Trapped by IP: How to Secure Global Investment as a South African Entrepreneur
Thu Nov 28, 16:30 - Thu Nov 28, 18:00
Innovation City
ABOUT
Innovation City Cape Town invites you to an essential discussion on one of the most critical challenges facing South African startups today - intellectual property (IP) and its impact on securing global investment.
Join us on 28 November from 4:30 pm to 6 pm for an in-depth exploration of how South African entrepreneurs can navigate the 'IP trap' and unlock new funding opportunities beyond borders.
Who Should Attend:
- Entrepreneurs and founders looking to scale their businesses globally
- Legal professionals and advisors specialising in intellectual property and startup law
- Investors seeking to understand the implications of IP location on investment decisions
- Startups interested in raising international funding
- Accelerator and incubator managers guiding entrepreneurs through growth strategies
- Policymakers focused on reforming laws that impact innovation and investment
What You’ll Walk Away With:
- Actionable Strategies: How to position your IP for global success and secure international investment.
- Legal Insights: Expert advice on navigating South African IP regulations and considering offshore IP structures.
- Real-World Case Studies: Learn from successful startups like Aerobotics and Yoco, and understand how they overcame the IP challenge.
- Investor Perspectives: Understand how IP location affects investor decisions and how to align your strategy with global funding opportunities.
- Practical Steps: What you can do today to mitigate the impact of the IP trap while remaining compliant with South African laws.
Key Topics Include:
- Legal and regulatory frameworks contributing to the IP dilemma in South Africa
- Case studies of startups that overcame the IP challenge
- The role of accelerators and incubators in navigating IP issues
- Offshore IP strategies and investor perceptions
- Insights from legal experts on IP structuring and relocation
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from industry leaders, legal experts, and entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated the IP conundrum. Secure your spot today and discover how to position your IP for global success.
SPEAKERS
With a background in Law and Finance, Ben joined Rise, a global M&A firm that helps entrepreneurs scale across Europe and Africa. Rise operates through three key divisions: M&A advisory, growth-stage capital raising, and global expansion and restructuring. Ben works closely with both the European team and global founders, dedicating much of his time to M&A dealmaking and venture capital fundraising throughout Africa and Europe. His role also involves collaboration with global founders, funds, and limited partners deploying capital into general partners.
An advocate for scalable, tech-driven solutions to real-world problems, Ben is particularly passionate about the potential of African tech and its transformative impact on the continent.
Allison excels in developing and executing effective business strategies, building strong teams, and fostering talent. Her expertise spans sales and marketing, distribution, global sourcing, and the digitalization of procurement, consistently delivering profitable growth, transformation, and innovation.
Recently, Allison established BOS Ice Tea's international presence in Europe, driving significant growth in the Netherlands and France before appointing Country Directors for each market and transitioning leadership. Simultaneously, she developed a scalable model for future market expansion.
Her passion lies in driving business development and growth, particularly in the entrepreneurial space, recognizing the substantial positive impact high-growth emerging businesses have on long-term job creation and economic growth.
He has been a key role player for investment firms or investee companies that need cultural context for cross-border deals and extensive experience or even just someone to carry the load of transaction demands.
As Director of Dommissee Attorneys, he leads the transactions team which handles private equity and venture capital avenues of the firm. Some of the core focus areas he directs include:
- Private equity that entails the buy and sell side of transactional and fund structuring.
- Venture capital such as Series A, seed and fund structuring.
- M&A services that include the buy and sell side of midcap cross-border.
- International structuring like worldwide expansion, tax, transfer pricing, IP and exchange control.
After office hours you will likely find him unwinding with his wife and dogs on a hike in the mountains, or on a mountain bike adventure.
Zach is a prominent Angel investor in 50+ leading tech startups in Africa including Flutterwave, KudaBank, Mono, Marketforce and several others. He was featured on the cover of Fast Company (May 2018), Destiny Man (Nov 2019), Forbes (Aug 2023), and on several occasions on CNBC Africa. In 2020, he was recognized as one of the Top 4 Most Influential Persons in Technology in Africa by Les Echos (the French equivalent of the Financial Times).
Zach was formerly the head of Africa Investments for U-Start – the largest network of private Multi-Family offices in Europe. Prior to moving to South Africa, he was an investment banker on Wall Street covering mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance strategy and risk management at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital, New York.
Zach has a Master’s degree in Finance & Management from Stanford University and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.
Outside of his professional life, Zach is an acoustic guitarist, pianist and vocalist with cover albums ‘Give A Little’ (2010) and ‘Humans with Hearts’ (2018) on iTunes and Spotify. He is an avid lover of theater and the performing arts, likes hiking and a good game of tennis and squash. He enjoys creative writing and is currently busy finishing a work of non-fiction.
Today, Kieno's leverages his experience by collaborating with South Africa's leading entrepreneurs. He works alongside Stephan Eckbergh, Africa's top travel entrepreneur, as co-founder of Innovation City in Cape Town. This venture is a partnership with Epicenter Stockholm, a premier innovation hub in Sweden.
Kienos' influence extends to education as well. He currently serves as Head of Culture for UCT Online High School. This role came about after Robert Paddock, co-founder of the successful Get Smarter (acquired by 2U) and The Valenture Institute (a WEF-recognized top 10 Ed-tech company), approached him. The Valenture Institute is now one of Kienos' clients.
Kieno's is actively engaged in fostering collaboration in innovation and driving educational revolution. These passions represent the exciting new chapter in his career.
EVENT ATTENDANCE
Our team dedicates significant time to creating and curating these events. We encourage a culture of commitment and follow-through.
Should you no longer be able to attend, please update your RSVP status via the link on your emailed ticket.
We look forward to welcoming you to Innovation City and appreciate your cooperation and understanding.
PARKING
Location: We're just off Kloof Street on Darter Road.
Traffic Alert: Please be cautious of traffic heading into town.
Parking Options:
- Parkade Kloof Lifestyle Center on Park Road.
Recommended: It's always best to use Uber for convenience.
VIDEO
INNOVATION CITY MEMBERS
NOTE: Innovation City members can get free access to all IC weekly events. (You will find the discount code on the IC app.)
DISCLAIMER
*Disclaimer: By purchasing a ticket to this event, you acknowledge and agree that your access to the venue is contingent upon presenting your ticket for entry. Additionally, you understand that you will receive one parking validation valid only for the 2-3 hour slot at Kloof Lifestyle Center. To claim one free parking, please present the parking ticket from Kloof Lifestyle Center and we will validate it after the event. Please note that this offer is subject to availability and may be subject to change without prior notice. The event organisers reserve the right to modify or withdraw this offer at any time. By registering for this event, you agree to subscribe to Innovation City's weekly newsletter. You are welcome to cancel the subscription at any time. Innovation City members attend for free.