAKE INVEST SUMMIT
19 February 2018, Monday
14:30 PM
Panel 10 : The role of corporates in supporting angel-backed businesses to achieve global growth: Working with corporates to boost start-ups’ potential and to accelerate globalisation of companies
14:30 PM - 15:00 PM
This panel discussion will describe a new roadmap that will leverage early stage investment markets by positioning corporate ventures as a bridge between angel investors and VCs. The panel will discuss the benefits of increased involvement of corporate ventures in early stage investment markets, where start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs will find early exit opportunities within their own market. Other challenging questions to be discussed: Which are the better bridges to IPO: corporate ventures or VCs? What should start-ups backed by angel investors expect from corporate ventures and vice versa? Are VCs more open to angel investors backed by corporate ventures, or to corporate ventures backed by angel investors? Where should start-ups position themselves on this road map?
TAKE INVEST SUMMIT
15:00 PM
Panel 11 : Crowdfunding rules for global entrepreneurs: how to use crowdfunding to secure finance and convince angel investors
15:00 PM - 15:30 PM
Until very recently, anyone running a private company in the UK would have automatically turned to private equity or venture capital when looking for their first slice of equity capital. But recently published research suggests this conventional route to fund-raising no longer offers the greatest prospects of success; online crowdfunding platforms are now more likely to provide the financing such companies are looking for. Given that these two businesses didn’t even exist six years ago (Crowd cube launched in 2011 while Seedrs came along in 2012), that is remarkable. Between them, the two platforms funded more than 250 companies last year, with 45,000 investments from users in these companies' equity. That maturation is set to continue, argue platform bosses, with institutional money now entering the equity crowdfunding marketplace for the first time, facilitating larger fund-raisings. “2017 will be the year in which institutional capital begins to play a meaningful role in equity crowdfunding,” says Jeff Lynn, the CEO of Seedrs. “We are now beginning to see the first exits from investments made at the beginning of the equity crowdfunding era… where we are today is roughly where peer-to-peer lending was when institutional investors first entered that space.” This session will discuss how start-ups and scale-ups can benefit more from the increasing efficiency of crowdfunding platforms and how start-ups can use crowdfunding platforms to convince potential angel investors to invest in their businesses. It will also outline the rules for securing more finance in a shorter period of time on crowdfunding platforms.
TAKE INVEST SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:00 PM
Panel 12 : Growing a billion-dollar global tech business: Steps from start-up to scale-up to unicorn
16:00 PM - 16:30 PM
Twenty-five members of the 2016 FORBES Billionaires List made their fortunes via unicorns – start-up companies valued at $1 billion dollars or more. Eighteen of these billionaires are under age 40, and the average age of the group is just 36 years old. That is about half the average age of all of the world’s 1,810 billionaires. This small group of billionaires is one measure of just how successful tech start-ups have been at raising funding from venture capitalists over the past few years. Nearly half of these 25 billionaires are newcomers to the list this year, and 40% saw their fortunes increase in 2015 because of new funding rounds. More than half of the returning billionaires were newcomers on the 2015 Billionaires List. This session will attempt discuss the challenges and opportunities for building a billion-dollar tech business from start-up to scale-up to unicorn.
TAKE INVEST SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:30 PM
Panel 13 : The Altuntas Start-up Compass Theory: An entrepreneurial road map to success from start-up to scale-up to exit
16:30 PM - 17:00 PM
Many universities have developed their business curriculum and the teaching of entrepreneurship to align with the Start-up Compass Theory, which proposes nine steps an entrepreneur has to consider: from wannapreneurship to innovation, on to entrepreneurship and marketing and sales, and then to branding to institutionalisation and franchising, before finally progressing to leadership and angel investment. While the inclusion of this approach in educational programmes and workshops attests to its success, it has only recently been evaluated and scientifically validated by a research team of the London City College of Sheffield University. This session will be moderated by the head of the research team, Prof Panayiotis H. Ketikidis.
