The International Faculty participates in EBAF 2014 in Istanbul

Professor Panayiotis Ketikidis and Mr Andreas Baresel-Bofinger represented the International Faculty of the University of Sheffield, CITY College, and the South-East European Research Centre (SEERC) at the European Business Angels Investment Forum (EBAF) in Istanbul on 15-16 December, 2014. The European Business Angels Investment Forum brought together highly experienced international Business Angels, public and corporate early stage market players collaborating in the effort to ease the access to finance for SMEs and entrepreneurs. The Forum emphasized the important role that Business Angels increasingly play in bridging the financing gap for innovative start-ups in Europe. EBAF 2014 featured a wide array of speeches and panel discussions with distinguished international participants as well as thematic workshops. The International Faculty and its research centre, SEERC, presented the outcomes of the study ‘Needs for Policy Support Among Start-Ups and Investors in SEE’ recently conducted in the framework of the EU co-funded project ‘Venture Initiative in the Balkan Europe’ (VIBE). EBAF was organized by the Turkish Business Angel Association TBAA in partnership with the European Business Angel Network (EBAN), the Forbes l Para Conferences and the Istanbul Stock Exchange.

Baybars Altuntas, President of TBAA, giving a speech at EBAF

Parallel to EBAF 2014 the SEE Investment Forum took place where 11 start-ups from various countries (including ‘Onatros’ from Greece and ‘Medi-Cloud’ from Cyrpus) were given the opportunity to pitch their ventures in front of a highly distinguished international jury of Business Angels. The SEE Investment Forum was organized by the interregional acceleration and investment platform ‘SuperFounders’ which is supported by the International Faculty and SEERC.

Andreas Baresel-Bofinger presenting at EBAF 2014

Prof. Panayiotis H. Ketikidis and Andreas Baresel-Bofinger
at the EBAF 2014

More information about the event can be found here.