Yesterday we hosted our first exclusive event for our members in Gent, the Magic 5, and today, thanks to our combined effort, there is hope for more sustainable days ahead!
Over 500 participants joined the pursuit of a new sustainable future for Europe, raising nearly €10 Million! They were our light to act on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with venture capital, crowdfunding and social entrepreneurship. The keynote was a speech by Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Development Cooperation, and Minister in charge of Digital Technologies, Alexander De Croo, who discussed the tax shelter for investing in startups (watch this space, we will keep you updated!).
It was big and bold. Big because MyMicroInvest cares about sustainability, poverty, and accountability, and bold, because we’re taking crowdfunding to where we can multiply our impact, together.
Invited MyMicroInvest Members at Magic 5:
- Discovered 5 cutting-edge start-ups creating high-value technologies and solutions that are changing the world right now
- Learned from venture capital pros how your money can contribute to a world where positive impact and returns are mutually inclusive
- Interacted with the entrepreneurs, innovators, thought and industry leaders behind the shift to impact investing, and
- Networked with Europe’s leading business angels, doers and dreamers
We even surpassed our investment goal, revealing a promising new trend: people, investors and institutional movers are ready to channel their resources into the companies building the future we want. We couldn’t have done it without you!
The Panelists
- Philippe Haspeslagh, Honorary Dean of Belgium’s Vlerick Business School and member of the Inventures II Investment Committee
- Alexander De Croo, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Development Cooperation, and Minister in charge of Digital Technologies, working hard to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- Pieterjan Bouten, Co-Founder & CEO of Showpad
- Omar Mohout, Former entrepreneur, widely published tech author, advisor to high-growth start-ups, and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Antwerp Management School.
- Moderator: José Zurstrassen (Executive Chairman, MyMicroInvest)
The Start-ups
- Social Stock Exchange | A radically new kind of regulated stock exchange for socially conscious business owners and investors seeking positive impact and financial returns.
- Zen Car | Belgium’s zero-emission and zero-noise electric car-sharing leader, boasting a visionary approach to innovating new electric mobility solutions in Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp.
- Santech | A software package allowing clients to efficiently and cost-effectively implement e-health solutions.
- AproPLAN | A tablet-enabled construction management app for contractors and architects to keep track of their plans, blueprints and projects in an effort to reduce wastage of across the construction industry.
- Inventures II | The world’s first venture capital fund for social-impact businesses leveraging the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a more responsible, sustainable, and accountable world.