TAKE INVEST SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
17:00 PM
Panel 14 : What is the importance of a good working entrepreneurial ecosystem for creating more liquidity for start-ups, easing access to finance for scale-ups, easing access to skills for angel investors and securing early exits for high-growth businesses?
17:00 PM - 17:00 PM
With new trends developing in global capital markets such as corporate venturing, angel investment, crowdfunding, private equity, and sovereign wealth to empower economies, some countries are struggling to take on of some of these investment methods – crowdfunding, for example – despite proven positive economic impact and the need for such a financial instrument. This panel will discuss how innovative policies can be developed and what the role of public–private partnerships might be in this process. The panel will attempt to put forth a concrete approach to changing the mindset of individuals who are in decision-making positions, both in public and private institutions. Any policy that supports entrepreneurs and SMEs directly, or that supports the supporters of entrepreneurs and SMEs, is useful, including converting public money to smart money by involving more angel investors and corporate ventures. A critical game-changer question will be addressed: How can we create an entrepreneurial ecosystem by bringing all stakeholders around the same table to create more liquidity, ease access to finance and accelerate early exits?
TAKE INVEST SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
20 February 2018, Tuesday
09:30 AM
Panel 15 : The CEO debate: How relevant is a CEO background in starting a business?
09:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Starting a new business and managing a business require different skills. CEOs of multi-million-dollar companies have excellent experience in managing businesses. But what is the relevance of their management skills when it is time to invest in a start-up? How can they benefit from their CEO background to make the right decisions when investing in start-ups? How can they unlock the power of their networking to accelerate the start-up businesses they invest in? In this session, CEOs will attempt to define the pros and cons of their professional background for early stage investment markets.
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
10:00 PM
Panel 16 : Challenges and opportunities of turning CEOs into angel investors
10:00 PM - 10:30 AM
CEOs are human power with a good collection of management skills and a wide network. Entrepreneurs too are human power, but their strengths are in creative thinking and an independent working style. The two different mindsets will come together with a common goal: scaling a business and creating a global success story. Assuming that most start-ups have no management background, what obstacles are waiting for CEOs? How can you create a common language with a start-up? What should you expect from entrepreneurs once you have invested in their business? What opportunities present themselves when you invest in a start-up as a former CEO? This session will discuss the challenges and opportunities waiting for CEOs-turned-investors. Given the importance of corporate venture capital (CVC) for scaling up new businesses, what sort of opportunities are there for former CEOs to help connect star-ups with CVC?
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
10:30 AM
Panel 17 : How can CEOs benefit from changing public policy? Supporting the supporters of entrepreneurs vs supporting entrepreneurs directly
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
It is rewarding to see that governments around the world have understood the importance of angel investment for boosting their economies. During the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship in 2010, then-President Obama’s response to concerns raised by WBAF about making available public grants for entrepreneurs was promising. Many governments, particularly in Europe, offer generous tax incentives for angel investors. The UK and Turkey have already passed angel investment legislation to support such a system. A number of Middle East countries, particularly in the GCC, have discovered the angel investment system and are keen to pursue it because, among other key reasons, it is 100% compatible with Islamic investment principles. In fact, in May 2016, the Islamic Development Bank included angel investment on its list of recommendations for consideration at its annual conference in Jakarta that year. The public policy trend in the world today is about supporting ‘supporters of entrepreneurs’, instead of directly supporting entrepreneurs. Public policy wants to benefit from the know-how, the network, and the mentorship that angel investors can provide for its start-up citizens. In this session, in addition to hearing more about the global public policy trends in angel investment, you will hear about the official angel investor accreditation system in Turkey from the General Director of the Turkish Treasury. CEOs will discover how they can benefit from the tax incentives if they invest in start-ups in Turkey and how they can be eligible for accreditation as a Qualified Angel Investor by the government.
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
11:30 AM
Panel 18 : The CEO perspective: Investing in the right team or invested by the right team?
