We are happy and thrilled to announce that we have been chosen, as the only company from Poland, to participate in the executive Pre-IPO 5th edition of Euronext #TechShare Class 2019-2020. Mateusz Sagan, SDS Optic Chief Business Officer and Supervisory Board Member, will take part in 2 academic seminars in Rotterdam and Lisbon as well in 4 workshop sessions in Berlin moderated by Euronext and key institutional partners, incl. investment bankers, legal advisers and auditors.
#TechShare, launched in September 2015, is the only European programme dedicated to tech companies focused on the future IPO. With annual cohorts of fast‐growing European tech companies, the programme is an educational network designed to help these high‐potential businesses understand the role of capital markets and how they can help them reach the next stage of their growth. Last year, for the first time Euronext welcomed companies from outside its domestic markets, with participants from Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The 2019-2020 class has a broad diversity with participants from across Europe: 13 from Belgium, 35 from France, 23 from Germany, 6 from Ireland, 12 from Italy, 12 from the Netherlands, 7 from Portugal, 12 from Spain, 12 from Switzerland and exclusively one from Poland.
The 132 tech companies participating have convened at Rotterdam’s Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship on 20 and 21 September for an academic campus on capital markets and TechShare 2019/2020 Class Kick-Off.Over the course of two days, top executives from companies in the life sciences, cleantech and TMT industries across Europe have been working with professors from the Rotterdam School of Management under the form of expert sessions and group workshops. Topics covered included the entrepreneurial mindset, leading growth, scaling beyong borders, attracting talents and managing ownership.In addition, founder stories from Onno van de Stolpe, CEO of Galapagos and Brent Wissink, CFO of Takeaway.com have related their experience of the IPO process and how they used capital markets to grow their business internationally.
The eight-month training, from September 2019 to April 2020, is structured around three main complementary modules, before graduating from the programme in May 2020:• Two academic campuses with leading business schools, Rotterdam School of Management and Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon next March 2020;• Four workshop sessions in each country with expert partners about the IPO process, the legal perspective, IPO valuation, equity story, financial communication, corporate governance and postlisting life;• Individual coaching with audit firms, lawyers and communications/investor relations specialists providing customised advice on a more bilateral basis.
“Taking part in the #TechShare Pre-IPO Programme is a key milestone for us at SDS Optic to learn all key aspects of becoming public company and bulding value to our shareholders. Based on key takeaways from the programme we will be able to prepare a long term IPO strategy and detailed action plan. The kickoff at Rotterdam’s Schoold of Management has been a great networking event, mindsetting experience and keynotes from CEO of Galapagos and CFO of Takeaway.com have been tremendous” – says Mateusz Sagan, Supervisory Board Member and participant in the programme.
