Top EBAN moments from 2023!

Have you been wondering what we have been doing this year at EBAN? Before the final countdown begins, let’s hit pause and relive the standout moments that made 2023 a year we won’t forget:

• EBAN Gender: This year we launched the EBAN Gender community, following the EBAN manifesto for a gender balanced angel investment ecosystem, where EBAN commits to triple the representation of women in our ecosystem addressing gender bias in angel investing. We kept our promises this year on the gender diversity front through the production of multiple  gender related webinars, articles, as well as sessions at the EBAN events, representation of EBAN at events focused on gender issues such as the UN Women Expo, the UNESCO Regional forum, a collaboration with UN Women Europe and Central Asia, and the SUPERNOVAS series for women angels – but to find out more about these you will have to keep reading! 

• The Galactica Final Event and our first ever EBAN Impact Summit took place jointly with a resounding success on 16-17 February 2023 at the World Trade Center in Barcelona, Spain. This two-in-one summit brought together over 30 countries, showcasing impactful discussions on innovation, investing in DeepTech, and pioneering projects with the potential to shape the future with the support of the EU project Galactica that came to an end in February of this year. Stay tuned to discover when and where the 2024 Impact Summit will take place!

• The 2023 EBAN Annual Congress in Thessaloniki brought together 500+ angel investors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts from around the globe to explore the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges in the startup ecosystem, but also to discover the Greek ecosystem. We proudly announce 2023’s EBAN Awards winners and introduced the prestigious PhD Award. Attendees were also treated to the Explorer Program, offering a unique experience with visits to the museum and tombs in Vergina. The 2024 Congress will take place in Tallinn, Estonia. 

•  EBAN and EIT Digital Joined Forces: A strategic alliance with EIT Digital to foster entrepreneurship across Europe, empowering the next generation of startups and innovators. The collaboration, showcased at the EBAN Congress where the signing ceremony took place, accelerated early-stage investments in startups, sharing best practices and contributing to the continent’s competitiveness on a global scale. Together, EIT Digital and EBAN are making strides in creating a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable force in the digital era.

• Collaboration with UN Women: The cooperation between EBAN and UN Women will contribute to women’s economic empowerment, underlined as one of the four thematic areas in UN Women’s 2022- 2025 Strategy Paper in line with Sustainable Development Goal No. 5- Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. 

•  #EAIS23 Recap: The European Angel Investment Summit united innovators, investors, VCs, and policy makers, showcasing the power of collaboration in driving entrepreneurship forward in Europe. The 2023 Summit took place in Brussels and placed a strong emphasis on gender diversity, advocating for the resolution of biases and collaborating with UN Women for gender-balanced investment. It highlighted the accessibility of SpaceTech investing, Africa’s burgeoning role as a global investment hub, and the transformative impact of the EU AI Act on ethical AI in Europe. See you next year for more Brussels based fun! 

•  EBAN Supernovas Training Programme: Culminating the year, along with the EIT Community we created the Supernovas Business Angels Training Programme — an empowering training initiative for women angel investors. With two levels (one course for experienced and one for new women angels), 10 classes in total, and 8 mentors , this training programme inspired 150+ women to start investing as angels. Big thanks to all our participants and to the EIT Community for the excellent collaboration!

• EBAN Annual Statistics Compendium 2022: We presented the 2022 Annual Statistics Compendium – Europe’s most extensive research on business angel and network activity. Covering 38 countries, the report offered valuable insights into past early-stage investment trends, drawing from diverse sources and providing a nuanced perspective on the entrepreneurial landscape. 

• Launching Lessons (L)earned: This year, we introduced our podcast, Lessons (L)earned, reflecting the belief that learning from others’ business angels’ mistakes is as valuable as learning from their successes. The podcast delves into the realities of angel investments that didn’t go as planned, offering candid insights into the world of angel investing failures. The first two episodes are already out and feature EBAN President Emeritus Peter Cowley and ACA founding member Charles Sidman. Now available on Spotify!

• New EU projects: In 2023, the EBAN initiated impactful projects, notably the EULAC Digital Accelerator fostering digital transformation across Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Connect2Scale brought together Baltic Business Angel networks to fuel European startup growth, emphasising knowledge transfer and cross-border investment opportunities. Ready2Scale focused on fortifying digital and deep tech startup ecosystems, enabling international scalability. In a commitment to diversity, WomenTechEU emerged as a targeted programme supporting female founders leading deep tech startups in Europe. This initiative not only nurtures future female tech leaders but also positions women at the forefront of deep tech innovation. EBAN’s 2023 projects signify a concerted effort to bridge global entrepreneurial landscapes, empower startups, and promote diversity in the tech sector.

See you next year for even more amazing EBAN moments!