Date: Tuesday, 27 June 2023 from 13:00 to 16:30 (time in CEST)
Equity investments play a vital role in the growth and development of companies, providing essential capital for expansion and flexibility for founders. However, research indicates that the need for equity funding in social economy organizations exceeds the current supply by threefold. To address this gap and explore the potential of equity investments in Europe, the European Center for Social Finance is organizing a comprehensive online training.
The workshop aims to enhance understanding of equity investments and their contribution to the social economy and ethical finance. It will include real-life case studies and insights from prominent speakers in the field.
Objectives
The primary objective of this training is to gain a deeper understanding of the current state of equity investments in Europe and their potential impact on the social economy. The training will explore different types of equity capital used in the social and solidarity economy, including those tailored specifically for social enterprises. By examining two real-life case studies, participants will learn about equity instruments provided by organizations such as Change, which originated as a debt providing organization, and Seed Capital Bizkaia, a pioneer regional investor. The training aims to provide valuable insights into the challenges and advantages of equity investments.
Equity capital is a form of investment provided by the owners of a company. Unlike debt, equity capital does not need to be repaid and remains invested in the company for an unlimited period. Investors benefit from regular dividend payments and the potential increase in the company’s valuation, leading to a higher value of their shares. In the social and solidarity economy, various types of equity capital are utilized, some similar to traditional venture capital, while others are specifically tailored to the unique context of social enterprises.
Delivery and Enrollment
The training will be conducted online, allowing participants from anywhere to join. Enrollment is open, and interested individuals can register via a Google form, which also facilitates invoicing data collection. The training is free for members of the Federation of European Ethical and Alternative Banks (FEBEA), while non-members will be charged a fee of €100.00 + VAT.
Speakers
The workshop will feature esteemed speakers with expertise in social finance, impact investing, and equity investments. Among the speakers are:
Clémentine Blazy – European Center for Social Finance, with a background in consulting & over 15 years in social finance (mostly at France active where she led the investment activity for the national entity), she has experience as board member of social enterprises and investor within different investment committees. She has a strong interest in the growing involvement of philanthropy in social finance.
Barbara Scheck – European Center for Social Finance, which delivers Technical Assistance services on behalf of FEBEA. She is the Professor for Entrepreneurship at Munich Business School and has been active in the field of social finance since 2007. Her work focuses on the financing of social enterprises, impact and mission-related investing and impact assessment.
Alexia de Jonghe – Change, with a degree in Management Sciences from the Louvain School of Management and a Master in Development Cooperation at the ULB, Alexia started her career at ING where she held various positions for 6 years (M&A- Credits). In 2014, she joined Triodos Bank as a relationship manager for sustainable businesses, with expertise in the sustainable food and circular economy sectors. She joined the Change team in 2022 to grow and support its portfolio.
Marguerite de Viron – Change, she has a degree in business management from ICHEC Brussels Management School. Passionate about the world of impact finance, she started her professional experience at Citizenfund (citizen investment cooperative) and Solifin, the network of ethical and sustainable finance actors active in Belgium. She joined Change in 2019.
Roldan Descamps – Mekanika, is CEO and founder of Mekanika holds a master’s degree in bio-engineering in the field of environmental technologies. He has experience as an entrepreneur and entrepreneurial coach. He has a strong interest in sustainable food ecosystems, circular economy and innovative business models.
Oscar Ugarte Gamboa – is CEO of Seed Capital Bizkaia, with an extended track record in seed capital investments and fund operations. He joined Bizkaia as director in 2008, after a career in management in the IT as well as electricity sectors. Among other initiatives as director of Seed Capital Bizkaia, Óscar launched a microfinance venture entity as well as a crowdfunding platform. He is a member of the EMN Board since 2018.
Agenda (Time in CEST)
Tuesday, 27 June 2023 from 13:00 to 16:30 (time in CEST)
- 13:00 – 13:15: Welcome and Introduction to the workshop
- 13:15 – 14:00: Status quo of equity financing in Europe
- Types of equity capital
- EU social finance and impact investing instruments
- Development and trends
- Investments in listed equities
- 14:00 – 14:40: Case Study: Change (Equity provider incepted by a debt providing organization)
- Q&A
- 14:40 – 15:00: Break
- 15:00 – 15:30: Case Study: Bizkaia
- Q&A
- 15:30- 16:00:
- Supply-side of private equity investments:
- Landscape and needs for entrerprises and investors
- Challenges
- Demand-side of equity investments:
- Landscape and needs for entrerprises and investors
- Challenges
- Supply-side of private equity investments:
- 16:00 – 16:15: Open discussion and sharing of experiences
- 16:15 – 16:40: Wrap-Up, Outlook, and Feedback
*Check FEBEA’s cancellation policy here.