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Angel investors often make the mistake of ‘picking the jockey, not the horse’ when making decisions about where to invest. The issue is more complex than a simple binary choice. Hear a panel of successful angels compare their strategies for evaluating ABC teams and making decisions. In this session, CEOs who have already become angel investors will address questions such as the following: When a CEO considers an angel investment, how important is the background and personality of the CEO? What processes do CEOs favour for learning about the founder and the key team members? What percentage of the typical diligence effort should you spend on getting to know and evaluating the team? What kind of third party validation of the team should you seek, if any? They will also relate personal experiences, such as when a key member turned out to be different from what diligence indicated, such as what processes they have used post-investment for managing particular issues and opportunities with the team, and what plans they have for trying new processes or methodologies for pre- or post-investment management of team evaluation or coaching.
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
12:00 PM
Panel 19 : The critical role of CEOs in accelerating the growth of new businesses: Connecting start-ups with corporate ventures
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
This panel discussion will discuss the critical role of CEOs in leveraging early-stage investment markets by positioning corporate ventures as a bridge between angel-backed investments and VCs/stock exchanges. The panel will discuss the benefits of increased involvement of corporate ventures in early-stage investment markets, where start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs will find early exit opportunities within their own market. Other challenging questions to be discussed: Which are the better bridges to IPO — corporate ventures or VCs? What do angel investors expect from corporate ventures and vice versa? Are stock exchanges more open to angel investors that are backed by corporate ventures or to corporate ventures backed by angel investors? How can CEOs take a more active role in connecting start-ups with corporate ventures?
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
14:00 PM
Panel 20 : The importance of global networking for early exits
14:00 PM - 14:30 PM
The biggest expectation of start-ups from their angel investors is to accelerate the exit process. But exits are the least understood aspect of investing and entrepreneurship. Very little has been written about exits; the emphasis is usually on starting, financing and growing technology companies. Most of the debates on exit strategies are directed towards business owners who want to retire. More recently, there have been a number of discussions and training sessions on exit transactions for venture capitalists. This is not surprising, considering that most venture capital (VC) agreements give the VCs full control to decide when and how all shareholders will benefit from an exit transaction. Exit opportunities have changed dramatically in the past few years, however. Today, it's more likely that a company will be sold without ever having an investment from a venture capitalist. Exits are also happening much earlier than before. Most exit transactions today are in the under $30-million valuation range. These exits are often completed only two or three years after start-up. The goal of this session is to discuss the importance of global networking for achieving more successful, more frequent and more profitable exits. How can CEOs develop a global network that will accelerate the exits of the businesses they invest in? If a CEO has no global network, is it a better strategy to invest as an angel group member, instead of investing individually?
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
14:30 PM
Panel 21 : Which is better for CEOs? Investing in start-ups or investing in scale-ups? Putting less with more risk or putting more with less risk?
14:30 PM - 15:00 PM
OECD statistics reveal that only 1.2% of start-ups are able to reach angel finance, and one in every ten scale-ups who has reached angel finance is able to create a success story. So, what could be take-home message from CEOs who are planning to make angel investment? Is it a better idea to focus only on start-ups with an opportunity of putting in less money with a lower success rate or is it a better idea to focus on scale-ups by putting a little bit more money with a higher potential success rate? Putting less with more risk or putting more with less risk? This session will also discuss how CEOs can mitigate risk in their first angel investments.
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
15:00 PM
Panel 22 : What is the value of CEOs in early stage equity markets?
15:00 PM - 15:30 PM
Most angels see themselves as ‘value-added investors’, meaning that they derive as much personal satisfaction from helping a new business owner as they do from contributing capital to the venture. Many were previously successful business owners. Angels bring with them ‘value added’ benefits including prior industry experience, valuable knowledge about business itself, an ability to mentor, creative ideas, and contacts. Angels who are valued beyond their financial contribution are more likely to assist start-ups in ways never imagined.
