HEC Paris in Qatar and Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) hosted an interactive panel session on ‘Unlocking the Potential of Innovation with Venture Investments’.
The event at HEC Paris in Qatar’s state-of-the-art Doha campus in Msheireb Downtown coincided with the recent Qatar Economic Forum.
The session provided valuable insights into the world of venture investments and its role in driving innovation and growth.
Around 40 of Qatar’s most relevant entrepreneurship stakeholders including HEC Paris and QSTP alumni, participants and aspiring entrepreneurs attended the event.
HEC Paris in Qatar dean, Dr Pablo Martin de Holan, stated: “Investment plays a crucial role in driving economic diversification as it empowers businesses with the vital capital and resources needed to grow, innovate, and venture into new markets.”
The panel session was moderated by Prof Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, an associate professor at HEC Paris in Qatar, who works in the fields of innovation, leadership, and diversity. It featured insights from panellists Dr Allan Villegas-Mateos, a senior research fellow of entrepreneurship at HEC Paris in Qatar, and executive committee member of the QSTP board of directors; Kristian Feldborg, founder and CEO of Vesuvio Labs a venture building studio and seed fund that aims to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the FinTech, InsurTech, and WealthTech Space; Sara Daniel, CEO of the investment club Doha Tech Angels; and Joanna Harries, global senior vice president of expansion at Endeavour who works with some of the world’s fast-growing business founders.
The panel session began with a progress update by Dr Villegas-Mateos on the ‘Observatory of Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ being established by HEC Paris in Qatar with the support of Qatar Foundation, and ecosystem stakeholders.
“The Observatory is aimed at galvanising Qatar’s innovation community to collaborate, share data and support each other's work. We are currently building a governing board for ‘The Observatory’, identifying its founding members, and leveraging stakeholders as ecosystem partners,” explained, Dr Villegas-Mateos.
“Innovators and investors form a critical and symbiotic relationship that is a key driver for economic prosperity. This event brought together these key actors and other important players in the ecosystem, highlighting the rich potential for innovation and investment in Qatar. Participants absorbed the valuable insights of the expert panelists and demonstrated a keen interest in exploring opportunities for their own professional and societal advancement,” commented Mohammad Zebian, programme manager - Acceleration from QSTP.