The Investor event taking place in the context of Technology Forum 2022 in Thessaloniki comprises two panels featuring distinguished speakers who have been invited to share their views on the following topics:

Panel Discussion 1: Startups: The journey from inception to exit and how it can impact an ecosystem

It is generally known that the journey that tech entrepreneurs have to make from the inception of an (innovative) idea to founding a start-up, funding it, managing it, and ultimately finding a suitable exit, is far from trivial, paved with numerous challenges that need to be tackled along the way if the venture is to have an impact on its ecosystem. This panel focuses on sharing tips and secrets that can help new tech entrepreneurs tackle these challenges. Its expected outcomes are:

• To provide advice on how to raise funding from angels and VCs.
• To offer tips on how tech start-ups can be managed effectively.
• To discuss viable exit options for start-ups and investors.

Panel Discussion 2: Transition to Impact Investing and Responsible Start-ups for a Sustainable Future

Recently we are witnessing a global movement towards sustainability and moral accountability of organizations, that increasingly pushes investors away from exclusively profit-oriented investees and towards investment strategies that consider social good alongside financial return; the term “socially responsible investment” (SRI) is often used to stand for such strategies. Impact investing is understood as the subset of SRI devoted to conscious creation of social impact. Indicators and metrics have been employed for quite some time to guide impact investment; however, these indicators and metrics are typically designed for relatively mature businesses, failing to consider the specific traits of start-ups.

This panel focuses on impact investing in STEM start-ups. Its expected outcomes are:

• To share views on the importance of impact investing in STEM start-ups.
• To discuss how STEM start-ups can transition to more responsible forms of innovation. 
• To share views on the practicality of screening STEM start-ups for responsibility in the pre-investment stage.

Find out more about the event.