Future Big Business: Build OR Buy Startups?
When it comes to in-house innovation, new digital products and new ways of working, is the answer to build OR buy startups?
Wednesday 26 May
5:30pm - 8:00pm
23 Customs Street East, Auckland CBD, Auckland, New Zealand
What's it all about?
In-house innovation. New digital products. New ways of working. Generally, large businesses have struggled to execute these initiatives well. Looking ahead, it is only becoming more important for the survival of established businesses. Is the answer to buy or build startups?
On Wednesday 26th May, Potentia is hosting a Techweek21 event to tackle the hard questions around this very topic...an evening that’s sure to generate healthy debate from both sides of the fence.
What will we be covering?
- Is it viable for enterprises to buy start-ups to innovate?
- What should the qualifying factors be for investment?
- Could the early-stage investment community and enterprises work together more closely? How?
- Are start-ups willing to take investment from enterprises? Under what conditions?
- Can enterprises build start-ups themselves?
- Does enterprise investment in early-stage = just money?
- Are start-up entrepreneurs and teams built to work within enterprises?
- What is an idyllic future for both parties? What’s stopping this happening right now?
Whether you’re a founder wanting to become ‘investment ready’ or understand enterprise customers, an enterprise leader looking to orchestrate startup relationships or an investor trying to discover this new landscape – this event is one you don’t want to miss.
Speakers
Alex has the rare experience and distinction of transferring between global corporate ventures, founder and early stage investor. We're lucky enough to have him in New Zealand as an Edmund Hillary Fellow and founding partner at early-stage VC Hillfarrance. He and Hillfarrance are changing the game for founders in this country and fueling a new wave of start-ups to take on the world.
As a digital executive, back in 1999 he transformed NZ's largest newspaper from print to a digital business, then went to the UK to set the strategic direction for UK's eGov and a digitised HMRC. Coming back to NZ in 2006, he transformed Bank of New Zealand from a digital laggard, to the most digitally advanced bank in Australasia. Leaving the corporate world, in 2011 Kostia founded Alphero, which quickly became one the country's largest digital agencies. Kostia is now an active investor in fintech and proptech business, and advises on strategic partnerships between enterprises and disruptors across NZ and Australia.
Kathryn is an award winning researcher with 20 years’ experience in research and software. She has worked with blue chip clients across Asia, Europe and the Pacific helping them to understand their customers and markets and build meaningful and relevant brands. She specialises in innovative approaches, and her company Yabble is a next generation collaboration platform, providing brands with new ways to interact with current and future customers. Now with access to $62M consumers, Yabble is growing fast.
Now the CDO at the PoAL, Lauren has driven the Digital Transformation for one of NZ's prominent enterprises.
As an Executive, Independent Director, Investor and Speaker, she's experienced in the worlds largest technology markets, with a mandate to influence the NZ ecosystem towards realising business growth potential, both here, and recognised internationally.
She has proven experience generating high market impact through activating emerging and prevailing digital business opportunities. A recognised strategist and innovator, Lauren has built a successful career from building assets and spin offs as viable propositions, specifically around IoT and the convergence of OT/IT.
