For the over 550 startups active in Luxembourg and many others, securing investment is often a critical milestone. Beyond the obvious financial support, having investors on board can add credibility, attract further funding, and open doors to valuable networks and resources. Fostering the relationship between these two entities is crucial for innovation to take off.
This edition of the Luxembourg Venture Days, co-organised by Luxinnovation and the Luxembourg Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LPEA) under the aegis of Startup Luxembourg, did just that by bringing together several flagship investor and startup focused initiatives, including the LPEA Insights conference and Fit 4 Start acceleration programme under one roof.
The sheer scale of this event – with over 1,800 participants and more than 200 investors – is a true testament to Luxembourg’s position as a key hub for both, innovation, and investment.
Around 60 startups in the digital, healthtech and space domains presented their solutions during the Fit 4 Start pitching sessions alone, with many other startups presenting their solutions within the scope of other sessions. “The sheer scale of this event – with over 1,800 participants and more than 200 investors – is a true testament to Luxembourg’s position as a key hub for both, innovation, and investment,” said Luxembourg Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles.
The minister announced the launch of an action plan, to be presented in the coming months, that will further support startups from inception to scale-up, enhancing their growth in European and international markets. A key objective of this plan is to encourage the creation of spin-offs, companies originating from the country’s strong research ecosystem. In line with this, technology incubator Technoport has been mandated to support the most promising spin-off projects and guide researchers through the entire process of launching their companies.
A one-stop digital platform to attract talents and ease their transition in the country is also on the horizon.
Creating synergies
Throughout the two-day event, networking, and matchmaking sessions organised by various actors, including VC firm Expon Capital, late-stage startup accelerator Tomorrow Street, and public initiative Startup Luxembourg, encouraged the sharing of experiences and potential collaboration. This one-of-a-kind conference equally served as a meeting point for business angels. As Michel Rzonzef, President of the Luxembourg Business Angel Network, which has invested around 40 million in startups and is active in creating deal flows, noted, “Business angels are a key driver of innovation”.
The Luxembourg Venture Days is part of our effort here to bridge the innovation gap.
Various other types of investors and participants had the opportunity to discover innovative solutions in the making, while startups on stage honed their pitching skills. A masterclass further equipped entrepreneurs with the know-how to create the perfect pitch. In addition, reverse pitching sessions were held where several corporates presented their challenges to startups, and business angels, EU and national entities also demonstrated how they help businesses in the ecosystem to thrive.
“The Luxembourg Venture Days is part of our effort here, within our certainly somewhat limited scope, to bridge the innovation gap. This is part of the implementation of the Luxembourg government’s strategy for start-ups (as laid out in its roadmap ‘From start to scale’). This event is not a one-off initiative. It is part of a strategy, a national strategy that is aligned with the European one,” mentioned Sasha Baillie, CEO of Luxinnovation.
Providing insights
The LPEA Insights conference that took place on 17 October focused on the topic of operational excellence in private markets and how to create value in the era of AI. “We have broken our record with over 1000 registrations and more than 750 persons present over these two days,” announced Stéphane Pesch, CEO of the LPEA. Several sessions explored how to nurture investor confidence, the divergence of EU and US private markets, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory challenges, technology integration and cybersecurity, VC fundraising strategies and setup requirements, and so much more.
We have broken our record with over 1000 registrations and more than 750 persons present over these two days.
International players and insights were not left out during the Luxembourg Venture Days: GP Bullhound presented its study on growth trends in the European tech scene, while Dealroom and Dealflow shared their analysis of the development and growth of startups that have received EU funding. The American startup accelerator, gener8tor, showcased innovative European startups from the second cohort of its Luxembourg accelerator programme. Denmark-based pre-seed VC investor Accelerace and the French investment group, Wendel, shared from experience on the value and benefits of investing in women-led startups and what it would take to bridge the investment gap. These span from building more role models, changing stereotypes, to more risk-taking on the part of investors.
Knowledge sharing
The exchange of practical experiences continued throughout the entire Luxembourg Venture Days. At the closing ceremony, which culminated with the announcement of 20 excited startups selected for the next edition of Fit 4 Start, Dusan Stojanovic, Founding Partner of True Global Ventures 4 Plus, revealed Megatrends in AI. In particular, he highlighted five verticals where artificial intelligence will shape the future of work. These include legal, KYC and compliance, marketing and sales, coding and cybersecurity, and education and sustainability. He cautioned however: “You don’t build a Silicon Valley (company) without research. It just doesn’t come with entrepreneurs and money. There needs to be fundamental research.”
You have to be investing consistently through cycles.
Leading experts in a panel exploring the current state of venture capital in Luxembourg and Europe, highlighted the need for capital efficiency, liquidity and long-term investment strategies. “Within the world of venture, you can’t be in and out. Rather, you have to be investing consistently through cycles, not just within one year or another year,” pointed out Jeremy Shure, Senior Investment Partner at Italian financial services firm Sella Group. AI’s impact on valuations was equally underscored on this panel, with AI companies valued 68% higher than non-AI counterparts.
In light of the know-how available within the startup community, the words of Mr Pesch resonate: “we are persuaded that if we work hand in hand as an ecosystem, we will be as strong as we always wanted to be and we will make it happen.”