On 24 January 2024, in the framework of RESOURCE project, CEEIARAGON organized the second of two Expert Committee meetings to identify and analyze critical needs and ideas that investors have when investing in innovative projects in general and circular economy projects in particular.
The Expert Committee is composed of representatives from five significant investor networks identified in the mapping carried out by RESOURCE partners. It includes VC Funds, Corporate VCs or Business Angel Networks but also Financial Consultancy and Specialist Consultancy firms focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies with special focus on circular economy, energy transition and sustainable finance, willing to share their knowledge with RESOURCE Pilot projects founders and team members. It gathered funds and organisations such as First Drop PVC , Iberdrola, Swanlaab, Gate2growth and RDA.
Participants shared sharp contributions on the greatest issues investors face while going through investment funnels to find the most promising investment opportunities.
After a short summary on the main outcomes from the 1st Investment Experts Committee Meeting held on 31st October 2023 (i.e. Investor profiles, Companies founders’ team, and Market orientation) participants discussed the green lights and red flags investors get when studying a project, and what makes them to look deeper or not after a first approach.
Main conclusion was that, even when some of those signals, whether positive or negative, could influence at some point investor’s first impression, the most important thing is the business base presented and the existence of a promising market behind. Furthermore in the case of circular economy, it is crucial to position the value proposition within the value chain: considering the downstream and upstream impacts, as great business opportunities.
And finally, something all investors have in mind, the Team. The founder or the team’s ability to communicate with their market and also with investors is key: their ability to share and explain the key assets of the project and also their transparency with investors.
Other circular economy sister projects were also invited to participate in this discussion (BioBoost and CircularInvest for example), also bringing their experience and benefiting from this meeting’s outcome for their own development leading us all to a profitable collaboration.