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In-house counsel from Europe’s leading scaleups and startup and their investors joined together for a jam-packed conference in London to share, collaborate, discuss, and plot out the coming year after a turbulent 2023. The day was filled with insights and opportunities to make new connections -- from lawyers to their partners and beyond.
Responsible AI: where to start, and what should companies be pushing for?
Mathew Joseph, Sustainability Director at Swedish investment company Kinnevik, admitted that AI is a buzzword now - but it has been on the radar for over a decade. So what has changed, and how can scale-ups and investors alike pursue a Responsible AI journey? It turns out that investors do care what your AI policies are and how they impact your customers. How you’re communicating that to customers and what opt-outs they are being given matters. If it all sounds like fast-moving ground, the Responsible AI Commitments movement has evolved to ascertain what best practices and frameworks should look like in the industry.
Deal terms and high growth: deciphering market trends
When it comes to what investors are investing in, and whatdeal terms and priorities in the high growth and VC marketplace, some things are to be expected in this climate - from focusing on more solid plans or growth, to tackling down rounds in a difficult economy.
Navigating a down round
Our panellists discussed how not all down rounds are created equal, how to communicate a down round to staff and investors, how to incentivise those within the company to continue to grow it, and how a down round can be turned into an opportunity.
Governance: a fireside chat
Following on from that OpenAI debacle, effective governance and the impact it can have on company valuation is solidly in the limelight. Two general counsels discussed the basic issues that form governance, how to manage relationships between senior scale-up GCs and VC GCs, and the question of board composition as a company grows.
Building IP and branding for growth
For many a startup, IP and brand sit at the core of its growth plans and ultimately for exit. In this current climate, our panellists shared how to go about getting your IP protected, how they have been involved in brand and strategy, and how to get management to buy into the need for IP investment.
Corporate venture capital: compromise or cornerstone?
With the current climate driving financial returns as more of a focus than ever, corporate venture is becoming more important than ever before. Two senior legal counsels at CVCs shared stories from a market that has been expanding over the last decade: What are the advantages and the downsides? How do corporate investors manage conflicts and what is still to come?
Careers in the high-growth ecosystem
Victoria Ferguson, General Counsel at C TWO, and Domenica Giorgianni, Legal Counsel at Moneybox, explore the different career paths inside the high growth and venture ecosystem and share the skills and personal attributes needed to succeed in the field.