Masterclasses Abstract

18 February 2019, Monday
14.30 – 16.00 Zurich Hall

EIF Masterclass
How to structure a co-investment fund to attract finance from the EIF European Investment Fund

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by Cyril Gouiffès, Impact Investment Manager @ European Investment Fund, Luxembourg

The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) estimates a market of US$114 billion in impact investing assets, US$22.1 billion of which was committed in 2016. The expected growth in commitment in 2017 is 25.9%. The supply of impact capital is expected to rise, but so far, impact investment’s share in global financial markets is estimated to be only around 0.2% of global wealth. If this share rises to 2%, it could mean over US$2 trillion invested in impact-driven assets. Some 1,500 asset managers, with combined assets of over US$62 trillion, have signed on for the six United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, while the larger definition of sustainable investment encompasses an estimated total of US$21.4 trillion.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is going to deliver a special masterclass on how investors can develop co-investment funds to attract European Investment Fund (EIF) finance. The masterclass will be given by Cyril Gouiffès, Impact Investment Manager at the European Investment Fund in Luxembourg. It will include a real case study from Croatia. At the end of the masterclass, Renata Brkic and her team will share their experience raising EIF finance for their social impact fund. Brkic raised €15 million for the social impact fund she and her team are launching in 2019. Brkic leads the Global Impact Investors Committee of the World Business Angels Investment Forum and chairs the Impact Investment Summit at the World Congress of Angel Investors.

EIF-managed financial products for social impact investing will be presented, specifically, (i) the Social Impact Accelerator (SIA) and (ii) EFSI social impact instruments:

(i) SIA is a vintage 2013 social impact fund-of-funds of EUR 243m with 11 investments in its portfolio to date.
(ii) EFSI social impact instruments are part of the European Union growth plan to foster social innovation in the EU by financially supporting social SMEs through accelerators and incubators, social impact bond schemes and co-investments with business angels. 

18 February 2019, Monday
16.00 – 17.30 Zurich Hall

BIC Masterclass:
New Methodologies to Pick Winners When Angel Investing in Blockchain Powered Projects

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by Brad Bulent Yasar, Founder of the Blockchain Consortium, USA

This masterclass is designed to share best practices in early-stage investing in startups in the blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Masterclass will cover best practices on conducting due diligence on the business model, legal issues, founders, technology and growth strategies of blockchain projects to reduce investment risks. The masterclass will allow participants to become more confident with doing an initial assessment of blockchain projects and better understand the red flags to watch for.