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:00 PM
Panel 23 : How to bring the CEO of a start-up and the CEO of a multi-million-dollar corporation to the same page
16:00 PM - 16:30 PM
Founding and growing an industry-transforming company is probably one of the hardest jobs anyone could ever do. There are no fixed rules in start-ups. Their mentors always seem to give them conflicting advice, and the books and blogs are so full of useful tidbits that it is hard to know what to prioritise. Sometimes start-ups find themselves staring into space wondering if they are working on the right things. On the other hand, CEOs of multi-million-dollar corporates do have fixed rules, and they know what they have to do. What, therefore, are the pros and cons of these two different types of CEO joining forces? How can we facilitate a learning process between these two different types of CEO? This session will be a good platform to hear more about important lessons learned by CEOs who have invested in start-ups.
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:30 PM
Panel 24 : Virgin investors: What should CEOs expect in their first angel investment?
16:30 PM - 17:00 PM
An experienced angel investor who was a CEO of a multi-million dollar corporate reported: ‘It turns out to be easier than I expected, and also more interesting. The part I thought was hard, the mechanics of investing, really isn't. You give a start-up money and they give you stock. You'll probably get either preferred stock, which means stock with extra rights like getting your money back first in a sale, or convertible debt, which means (on paper) you're lending the company money, and the debt converts to stock at the next sufficiently big funding round. There are sometimes minor tactical advantages to using one or the other. The paperwork for convertible debt is simpler. But really it doesn't matter much which you use. Don't spend much time worrying about the details of deal terms, especially when you first start angel investing. That's not how you win at this game. When you hear people talking about a successful angel investor, they're not saying "He got a 4x liquidation preference." They're saying "He invested in Google." That's how you win: by investing in the right start-ups. That is so much more important than anything else that I worry I'm misleading you by even talking about other things.’ In this panel discussion, you will hear the reaction to this position from a number CEOs .
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
17:00 PM
Panel 25 : Insights from former CEOs: Navigating opportunities in your new life after you retire
17:00 PM - 17:30 PM
In their retirement, corporate CEOs have more time to mentor start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs. They come with a good financial package and a vast network that they have built over the years. The only thing they may lack is know-how: they need to learn about the principles of investing in start-ups and about founding a company from scratch. By the same token, SME entrepreneurs and founders of start-ups need support in the form of mentorship, know-know, networking, and finance to grow their businesses. In this session, you will hear more about the experiences of former CEOs who have invested in start-ups. How can CEOs prepare themselves to be qualified angel investors in their retirement? How can they go on empowering world economies by investing in start-up businesses? How can they learn to be a qualified angel investor by taking minimum risk?
CEO-PRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
20 February 2018, Tuesday
10:30 AM
Panel 26 : Global perspectives: Challenges and opportunities in impact investment for supporting innovation in early stage equity markets
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
There is an increasing realisation that, along with philanthropy and government aid, private enterprise can contribute to solving social and environmental problems. At the same time, growing numbers of investors are expressing a desire to “do good while doing well.” These are impact investors, who seek opportunities for financial investments that produce significant social or environmental benefits. However, the rapid growth in the field of impact investing has raised issues such as how to assess impact as well as concerns about potentially unrealistic expectations that social impact and market-rate returns can be simultaneously achieved. This panel session will attempt to define the main challenges of impact investors in early stage investment markets and opportunities to address the challenges.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
11:30 AM
Panel 27 : Regional focus: Financing innovation through impact investment in South East Europe
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
The promise of impact investing―investments made with the intention of generating measurable social or environmental outcomes alongside a financial return―is appealing to governments and advocates around the world as they wrestle with complex challenges like economic inequality, climate change, natural resource loss and degradation, hunger, homelessness, and failing schools. For example, in the United States, the ability to attract and apply private capital to address these issues has led to, among other things, an increased focus on the role that public policy can play in incentivizing and shaping the ecosystem for impact investing. What about South East Europe? How do policymakers respond to increasing demands for impact investment? What are the opportunities and challenges in the impact investment ecosystem of South East Europe? In this session, important players of South East Europe’s capital markets will share insights from the region.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
12:00 PM
Panel 28 : The increasing role of technology in impact investing and social entrepreneurship
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Today more than ever, we want to take a stand against the injustices we see around the world. Just as our consumption choices send signals to corporations about what is important to us in the things we buy, so do the choices we make concerning our finances. Luckily, an increase in demand fuelled by technological advances has led to more options than ever before. Many of us feel that we cannot be impact investors without having millions of dollars to invest, but most of us can activate the money we have to support the issues we care about. This session will start a dialogue on the intersection of technology and impact investing. Panellists will discuss the benefits of using technology and the importance of being connected to the on-the-ground impact. How does technology help make access to financial options available to more people? Are there downsides of removing the human connection to the businesses you invest in? Panellists will discuss what is currently available and what they see as the future trends in this space.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
