www.pwcaccelerator.com PwC s Accelerator Local to Global Accelerate to an international level
Content Foreword... 1 About you... 2 Criteria of the Acceleration Phase... 4 Our Service Offering... 5 Our Value Proposition... 6 PwC s Accelerator: A dynamic Community... 7 Events... 9 Our premises, your contacts... 10
Foreword At the beginning, we were thinking over what the future areas of growth in Western countries will be. So we took an interest in emerging business sectors like ICT and more generally high tech industries. Unsurprisingly we observed that innovative small companies drive these growing markets. In the US, and more precisely in Silicon Valley, young companies dynamism is quite something. This success can be attributed to the efficiency of business acceleration-oriented networks made up of private equities, corporate communities and high-profile advisers. In Europe, the technological edge of innovating companies is equivalent to the US. Yet, European companies meet much more challenges to grow from a local to a global scale. Access to venture funding, international management skills and fast market adoption - play a very important role to take a leading market share. We truly believe that the European innovation community needs to work together more. PwC s Accelerator was created with the commitment to help develop an ecosystem which will bring together all stakeholders. We intend to assist fast-growing companies seeking to reach international markets. Laurent Probst, Founder of PwC s Accelerator In the 19 years I have been involved in Private Equity, nearly 17 have been involved with a Silicon Valley- European focus and over the years I have grown quite frustrated at the sight of great European born innovative technology companies being constantly surpassed by their Silicon Valley counterparts. At PwC s Accelerator, we have the sound ambition to enable fast growing European companies to access global value-add capital and properly reflect on the abilities of their management team. We also intend to make the most of PwC s extensive network throughout the world as a canvas from which our clients can grow globally. In addition we will make the most of PwC s large resources and deep network to acquire the necessary expertise and develop a proper business network. Part of PwC s Accelerator success will also be based on our ability to foster an ecosystem of experienced entrepreneurs, corporate strategic networks, highly specialised business service providers, value-add investors, etc. On behalf of the whole team at PwC s Accelerator, I welcome, as part of this initiative, all the professionals for whom building global leaders matters: i.e. entrepreneurs, private and institutional investors, corporate communities, governments, university/research centres and public institutions. Alexandre Rhea, CEO of PwC s Accelerator From local to global 1
About you You... Are an entrepreneur; Have breakthrough technology; Just had your first successful client experience and are looking to scale up; Want to take a leading market share with your solutions Have first mover advantage, etc. Your needs... Fund raising; Corporate structuring; Management team talent assessment Assistance with the roll-out of international operations; Business development and go-to-market assistance, Access to state of the art turnkey office solutions; etc. Our solution... Look no further... PwC s Accelerator is your one-stopshop! Whether you are an entrepreneur looking for funding, a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) looking to rapidly scale up operations or a high growth potential company seeking to quickly expand globally, one thing is clear: you have needs that must be met. Making the most of PwC s worldwide network to open offices overseas or finding the right people to fill a position, is a task PwC s Accelerator is accustomed to. We strive to help answer a resounding call within the European community of fast growing SMEs in getting help and guidance in becoming global in an ever more single worldwide market. Non-European companies seeking to access Europe s 500+ Million consumer market are just as overwhelmed as a European company looking to expand into Asia. Europe s multi cultural characteristics, rich language density and legislative differences have considerable business implications. You are a possible candidate for Acceleration with a focus in... Smart technologies Ecotechnologies, Smart grid, Innovative energy, Innovative material and processes, etc. Digital Life Social networking, Gaming, Datanomics, Infrastructures, New Financial Services models, etc. Mobility Infrastructure & Telecoms, Software applications, Payment, Automotive technologies, etc. Cloud Consumer internet, Enterprises 2.0, Data storage, SaaS, etc. New Financial Solutions E-payment, peer to peer lending Health and well being E-Health, Diagnostics, Bio IT, Medical device, etc. 2 PwC s Accelerator
PwC s Accelerator is focused on the Acceleration stage Preparation Acceleration Expansion Our Vision Assist fast growing companies with solid market traction to accelerate rapidly and become global leaders through PwC s worldwide network and extensive competences. From local to global 3
Criteria of the Acceleration Phase To help you evaluate if your company falls under PwC s Accelerator core focus area, your company should fulfill most of these characteristics: Market opportunity Total addressable market of 1bn Market validation from large corporate buyers or large number of end-users Market traction (sales > 5 m/year) First Mover advantage Truly international addressable market Highly scalable business Client acquisition strategy has successfully been proven Sales pipeline significantly higher than proven turnover Finance Prior institutional financial backing Significant funding needs (> 10m) Business Model has been validated Technology High differentiation of the technology and/ or know-how (minimum 18-month barrier to entry) Technology has been validated by large reputable corporate customers IP (intellectual property) is protected worldwide and is owned by the company Management First class management team in place High quality board Coachability of the management team Openness to hire high calibre management team if necessary to go global 4 PwC s Accelerator
