Your company - whether mid, late stage start-up or SME - will go through this key stage to grow ! Learn everything you need to know to secure financing successfully!

• How to finance your company and convince investors to trust you ?
• When is the best time to do it ?
• Which mistakes are best avoided ?
• When raising equity, how to maintain majority ownership?

Our four outstanding founders and investors will answer all these burning - and decisive - questions as well as share their successes and mistakes.

Mixing hand-on experience and insider tips with solid financial expertise, this event will give you actionable solutions to efficiently find financing, that will guarantee sustainability and serve your company's long-term vision.

Join us!

The Speakers:

• Diego Braguglia, managing partner @ VI Partners AG

“Money, money money must be funny” Could have Diego Braguglia written Abba’s famous song?

Diego Braguglia is managing partner at VI Partners AG since 2003 and he holds various positions as chairman or member of the board in the medical, life sciences and pharmaceutical industry.

VI Partners is a Swiss venture capital company focusing on promising startups offering game-changing technology. VI Partners does not only invest in capital but also provides access to a wide network and advice to the invested companies.Using his long experience in the venture industry in Europe and the US, Diego Braguglia will share pragmatic advices and secrete tips to raise funds, get prepared and convince investors.

• Amin Shokrollahi, founder and ceo @ Kandou Bus

When mathematics meet entrepreneurship!

Amin Shokrollahi has created many classes of codes – the Tornado, the Chordal and the Raptor ones- and has gained several prestigious awards and medals out of which the IEEE Eric E. Summer Award in 2007 and the IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medals in 2012.

Besides his passion and amazing gift about maths, Amin has created Kandou Bus in 2011 and has been since, acting as the CEO. To develop his company dedicated to the commercialization of a new class of codes and improve communication on electrical wires between chips, Amin Shokrollahi has raised more than 40 M$ in 3 rounds. He will share with us his experiences in raising funds, his successes and nightmares.

• Andreas Schollin-Borg, co-founder and ceo @ Batmaid

What does Bruce Wayne, Batmaid and Gotham have in common? The entrepreneur Andreas Schollin-Borg of course! When he was a little boy, Andreas was dreaming about super hero, specifically Batman. So, when he created the Vanguard Internet SA, one year after his graduation from the University of Geneva, Andreas Schollin-Borg launched two “super” brands: Batmaid and Gotham.

Batmaid, created in 2014, aims to become the Uber of home services: whatever you are looking for: be it cleaning services, gardening, electricity skills; Batmaid will probably have it. Batmaid’s offices are located at Gotham in Lausanne, a co-working space created in 2017. As the CEO and co-founder of Batmaid and Gotham, Andreas has built a thorough understanding of financing and will share its insider tips regarding partnerships, private investment and franchising.

• Patrick Thiébaud, founder and ceo @ WEALTHINGS Horizon

Who said data and information are the new oil? Mark Zuckerberg from Facebook or Sergei Brin, Alphabet's CEO? No, it is Patrick Thiébaud, a serial entrepreneur from … Geneva ! And this became obvious for him on day 1 at Temenos and the World Economic Forum as an IT manager. In 2000, he decides to create his own companies and starts a career as an entrepreneur with information as a key focus.

In 2011, his dedication to data led to the creation of WEALTHINGS Horizon. Who says there were no alternatives to SAP, Odoo, Oracle and other existing ERP applications? Certainly not, Patrick Thiébaud and he is on the way to prove it with WEALTHINGS Horizon. WEALTHINGS is a best of breed application or in one word, an alternative to the traditional ERP requiring months to set-up and even longer to use effectively. Long story short: within two clicks, the solution is implemented and is ready to be used. Patrick Thiébaud will share his experience in financing, and more precisely in equity and retaining majority.

The moderators:

• Stéphanie Fontugne, founder @ Boostpartners

As a former CEO or CFO in the logistics, pharmaceutical and consumer goods industry, Stephanie Fontugne possesses a thorough understanding of what financing means and requires when it comes to preparation. She argues that clear goals together with a mid-term financing plan are the winning strategy in order to avoid unexpected ownership and control challenges.

In 2015, she founded Boostpartners, a consultancy boutique supporting mid-size companies and start-ups in their growth and acceleration phases. Boostpartners competitive advantage lies in the fact that all consultants have an extensive operational experience – as CEO, CFO, CTO - built in different business area. On top, Boostpartners commits itself by implementing solutions and rolling-out action plans.

• Vincent Duc, chartered accountant @ Fidag

Vincent Duc has worked in various fiduciary companies such as BDO and PWC. Since 2015, he works at Fidag, a company offering high-level of fiduciary services to mid-size companies and start-ups. With offices all over Switzerland, Fidag develops its network with start-ups and actively participates in many awards, such as the Strategis price. The company has been ranked the best fiduciary company in Switzerland French-speaking area.

At Fidag, Vincent Duc manages and develops the Lausanne office with his team. Vincent accompanies companies to better manage their annual audits and taxes by providing them appropriate advices. He also helps them to implement internal control system (ICS) to ensure the risks are managed.

The agenda:

6:30 PM : Registration

7:00 PM to 8:30 PM : Introduction and panel

8:30 PM - 9:30 PM : Networking

The organizers:

Boostpartners is an advisory company offering pragmatic and tailor-made solutions to start-ups and mid-size companies.

Fidag is active in all areas of fiduciary services (accounting, auditing, taxes, administration and consulting) providing high level of services to mid-size companies and start-ups.

Venturelab designs and operates programs to support start-ups and accelerate their global business development.

Junior Entreprise EPFL accompanies companies and start-ups and offers a variety of services from engineering to digital and legal services.