14:00 PM
Panel 29 : What does impact mean to different stakeholders? Corporate ventures, family offices, angel investors, private equities, crowdfunding platforms, stock exchanges
14:00 PM - 14:30 PM
Panellists from different segments of capital markets (corporate ventures, family offices, angel investors, private equities, crowdfunding platforms, stock exchanges) will discuss how they define impact investing, how it is different from philanthropic and charitable giving, how they set objectives, how it is incorporated into their investment decision-making process and the role that leadership plays in the implementation of an impact-focused strategy.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
14:30 PM
Panel 30 : Building an investment portfolio that measures impact in every investment
14:30 PM - 15:00 PM
Impact investing aims to deliver measurable social outcomes. It is part of the broader realm of socially responsible investments. Encouraging the ramping up of a global market for financing entrepreneurship and innovation which directly addresses social issues—in much the same way as development capital did for the technology sector—is a key issue in the global impact investment ecosystem. This panel will make a contrastive analysis of impact investments and traditional investments. They will also discuss such questions as how traditional investments can create a social benefit, whether every investment includes a piece of impact investment, and how one can create an investment portfolio to attract more impact investors. The session will explore how to measure and monitor both financial returns and impact outcomes and ways to manage and mitigate risk, including available tools to measure impact of investments.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
15:00 PM
Panel 31 : Responsible finance and impact Investment: The future of smart finance for social entrepreneurs
15:00 PM - 15:30 PM
There is an increasing trend in capital markets to use responsible finance to search for – and fund – solutions to many of the pressing social or environmental issues of our time. Corporate ventures also intend to invest up to 10 percent of their private equity investments with private equity fund managers whose investment strategies they expect to generate positive social and environmental outcomes, and who are willing to report on non-financial impact metrics. This trend is important for shaping the future of smart finance in capital markets. This session will be essentially a think-tank session for the future of responsible smart finance in impact investments.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:00 PM
Panel 32 : Women leading the way in impact investing
16:00 PM - 16:30 PM
More high net worth women have engaged in impact investing, inspired others, influenced advisors, and served as champions of change to accelerate the development of an inclusive and vibrant impact investing ecosystem. As a result, there is in an expansion of sustainable capital to address the most pressing social and environmental issues worldwide. This session will discuss how global capital markets can include more women in the impact investing ecosystem and what the benefits from the network of women investors are. Panellists will discuss the growing influence of women (those who earn as well as those who inherit) over the world’s wealth as investors as well as influencers in the financial, philanthropic and corporate sectors.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:30 PM
Panel 33 : Developing partnerships between public and private institutions to fuel innovation for the social good and public policy to support impact investors
16:30 PM - 17:00 PM
Private sector technology and innovation help provide better public services through improved operational efficiency. The public sector provides incentives to the private sector to deliver projects on time and within budget. In addition, creating economic diversification makes a country more competitive in facilitating its infrastructure base and boosting associated construction, equipment, support services and other businesses. Since impact investors focus on the social value propositions of the investments they make, why not develop innovative public policies to support impact investors to produce more social good. Developing partnerships between public and private institutions will be a positive step towards supporting social entrepreneurs and impact investors. This session will discuss how we can accelerate collaboration between public and private institutions to fuel innovation for social good and what sort of incentives could be developed to support the impact investment ecosystem.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
17:00 PM
Panel 34 : Industry scope: How can impact investors take more active role in achieving good health and well-being as defined in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations
17:00 PM - 17:30 PM
Financial inclusion improves health by giving people the ability to manage their medical expenses and rebound from a health crisis. Research suggests that out-of-pocket payments for health care in developing countries are a major reason that some people remain in poverty. In the absence of an efficient public healthcare system, the burden of medical costs rests on poor people themselves. Financial services such as medical insurance can provide a formal channel for mitigating the risks of health emergencies. Women in particular have a high demand for health insurance products to address the common health concerns associated with pregnancy and childbirth, including greater susceptibility to infection. This session will attempt to explore how impact investors and social entrepreneurs can take a more active role in the health industry. It will also discuss how impact investors can contribute to more financial inclusion, which will create social good for the health of a country’s population, along with options for public and private institutions to make an impact.