Our Service Offering Fundraising at a global level Corporate Structuring Office Facilities Services International M&A Team Building International Development (International Sub setups) (HR Services) For European companies, our service offering can be summarised into three main phases: Preparation, Acceleration and Expansion. Preparation If your business is not mature enough (at stage 3 or earlier) we propose a preparation phase via a Membership to the Accelerator. This will give you access to: A set of professional experts in relevant domains for your company; A network of entrepreneurs who already went through this phase; A network of corporations and potential investors. The preparation period of a high growth potential company is a crucial phase in its development. Surrounding yourself with the right people has never been easier, apply for a membership to PwC s Accelerator and let s see how we can speed-up the start-up process. Acceleration The Acceleration stage is critical in boosting your company to rapidly scale up, increase sales and make the right managerial decisions. Whether it is corporate structuring, finding the right CEO or closely safeguarding your IP or first mover advantage, PwC s Accelerator is your one-stopshop solution. For Non-European companies, PwC s Accelerator is ideally positioned to help high-growth companies set-up their European headquarters in Luxembourg. Located at the very heart of Europe, Luxembourg has become an appropriate soft landing place for non European firms looking to centralise financial, operational and marketing functions while adapting to EU markets specificities. Over the past few years, Luxembourg has emerged as the the location of choice for an increasing number of fastgrowing companies looking to set up in Europe. Among critical advantages of Luxembourg s value proposition, companies can benefit from: Advanced IT and logistics infrastructures; Highly skilled workforce with multilingual talents ( 92% of residents speak three or more languages); Easy access to decision-makers; Efficient financial platform; Stable political and tax framework; Suitable market-size to operate commercialisation tests; Easy exit processes; etc. Expansion As your company matures and competition closes in, international expansion and new market penetration is necessary to keep your competitive edge. Going global in a timely fashion is a tremendous challenge as you cannot risk to simply go by trial and error. PwC s extensive network across 158 countries provides you with the trusted professionalism you can bet your future on. From local to global 5
Our Value Proposition Today there is no doubt in Europe s excellence when it comes to technological development and the companies that foster it. PwC s Accelerator aims to make sure that those companies are given the tools and resources to succeed and accelerate to an international level. PwC s Accelerator is committed to implementing and sharing the following objectives: Build a unique Ecosystem PwC s Accelerator seeks to build a unique ecosystem of Tier-One European and Non-European Venture Capital and Private Equity funds, proven business executives, and a strategic corporate community; Offer a full suite of tailored services Build and provide a comprehensive and attractive service offering to prepare and accelerate high tech companies, help raise funds, encourage innovation, job creation and enhance competitiveness; Interaction with PwC s extensive network PwC s Accelerator will make sure that its clients interact with PwC s extensive network of large industrial corporations, Private Equity funds and successful individuals. In addition, the unique collaboration between PwC s Accelerator and Silicon Valley lays the groundwork for further networking capabilities; Capacity to offer many more services PwC s Accelerator is able to offer through PwC network many more services including Business planning and Finance, Sales process and workflows, Human Resources and reward scheme, IT infrastructure, Personal coaching for cultural adaptivity, Personal Tax planning and Exit strategy; Become a magnet for quality opportunities Create, manage and develop a pipeline of fast growing/later stage companies that have the ambition to become global leaders. Key Figures Industry 3% 10% 12% 16% 31% 28% 59% of the companies in the pipeline are related to Smart Technologies or Digital Life. Companies classified under Smart Technologies mostly relate to green tech and clean tech companies as well as innovative materials and processes. Leads classified under Digital Life are mostly active in gaming and social networks. Source: PwC s Accelerator dealflow, March 2012 Smart Technologies Digital Life Mobility Cloud Health and Well being Media 6 PwC s Accelerator
