The canton of Vaud benefits from a rich innovation ecosystem with unique players in their respective fields of innovation. In fact, with over 2,000 technology companies and 50,000 highly skilled professionals based in Vaud, the region is one of the most dynamic in Switzerland with numerous promising startups raising funds.
However, the presence of specialized investors in innovation is not yet sufficiently high in the region. Opportunities to address this situation exist, such as the IMD Venture Asset Management Program.
This initiative aims to help investors to not only make money for their funds but also to see how they can be a significant player in creating a better world. As explains Jim Pulcrano, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Management at IMD : “Our goal is to help investors – whether they be pension fund managers, serial angels, corporate venture capitalists, family offices or VCs themselves – better understand the world of startups and how to invest in this domain wisely.”
A viewpoint confirmed by Prof. Karl Schmedders, Professor of Finance at IMD : “The program on venture investing is both engaging and immensely helpful, effectively demystifying the complexities of the field and making it accessible to everyone.”
This program is designed to build solid foundational knowledge of the 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 industry and to develop a cross-sectoral community for peer exchanges. It provides a comprehensive overview of various challenges and valuable advice, as explained by Guillaume Hingel, Financial Innovation Head, World Economic Forum, Switzerland : « a fantastic line-up from start to finish ! I very much enjoyed the program and the engaging combination of experts insights, peer exchange, and actionable frameworks.»
Indeed, you will :
- Get an overview of the European venture capital market, explore the dynamics of venture assets, learn about direct and indirect investing
- Deep dive into the financial valuation methods to evaluate start-ups
- Communication between limited partners and general partners
- Tackle risk assessment and portfolio diversification
- Sustainability and the decision-making process
- Join a growing peer network of practitioners and leaders in this space.
Another aspect that is interesting for the investor community is networking. To facilitate this, Innovaud and IMD organize an apero so that those registered for the program can exchange best practises with each other.
This program changed my perspective. Understanding the various stakeholders’ objectives and interests is very helpful for interacting with venture capitalists», concludes Jeanne Chatelle, Business & Ecosystems Development Manager, Nestlé Purina Petcare, Switzerland.
Next program starts on April 18, do not hesitate to sign up!
