David Brown pitches Canatu
Ecosummit TV: Kids actually think that everything should be touchable. So the challenge is how to be interactive on any surface. David Brown pitches Canatu at ECO14 Berlin. Canatu develops transparent conductive films used in touchscreens and flexible displays, serving high growth multi-billion dollar markets. Canatu’s goal is to replace Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) that is used in today’s touchscreens. Canatu invented the NanoBud, a (semi-)conductive, flexible nanomaterial that can be deposited on any substrate in a roll-to-roll direct dry printing process. Canatu was spun-off from the NanoMaterials Group at Helsinki University of Technology and has got 29 employees. The Finnish startup currently looks for €15M to scale the technology and business.
Read moreJay Marathe of Cartagena Capital takes startups from fundraising to successful exits
Ecosummit TV: Startups and VCs alike share the need for more and better exits. While we believe that Pan-European co-investing is an important success factor for achieving good exits, we acknowledge that exits are challenging and often are facilitated by corporate finance advisors representing the sell or buy side. In this context, Jay Marathe of Cartagena Capital talks about taking startups from fundraising to successful exits at ECO14 Berlin. The timing of the exit is key. Startups should constantly listen to the market for strong exit signals: competitors get acquired, customers place huge orders or buyers have lots of cash and start calling. At the same time, it makes sense to continue fundraising and creating value until you reach key valuation milestones and have a nice selection of LOIs from multiple buyers on the table. A recent exit is the $100M acquisition of AlertMe by British Gas, their biggest customer and one of their VCs. This transaction also enabled the second exit of SET Ventures.
Read moreAnna Yukiko Bickenbach interviews happy participants at Ecosummit Berlin 2014
Ecosummit TV: Ecosummit TV moderator Anna Yukiko Bickenbach interviews happy participants at Ecosummit Berlin 2014 – our fifth Ecosummit in Berlin that took place on 3-4 June at the one and only Radialsystem. This Ecosummit TV video features Hans Maenhout (Finindus), Alexander Bigge Lidgren (Swedish Energy Agency), Robert Czaja (Tesla), Gina Domanig (Emerald Technology Ventures), Christian Huder (Freelance Consultant), Alexander van Os (Yellow&Blue), Nils Aldag (Sunfire), Jay Marathe (Cartagena Capital), Björn Petersson (Ecosummit Ambassador), Eva Bjorseth (Oceanshore Ventures), Andriy Shmyhelskyy (CareToSave) and Jan Michael Hess (Ecosummit). We look forward to hosting our next smart green innovation conference Ecosummit London 2014 on 7-8 October at the Crystal. Come and join us.
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