IMPACT INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
FINTECH SUMMIT
20 February 2018, Tuesday
10:00 AM
Panel 35 : A cashless world: Driving cashless societies through financial technologies
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
The trajectory of individual countries towards cashless will be shaped by consumers’ willingness to ditch cash and the readiness of businesses to accept and promote cashless transactions. Governments and regulators will be the key enablers in the development of infrastucture and policies for business and consumers and the facilitators of the transition to a cashless future. New technologies bring new digital alternatives to cash, such as mobile wallets and internet banking, in addition to credit and debit cards. A recent mobile banking survey shows that 34% of individuals in Europe would readily go cashless if given a choice. This panel will attempt to define digital alternatives for a cashless economy. How can governments and regulators come together to create a favourable environment for the fintech ecosystem to accelerate the adoption of mobile banking and digital payments? In this session you will hear insights from different countries about attempts to transition to a cashless society. As cashless takes hold, banks and insurance companies and their network of partners (fintechs, payment companies, and third-parties across other industries) will have to remake the model of financial services. What are the necessary first steps toward this transformation?
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
10:30 AM
Panel 36 : Encouraging innovations outside mainstream banking: How should one respond to fintech innovation?
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
The most important problem for banks is that, as they struggle with digitalisation barriers in banking, they are being simultaneously squeezed by having to keep pace with changes in customer behaviour. Some companies create subsidiary fintech businesses in order to encourage innovations outside mainstream banking, while others aggressively turn their business models inside out. This panel will discuss why financial institutions will need to change all of their business models in the near future. What will be the implications of the transformation from a ‘financial products distribution channel’ to a ‘financial consulting distribution channel’ for the financial services industry? What is the exact place of technology companies in the new world of banking? In this session, panellists will attempt to identify potential financial industry responses to fintech innovation.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
11:30 AM
Panel 37 : The key role of fintech in humanitarian crises: Connecting migrants with diaspora finance through fintech
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Humanitarian crises pose a formidable development challenge. The millions of refugees and people forcibly displaced within their own countries are growing in number, placing huge burdens on their host communities and straining the humanitarian sector’s ability to respond. Financial services have an important role to play in helping displaced people overcome adversity and in enabling local economies to thrive. Financial services provide one way to cope with conflicts and natural disasters. But people affected by humanitarian crises are less likely to have a bank account and more likely to rely on informal networks. This panel will attempt to define barriers to financial services in crises, how can innovative financial solutions address the challenges of displaced people? How can regulators engage with innovative solutions to help migrants connect with diaspora finance? How can we develop a special wallet banking system for migrants who have no national ID number or residence permit.Panellists will address the capabilities of donors, public policymakers and financial service providers to develop contingency plans for humanitarian crises.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
12:00 PM
Panel 38 : Challenges & opportunities: Digital finance interoperability and financial inclusion
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Interoperability – the ability of different systems to connect with one another – is attracting more attention among digital finance experts. Interoperable payment systems have the potential to make it easier for people to send payments to anyone and receive payments from anyone quickly and cheaply. Financial service providers welcome the new business opportunities that would emerge from this higher volume of transactions, and policymakers see interoperability as means of bringing more poor people into the financial system, thus fostering financial inclusion. However, not everyone is enthusiastic about interoperability. Providers in some markets see a competitive risk in opening their proprietary networks to what some perceive as ‘free riders’. Or they may not perceive a need to make their payment systems interact with others systems. Panel discussants will explore how interoperability can balance competition and coordination and how every stakeholder in the interoperability system can become a winner—instead of some winners and some losers. Should government stand back and let industry lead? Or should government have a strong hand in making things happen? Have we gone beyond technical connections and given sufficient attention to arrangement governance and business incentives? This session will try to formulate answers to these critical questions.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
14:00 PM
Panel 39 : Access to finance in the fintech’s entrepreneurial roadmap: What is the smartest capital for fintechs from start-up to scale-up to exit?
