As governments around the world have responded to the health, social, and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalization has been recognized as being of paramount importance and relevance in ensuring continuity of access to financial services. The G20 Global Partnerships for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) members issued a statement on its COVID-19 response, reaffirming the G20 commitment under the G20 Action Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to which the World Business Angels Investment Forum is one of the signatories.
World Congress of Angel Investors WBAF 2023 is a great platform from which to campaign for solutions to such critical issues and other worldwide concerns at the United Nations, the European Union and in G20 countries.
With the digitization that ushered in Industry 4.0, and with disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, new ventures and enterprises are obliged to rethink their business models and strategies.
With this in mind, Board of Directors at the World Business Angels Investment Forum, have agreed on the theme for the World Congress of Angel Investors WBAF 2023, which will take place 20 – 23 November 2023: Mobilising Science and Technology Parks for Financial Inclusion.
WBAF 2023 will feature roundtables that will provide a platform for entrepreneurs and angel investors to explore the processes startups will go through in post-pandemic times. The Congress will also include discussions the ongoing challenges entrepreneurial ventures face in integrating the basic knowledge of strategic planning and will consider creative ways to overcome the challenges.
The ultimate goal of all of the Congress’ keynotes, discussions, presentations, and workshops is to agree on a common roadmap for angel investors, entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs that will enable them to emerge from this pandemic period even stronger than they were before.
International Convention Centre
Durban ICC
WHEN
Monday – WednesdayWORLD CONGRESS OF ANGEL INVESTORS WBAF 2023
AFRICA CONGRESS WBAF 2023
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) will focus on angel investors partnering with private equity funds at the World Congress of Angel Investors in 2023. The discussions will explore how private equity funds can foster open innovation and deliver more business value through partnerships with angel investors, start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs.
The agenda will focus on connecting angel investors with corporate ventures, while the Forum sessions will deal with issues of financial inclusion and ways to democratise access to finance from start-up to scale-up to exit. LPs, start-ups, scale-ups and angel investors will be able to connect at the Global Fundraising Stage GFRS 2023 and the World Excellence Awards Gala Dinner.
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) will focus on angel investors partnering with private equity funds at the World Congress of Angel Investors in 2023. The discussions will explore how private equity funds can foster open innovation and deliver more business value through partnerships with angel investors, start-ups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses and SMEs.
The agenda will focus on connecting angel investors with corporate ventures, while the Forum sessions will deal with issues of financial inclusion and ways to democratise access to finance from start-up to scale-up to exit. LPs, start-ups, scale-ups and angel investors will be able to connect at the Global Fundraising Stage GFRS 2023 and the World Excellence Awards Gala Dinner.
Africa is one of the most promising destinations for foreign direct investment. The continent offers the world’s highest return on FDI and it has abundant in natural resources. Although figures plunged in some instances, it swiftly surges back, evidencing the region's economic resilience.
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum includes the WBAF Africa Congress for Financial Inclusion in the WBAF 2023 Agenda, to unleash the real potential of the continent’s entrepreneurs, to tailor innovative financial instruments for Africa, and to lay out a roadmap for governments to convert their economies to ‘smart’ economies. The Congress will host a Dialogue Roundtable chaired by the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
At WBAF 2023, we are allocating a special area where selected 100 startups, scaleups, and high-growth businesses will each have an area to showcase their business and to pitch their businesses on the Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS) on 22 November. The 2023 GFRS is supported by the WBAF Angel Investment Fund, whose mission is to invest in startups and scaleups who pitch on the GFRS. The aim is to showcase the world’s top startups and scaleups, which, typically, are funded companies in the process of raising €50K – €3M, with the ultimate goal of globalizing. GFRS participants will have a free Investment Readiness Workshop from the WBAF Business School. They will also have a free one-on-one mentoring session with a qualified mentor of the World Business Angels Investment Forum.
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) is aiming to ease access to finance globally. The WBAF’s Angel Investment Fund is designed to capitalise on the worldwide growth in entrepreneurial activity and venture financing for startups and scaleups and to benefit from WBAF’s extensive network of global investors, including angel investors, private equity funds, co-investment platforms, wealth management institutions, family offices, VCs and acceleration centres. The Fund Investment Committee will announce the selected startups of the Global Fundraising Stage 2023, for due-diligence stage, on 22 November in the Closing Ceremony of the WBAF 2023.
It is the position of the WBAF Business School that when investors have had the advantage of training in the best practices of negotiating deals for early-stage investment, they are in a better position to ensure a good return on their investments. The WBAF Business School takes advantage of the Congress to deliver free workshops and masterclasses to support participants’ professional development.
Through the World Excellence Awards, the World Business Angels Investment Forum celebrates high growth and success in the equity and capital market – recognising the fastest growing brands and acknowledging the founders, angel investors, crowd-funders and early-stage venture capital investors behind them.
Open to both companies, investors, NGOs, policy makers and public institutes, these awards recognise the year’s most disruptive new market entrants and provide a definitive list of the most exciting individuals and organisations to watch in the investment, equity and capital space. The Gala Dinner will be at the Durban ICC Convention Center on 21 November 2023, Tuesday, Duban, South Africa
WBAF is committed to collaborating globally to empower world economic development by creating innovative financial instruments for innovators, start-ups, and SMEs. The Forum interacts with leaders in all areas of society, first and foremost in business and political spheres, to help assess needs and establish goals, bearing in mind that the public interest is of paramount importance. WBAF engages a wide range of institutions, both public and private, local and international, commercial and academic to help shape the global agenda.
WBAF 2023 will host a VIP lunch for 200 selected investors from around the world on 21 November 2023, Tuesday. Presidents, prime ministers, ministers and mayors who attend the VIP lunch will deliver short speeches. This lunch opens the way for networking with high-level guests of the World Business Angels Investment Forum.
Durban ICC International Convention Centre
Christina McGimpsey
Secretary General, World Business Angels Investment Forum
Christina.McGimpsey@wbaforum.org
T: +90(542) 117 1822
By working together across borders, with a common vision, and with these smart dynamics in mind, we are well placed to bring about positive change in the global economy
Join the World Leaders Programme, Apply for the Global Fundraising Stage, Become an investor of the WBAF Angel Investment Fund, Learn more about WBAF Business School Programmes, Request mentoring, Become an accredited mentor, Become a WBAF Speaker, Become faculty member of the WBAF Business School, Become a WBAF Institutional Member