2018 Startup GUIDE - 10th Edition

38 | COVER STORIES
Euronext
Euronext launches IPO educational
program TechShare in Switzerland
Euronext recently launched a wide range of initiatives dedicated
to SMEs in the Tech sector including the TechShare program. Inaugurated
in September 2015, TechShare is a unique pan-European
educational program that helps Tech SMEs leaders to familiarize
with capital markets and gives them all the information they
need to reach the next stage of their growth and go public within
18 to 30 months. TechShare is a 10-month program already set in
France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal with 145 participants
in 3 classes since 2015, of which 4 alumni listed on Euronext
already: Osmozis, Balyo, Theranexus and the most recent one
Oxatis, in April. For this edition, the program will welcome 4 new
European countries with Tech companies from Germany, Switzerland,
Italy and Spain. The participants selected will receive structured
teaching articulated around 3 modules:
• Academic campuses: Twice a year, in September and in March
respectively, seminars are organized with leading Academic
Partners (HEC Paris & Vlerick Business School this year). The
aim is to gather all stakeholders (partners, companies, Euronext
staff) and have all top executives work on strategic topics
with professors in small groups, in order to create a class spirit;
• Evening sessions: Interactive workshops will be held every
month by a different Evening Session Partner to familiarize
business leaders (CEO/CFO) with capital markets. Topics will
notably include: why to get listed, different steps to IPO, valuation
strategy, financial communication, etc. These conferences
are hosted by the partners and followed by a networking
cocktail;
• Individual coaching: Participants will receive individual training
sessions on a monthly basis in four areas by dedicated professionals:
Investment Banks, Auditors, Lawyers, and Communication/IR
Experts. Those one-to-one coaching sessions are a
unique opportunity for participants to be provided with customized
advisory on their business.
In Switzerland more specifically, the TechShare program will start
with 12 participants selected among numerous qualified applications
received. Admission criteria to join the program include having
a Tech business model, solid financial and fundraising path as
well as strong motivation and curiosity to learn more about capital
markets. The first batch will be composed of 3 Biotech, 3 Medtech,
3 Software, 2 Electronics & Hardware and 1 Fintech, of which
67% of these companies are VC-backed with €25m raised on average,
showing the importance of a whole financial ecosystem
to prepare a company prior to the IPO. The framework and content
of the program is created by Euronext together with 10 local
partners that will support the companies through group and individual
workshops. Key topics held will be about the IPO process
and project management, the legal perspective and corporate
governance, listing admission and life once listed on Euronext.
With the view of covering Switzerland geographically, the regular
evening sessions hosted by partners will be organized in Zurich,
Bern, Lausanne, Basel and Geneva.
Startup Invest is Selection Partner of TechShare for Switzerland.
HEC 2017
Profile
Euronext is the leading pan-European exchange (and 6th largest
globally) with 1’300 listed issuers worth close to €3.9 trillion in market
capitalization as of end June 2018, an unmatched blue chip
franchise consisting of 24 issuers in the Morningstar® Eurozone
50 Index benchmark and a strong diverse domestic and international
client base. Its total product offering includes Equities,
Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants & Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives,
Commodities and Indices. Euronext operates the regulated
markets, Euronext Growth and Euronext Access, which facilitates
SMEs’ and Tech companies’ access to capital markets. There
are 950+ listed SMEs on Euronext markets, of which 348 can be
considered as listed Tech companies operating in TMT, Cleantech
and Life Sciences. Overall over 5’400 institutional investors
provide a deep investor pool; 1000+ institutional investors specialize
on SMEs and the tech segment, coming from 40 countries.
Companies can as a rule go earlier to the stock market than what
has often been looked upon in continental Europe and especially
in Switzerland as the norm.
If you want to know more, contact:
Dr. Søren Bjønness, Director – Swiss Representative of Euronext
Email: sbjoenness@euronext.com
HEC 2017
SWISS STARTUP GUIDE 2018