14:00 PM - 14:30 PM
This session will attempt to explore the best type of finance for fintechs from start-up to scale-up to exit. How can crowdfunding platforms, accelerators and personal finance carry a fintech business to angel investors at the seed stage? What sort of angel investor is good for fintech businesses? How can angel investors connect fintech scale-ups with corporate ventures? What are the expectations do CVCs expect from fintech businesses? What would be the best mix of finance for fintech start-ups? What is the best exit strategy for fintechs, and which source of finance would serve best to execute an exit strategy? Panel discussants will define different roles and different financial supports for fintech at different stages of the entrepreneurial journey.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
14:30 PM
Panel 40 : Blockchain in the next generation of banking
14:30 PM - 15:00 PM
Blockchain is arguably the most disruptive technological innovation in decades. It is built on the concept of a distributed consensus ledger, which leverages a network of computers that jointly create, evolve, and keep track of one immutable history of transactions. That is, it provides a distributed and decentralized digital infrastructure that empowers transactions or exchange of value — including financial assets and auto-executable contracts — in a secure and trusted environment. Banks, fintech startups and other parties are already experimenting with blockchain technology across a number of cases such as KYC, AML, remittances, payments, trade finance, clearing and settlements. In this session, panellists will be sharing their views of blockchain, market trends, industry experiments, and platforms and future roadmaps with live PoC.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
15:00 PM
Panel 41 : The future of cyber security : Transformation of financial services from on-premises to mobile to cloud and fintech integration
15:00 PM - 15:30 PM
With IoT, mobility and cloud reliance, financial institutions are able to provide better customer connection and experience with a greater flexibility. However, many enterprises are not aware of the danger that exists in the process of transformation. The sophistication of modern malware and tactics used by hackers means we are all vulnerable. It’s time to take a different view and build the security architecture of a future that is already underway. Panel members will define the architecture and solution set that addresses the full spectrum of threats during transformation of financial services from on-premises to mobile to cloud and fintech integration.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:00 PM
Panel 42 : InsurTech: What are the main challenges and opportunities that the insurance industry faces today?
16:00 PM - 16:30 PM
Changing consumer behaviour patterns, especially the desire for digital channels, underlie insurers’ preoccupation with technological advancement. We might tentatively say that the interface between customer and insurer is going to be one of the key battlegrounds going forward, not just in the trivial sense of online portals and chatbots but rather as the ability of insurers and other industry participants to make every part of their operation work for the customer. This session will define the main challenges and opportunities the insurance industry faces and how InsurTech can respond to them.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
16:30 PM
Panel 43 : The role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in digital transformation
16:30 PM - 17:00 PM
Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and related data-driven technologies have moved to the forefront of the business technology agenda. Together, they promise real-time analysis, immediate adaptability, and scalable automation. But the actual implementation of AI varies dramatically from function to function — and there are unique challenges to each application. In this session, panellists will examine how AI systems are transforming business operations, rewriting business strategy, and creating new engines for rapid, disruptive growth. The panel will look at best practices in AI for both business and technology professionals in such areas as core AI systems, business intelligence and analytics, commerce, and payments.
