The EIB ADventure Debt and Advisory Summit, held on May 13, at the European Convention Center dived into the current market trends, investment needs, and the challenges faced by innovative companies in Europe.
The summit began with an opening ceremony featuring key addresses from Gelsomina Vigliotti, vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), and Gilles Roth, minister of finance. Their opening remarks set the tone for a day dedicated to exploring the intersection of innovation finance and advisory services, commending EIB for its successful track-record.
Following the opening, Jean-Christophe Laloux, director general of operations at the EIB, delivered a keynote on EIB’s innovation finance activities, with a specific focus on venture debt (VD) and advisory services. This session provided an overview of the EIB’s role in supporting high-growth, innovative companies across Europe.
Keynotes and panels
The morning sessions included a detailed look at how EIB advisory services empower tech players for success, led by Hristo Stoykov, head of advisory services at the EIB. ”Today is about the interconnectedness of people, about what we started here almost a decade ago, today we gathered all of these stakeholders and key players across industries. It’s about the connections made, and the wonderful ecosystem built. The more we talk, the more we cooperate, the better this market will become,” said Stoykov. This was followed by an advisory award ceremony, recognizing achievements in the sector, with Kyriacos Kakouris, vice president of the EIB, presenting the awards.
A panel discussion featuring industry experts, including Zoé Fabian, general partner at Noteus, further explored the impact and strategies of EIB advisory services in boosting innovation.
The EIF and venture debt
Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive of the European Investment Fund (EIF), offered insights into the broader sector of innovation finance, highlighting the EIF’s critical role in supporting early-stage companies.
The afternoon featured a deep dive into EIB venture debt, with a panel discussion on product offerings, partnerships, and their overall impact. Alessandro Izzo, head of the EIB equity, growth capital and project finance department, and Felicitas Riedl, director of the innovation and competitiveness department at EIB, led this session, emphasizing the pivotal role of venture debt in scaling innovative companies. “One of the main takeaways from today’s fantastic event, the first of many, being that EIB has signaled itself to become a key player in the growth capital market, and not only as a provider of non-dilutive venture debt, but also in terms of being the entry point of EU backed programs for advisory support and equity investment to startups as they get ready for their growth,” said Izzo, head of the EIB equity, growth capital and project finance department.
Celebrating innovation and future directions
The innovation champion award ceremony, presented by Ambroise Fayolle, vice president of the EIB, and Marc Lemaître, director general for research and innovation at the European Commission, celebrated the contributions of European tech champions. A special video message from Nadia Calviño, president of the EIB, showcased the institution’s commitment to fostering innovation and supporting high-growth companies.
The event concluded with the ADventure fair, offering attendees the opportunity to engage directly with promising startups and innovators, including several stages, with mini-roundtable discussions, involving CEO’s of life sciences, cleantech, the Energy Industrial Council (EIC), and several other topics. In addition to this, a side event announcing the EU blue champions advisory program finalists, presented by Ambroise Fayolle and Kestutis Sadauskas, deputy director general for maritime affairs and fisheries at the European Commission (DG MARE).
The EIB Venture Debt and Advisory Summit highlighted the role of EIB advisory services in supporting Europe’s most promising innovative companies. By bringing together key stakeholders, the summit held valuable discussions on the future of innovation finance and the strategic initiatives needed to continue driving growth and success in the European market.
