Microsoft's 6th European BizSpark Summit
Microsoft 6th European BizSpark Summit connects leaders in the entrepreneurial community across Europe with each other. Coinciding with European SME Week and hosted by Silicon Valley entrepreneurial superstar Guy Kawasaki, the European BizSpark Summit brings together key entrepreneurs in Europe for a start-up investment pitch.
Microsoft’s annual European BizSpark Summit connects leaders in the entrepreneurial community across Europe with each other. Now in its 6th year, and coinciding with European SME Week, the event will focus on how start-ups, investors and government representatives can collaborate to foster European competitiveness.
Launched in 2008, the Microsoft BizSpark program is designed to help accelerate the success of entrepreneurs and early-stage startups by providing them with fast and easy access to current full-featured Microsoft development tools and production licenses with no upfront costs and minimal requirements. By bringing together these startup companies with the finance and investment communities, the European BizSpark Summit fosters an environment of investment and partnership; building a more dynamic policy framework for entrepreneurship in Europe.
Central to the day’s events will be the Startup Showcase in which 18 startups from across Europe, selected by Microsoft and BizSpark Network Partners, will actively pitch to an audience of investors, partners and policymakers.
The proceedings will be hosted by Silicon Valley veteran and Venture Capitalist Guy Kawasaki and keynote speakers include:
- Jean-Philippe Courtois, President, Microsoft International
- Jan Muehlfeit, Chairman Europe, Microsoft
- Peter Jungen, Chairman, Peter Jungen Holding GmbH; President, European Enterprise Insitute; President of the SME Union
Event highlights
Broadcast live online throughout the day.
The Art of Innovation – Guy Kawasaki 09.10 (CET/UTC+1)
Tune into fresh thinking about innovation from Silicon Valley veteran and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki. How do you help people change the world by creating innovative products and services? Drawing on his experience with Apple and his study of dozens of top companies, Guy Kawasaki lays out his highly personal guide to the strategic steps to catalyze world-class innovation.
Start-up Trends / Live Discussion - Guy Kawasaki and Dan’l Lewin 09.35 (CET/UTC+1)
Hear two leading industry figures exchange views on startup trends. In a frank and unscripted conversation live on stage, Guy Kawasaki and Dan’l Lewin, Corporate vice president for Strategic and Emerging Business Development, swap insights and share perspectives on innovation and technology trends. Together, they discuss what’s hot (and what’s not).
‘Investing in the Cloud’ – Panel Discussion 12.40 (CET/UTC+1)
Moderator: Jennifer L. Schenker, Ivan Farneti, Doughty Hanson, Stephen McGibbon – Microsoft
Explore the opportunities and challenges of cloud computing. This lively panel session looks at the intersection of investment, entrepreneurship, and cloud computing. Why is now the right time to invest in the cloud? Why are more and more startups moving to the cloud and how are they making and saving money in the cloud? What’s the best way to identify and meet the challenges?
Other highlights of the day include panel sessions with industry experts including Peter Jungen, President of the SME Union, on key issues such as “How to build a virtuous ecosystem in Europe”.
Press Materials
- To view the webcast please visit http://microsoft.eu/Events/Registerforthewebcast.aspx
- Social Media materials: http://microsoft.eu/Events/Viewer/tabid/121/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/612/6th-Microsoft-BizSpark-European-Summit-on-growth-and-entrepreneurship.aspx