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
17:00 PM
Panel 44 : Fintech for mobile credit scoring?
17:00 PM - 17:30 PM
Traditional challenges faced by lenders in financing small business have necessitated the use of innovative methods for credit assessment. This session will focus on effective ways to assess the credit worthiness of small businesses through available information which has traditionally not been used for credit assessment. However, it is important to make clear to consumers that mobile credit scoring does not mean that non-creditworthy consumers will now be given loans. Instead, it allows for better assessment of consumers’ risks from new and expanded information sources available via mobile phone and data sources. discussants will explore how fintech can take an active role to create a better bridge between the consumer and financial service providers
FINTECH SUMMIT
Where
Istanbul
WBAF ACADEMY
20 February 2018
11:00 AM
Short Course:
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
How to become a business angel This course introduces the angel investment system to those considering investing in start-ups, SMEs or high-growth companies, using their own money and contributing their own know-how. The basic principles of angel investment are discussed, along with practical advice for investing as a qualified angel investor.
WBAF ACADEMY
Where
Istanbul
14:00 PM
Masterclass 1:
14:00 PM - 15:00 PM
Invest in the FinTech r-evolution Financial Services are facing a perfect storm: margins squeeze due to zero to negative interest rates in Europe, Japan and US, reputational damage in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, increasing capital charges, skyrocketing compliance costs, generational shifts towards mobile oriented Millennials, progressive disintermediation by technology enabled startups (AI, blockchain, digital, mobile payments, robo-investing). FinTech companies have grabbed the opportunity globally to create transformational compelling propositions that can ultimately replace or revolutionize the operating models of incumbent institutions. Yet, innovation is not an easy journey and requires venture funding, transferable competences, entrepreneurial talent, educational humus and legal easiness. Proactive financial centers and forward looking regulators in New York, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore (to name a few) have started to flex their muscles in the attempt to gain a competitive international advantage by helping FinTech innovation to find its ways and promoting sound transformation of banking, asset management and insurance industries. FinServ marketplace has never been so competitive creating threats for incumbents and opportunities for innovators. This masterclass will help identify key trends globally, strengths and weaknesses of new technology shaping the FinTech r-evolution.
WBAF ACADEMY
Where
Istanbul
15:00 PM
Masterclass 2: Agglomerate: from idea to IPO in 12 months
15:00 PM - 16:00 PM
If you are the owner of a small or medium business and you are successful, you have probably found yourself with the problem: how do you get to the next rung on the entrepreneurial business ladder – how do you go from a business runner to a business owner? How do you make more wealth, find more time and grow your business? Should you IPO, the entrepreneur’s dream, or should you merge and acquire other businesses? Should you carry on growing organically? Look for funding? How do you take the next step and get yourself that yacht?
Agglomeration shows how normal business owners, across all business sectors, can come together to use the capital markets for what they were originally intended: funding the growth of great businesses that are creating real value in the world for their clients and the wider community.
An Agglomeration isn’t for every business.You might be better off with a traditional M&A or IPO. Find out if an Agglomeration is right for you by answering the following questions:
WBAF ACADEMY
Where
Istanbul
16:00 PM
Masterclass 3: An outlook for angel investors: The Intersection of Insurance and InsurTech
16:00 PM - 17:00 PM
For hundreds of years, the insurance industry has been inert. Its processes and products worked; it simply didn’t need to change. Insurtech is changing that. It’s the latest buzzword with US$1.7 billion of insurtech deals in 2016 alone, the industry is starting to pay attention. Referring to both the technology being applied by insurers and to the startups changing the game, the sheer breadth of technological change insurtech covers is dazzling.
In this masterclass, participants will explore the intersection of insurance and insurtech. How insurance and insurtech come to the same page and create more value for people. How should angel investors invest in insurtech start-ups and scale-ups? What is the future of insurtech? What is its future role in the digitalization of economies?What will the insurance industry of the future look like?