GLOBE 2020 Highlights and Insights: Exchange

What’s the best way to pitch investors and raise capital? How can government support and supercharge growth? Where can the power of strategic marketing make the biggest impact? These were just some of the questions addressed during GLOBE Exchange, our first-ever event dedicated to business-to-business transactions.

Over the course of Feb. 10, almost 800 curated business-to-business matches were made between more than 300 innovators and investors, enhancing deal flow and accelerating business growth.

Read on for a few key takeaways from select Exchange sessions.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM INVESTOR PRESENTATIONS

  • There are a wide variety of investors looking for targets across many sectors. Common targets include renewable energy, food and agriculture, smart cities, smart mobility, and waste-to-value.
  • The maturity of the cleantech market is underscored by the range of services available, eg. New Energy Risk helping to ensure technical risk for breakthrough technologies.

“Once we fix the starship, we can focus more on the passengers. The most important thing we can do to fix the starship is to park X-million tonnes of carbon.” —Sandeep Gupta, Pyfera Capital

WORKSHOP TAKEAWAYS

Building Value with Strategic Marketing, with Junxion Strategy

  • Building value is about being bold, having the courage to ask the tough questions, and being more audacious together. Corporate trust across sectors is built on existing personal relationships. When companies provide a supportive environment where employees can share ideas and learn from others outside of their organization, the relationships grow. Authenticity means a consistent, unwavering adherence to stated values in messaging and behaviour.

“Customers stay with us over time because our values are aligned.” Mike Rowlands, President and Chief Executive Officer, Junxion Strategy

How to Pitch to Investors and Raise Capital, with RE Royalties

  • Keep it simple.
  • Be authentic.
  • Tell a story.
  • Don’t be defensive when tough questions are asked.
  • Know your facts.
  • Be ready to adapt.
  • Assume success.

“You have two ears and one mouth — use them accordingly. It’s very important to listen. Some of the best ideas we’ve developed over the years came from people who didn’t necessarily become shareholders or investors.”—Bernard Tan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, RE Royalties

 

Why Intellectual Property Matters and How your Cleantech Company can Benefit from it, with ISED and WIPO GREEN

If you have an idea or invention, you have the right to determine what should be done with it. You can make money on it, or you can give it away for free. Securing the rights gives you the ability to make this choice. In Canada, 75% of cleantech patents are in six areas:

  • Advanced materials (20%)
  • Energy efficiency (16%)
  • Energy storage (13%)
  • Biofuels and biochemicals (11%)
  • Fuel cells and hydrogen (8%)
  • Transportation (8%)