PwC s Accelerator: A dynamic Community PwC s Accelerator: Ecosystem Methodology and competences (PwC s Accelerator & PwC network) Investors Corporate community Companies being accelerated by PwC s Accelerator Role Model entrepreneurs Public Institutions Top Universities Breakthrough technologies and business models are being developed across Europe by companies with global aspirations. PwC s Accelerator seeks to help these companies become global. Aware of the fact that Silicon Valley has an unparalleled track record in helping build global companies, PwC s Accelerator offers a unique access to this highly attractive Silicon Valley ecosystem. Investors At PwC s Accelerator, access to capital is achieved with a global approach, as we believe that an internationally diversified shareholder base is the best way for a company to claim an international footprint. PwC s Accelerator is currently building a vast network of top-tier investors spanning across the globe. Investors are regularly invited to company pitching sessions. Our exclusive relationships with hundreds of individuals, venture funds, corporate funds and institutional funds is one of the most important assets to achieve fast and successful company fund raising. Role Model Entrepreneurs PwC s Accelerator Events assembles high-profile role model entrepreneurs, networking lunches as well as a series of one-to-one meetings and/or coaching sessions. Top Universities We work actively with universities throughout the Greater Region in Europe and beyond to allow tech entrepreneurial students and young companies access PwC s Accelerator resources. Through a combination of mentorship sessions as well as active coaching, startup founders will crystallise their ideas and business plans, build out their startup s business models and prototypes as well as refine their pitches for the Venture Capital community. PwC s Accelerator programme aims to provide these University startups with a structured way of accessing the resources of both Europe and Silicon Valley. This can be a sourcing strategy for corporations seeking to be involved with earlier stage technologies. We are mobilising Alumni networks and technology experts to contribute in the development of companies in their Acceleration phase. Public Institutions PwC s Accelerator partners with governments, regional authorities and incubators to filter companies and give them access to a unique ecosystem that enables them to thrive and grow. From local to global 7
Corporate Community PwC s Accelerator connects regularly with large international Corporates sourcing innovation outside of their business field Large corporations have the opportunity to look at our deal flow and enter into contact with selected companies Members of the Accelerator have the unique opportunity to access heads of innovation and business development of some of the most important internet and technology Corporates. PwC Luxembourg and the PwC Global network PwC Luxembourg is the largest professional services firm in Luxembourg with more than 2,100 people employed from 57 different countries. It provides audit, tax and advisory services including management consulting, transaction, financing and regulatory advice to a wide variety of clients from local and middle market entrepreneurs to large multinational companies operating from Luxembourg and the Greater Region. It helps its clients create the value they are looking for by giving comfort to the capital markets and by providing advice through an industry-focused approach. The PwC Global network is the largest provider of professional services in audit, tax and advisory. We are a network of independent firms in 158 countries and employ close to 169,000 people. PwC Luxembourg and the PwC Global network 2011 growth: + 9% net revenue + 13% turnover 10 th employer in Luxembourg (6 th private employer) 42% of the Big 4 employees 2,100 Staff 263m 2011 turnover 8 PwC s Accelerator
Events Events at PwC s Accelerator Events are held regularly within PwC s Accelerator community. Varying in size, events will range from major Local to Global Expos to smaller more intimate events such as hosting key note speakers and networking cocktails. These events will live up the community and create a dynamic atmosphere in touch with industry trends. PwC s Accelerator events are designed to create a melting pot of industry experts, corporate community, dynamic companies, and interested investors. Public Events: Local to Global Expos ICT Spring Regular trips to Silicon Valley for companies in Acceleration Phase. Community Events: Key Note Speakers Networking Cocktails Meet & Greet lunches Please consult the PwC s Accelerator website for an up-to-date list of our upcoming events. PwC s Accelerator Local to Global Expos Our Local to Global Expos undertake to present a selection of fast-growing companies to institutional investors (i.e. VCs, Private Equity Funds and Family Offices) as well as innovation driven corporates and prestigious universities. The featured companies are selected based on the uniqueness of their technology, the quality of their management, their ambition to grow internationally as well as the size of their total addressable market. Apply to attend the next Local to Global Expo For information on past events or to request an invitation to attend the next Local to Global Expo, please visit: www.pwcaccelerator.com From From local local to to global global 9
Our premises, your contacts A unique space for PwC s Accelerator community PwC s Accelerator Luxembourg headquarters serves as a centre of gravity for fast growing companies which have chosen to address the European market from Luxembourg while benefiting from some of Luxembourg s unique offers: a strategic geographical location (Luxembourg s neutral and central location allows it to just as easily address the French, German and Benelux markets); an excellent infrastructure; a stable political and tax environment; and an almost unparalleled high quality of living. Contacts You are a corporate entity, Venture Capital fund or Serial Entrepreneur and you want to learn more about opportunities and potential collaboration with PwC s Accelerator, please contact us: Alexandre Rhea CEO, PwC s Accelerator alexandre.rhea@lu.pwc.com +352 49 48 48-6600 Laurent Probst Founder, PwC s Accelerator laurent.probst@lu.pwc.com +352 49 48 48-6600 2012 PwC s Accelerator S.à r.l. All rights reserved.