Under the motto “Investing in a Region” the focus of this evening was on the financial centre Frankfurt, which is not only the seat of numerous banks and FinTechs, but also a place where the financing of good ideas and young entrepreneurs should be ensured. Markus Frank, Head of the Economic Department of the City of Frankfurt and patron of the project, opened the evening: “In addition to start-ups and companies, Frankfurt Forward is now also targeting investors. Our aim is to provide transparent insights into the regional investor landscape, to demonstrate the investment potential here and to sustainably network start-ups and investors”.
The keynote by Michael Reckhard, member of the management board of Wirtschafts- und Infrastrukturbank Hessen, dealt with the topic “Startups in FrankfurtRhineMain – A financial centre on the move”, while Andreas Gahlert, managing director and founder of COBI.Bike, reported on “Startup financing from the point of view of a successful serial entrepreneur”.
In the panel discussion, moderated by Manfred Köhler, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Lucie Haß, Managing Partner at Helaba Digital, Andreas Lukic, Managing Director of Business Angels FrankfurtRheinMain, Andreas Gahlert, Managing Director and founder of COBI.Bike, and Lukas Naab, managing director and founder of MINDS medical, discussed on the advantages and disadvantages of the Frankfurt location, the financing framework conditions at regional, national and international level, as well as the demands from the investor’s point of view on start-ups, companies and politics, and the needs and wishes of start-ups.
Oliver Schwebel, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Frankfurt, sums up: “The ecosystem can only function if all players give and take. This evening has clearly shown what this can look like and how everyone can make their contribution”. “We are not only promoting networking and knowledge transfer. We are also working together with other players to close the financing gaps in the region and strengthen the entire financing chain,” adds Christian W. Jakob, Project Manager of Frankfurt Forward.
