KPMG Saudi Arabia’s Post

Our partner Jan Lindberg participated in the International Bar Association 8th Global Entrepreneurship Conference: Venturing and Discovering Overseas Markets organized by the Closely Held Companies Committee 13 – 14 May 2024 in Madrid, Spain. Some of the topics discussed and outtakes: 🍃 ESG is naturally a hot topic and in EU at the very advanced stage, but one should also pay attention to the new regulation in Canada, US just climate risks for public companies, legislation and talks in Latin America 🌏 Hot sectors currently cover tech healthcare and life sciences driven by inorganic growth of pharma companies to adapt to new trends, education was identified as one of the majors areas for consolidation, digitalization of administration was identified as an opportunity for start-ups and energy transition and decarbonization as one major focus area for energy companies and PE 🧠 Artificial intelligence and bid data was naturally on the table and specific areas of concern seem to relate to compliance with data protection, IPR and trade secrets, investments and innovations required in particular for cybersecurity, as well as ethical considerations. Not many colleagues from our round table had received assignments to draft policies on the permitted usage of AI in workplaces, which was a bit surprising, but as we have done first procurement agreement policy update to handle AI topics, Finns are leading the charts by the Finns 1 – the rest of the world 0 😅 💰 Trends in PE and VC side covered increased focus on profitability as opposed to scalability and impact investing becoming common marketplace, search funds were discussed quite a lot, which tackle generation issues but are also used in VC investments, and secondaries (LP led) and continuation funds (GP led) were mentioned as an active trend as these provide liquidity to LPs, possibilities for better timing by extending the investment period in the current economic environment, but naturally also provide for additional capital for add-on investments. These kind of add-ons we have been doing quite a lot this spring at TRUST as well. Problems with imported US based investment documents such as SAFE (simple agreement for future equity) were discussed and it was identified as one of the development areas to tailor country-specific investment schemes. We will focus on these themes later and if you have further questions or comments, please feel free to contact! #MA #mergersandacquisition #ESG

🦄 Applications for the KPMG Private Enterprise Tech Innovator competition in Estonia are about to close on May 1st. 💥 Don’t miss the chance to tell your story and how you’re breaking new ground in tech. If you’re ready to have a lasting impact on the world and take your business to the next level. Read more about the competition 👇 The clock is ticking, register now! 🏃♂️ #kpmg #kpmgestonia #kpmgpeople #globaltechinnovator #tech #competition 

How confident are you that your business can continue or even accelerate its growth trajectory? Explore the Deloitte Private 2024 Scale-ups Confidence Survey💡 #DeloittePrivate #scaleups #innovation #startups

Delighted to announce the launch of the first #DeloittePrivate Scale-Ups Confidence Survey: European Report 2024! Key findings reveal that: 📗 The top growing sectors are driven by regulation, consumer demand and awareness regarding sustainability. 💸 #European scale-ups struggle mainly with lower/delayed new business and customer signings, cash flow, liquidity and funding issues and finding the right talent. 🌎 US dominates international expansion plans despite cultural and regulatory challenges. 📈 Government support is a key driver for #scale-up growth and development. 🥇 Overall, there is a need for greater unity and cooperation to enhance #innovation across Europe. A huge thank you to all our founders & investors who participated in the survey and to our passionate teams across EMEA who were the driving force behind the study Matt Henderson Abi Briggs Laoise Flanagan Anaïs De Boulle Louis Vanden Borre Kate Bell Duncan Down Kariel Parian Nathalie Geentjens Simge Hocalar Thijs van Lieshout Jan-Piet Nelissen Alexandra Blaisse Petar Angelov Nadia Kismoune Kyriacos Charalambides Carolina Arbelaez de la Espriella Helena Rahbany Christina Kyriakou Konstantinos Vaitsas Pepijn Janssen Yannick Van den broeke Read the full report:

My clients often ask me ‘do you believe we’ll be ready in time for CSRD’ and ‘how does our progress compare to others’? Difficult questions as interpretations evolve and companies continuously are making steps that are not (yet) disclosed. At PwC Nederland, we did a small research using 2023 annual reports of #AEXcompanies and gave our flavor of what we see in the market now. We see confidence, finalized double materiality assessments, but also ongoing implementation, so these are exiting times. Most importantly, we conclude, is that we hope #CSRD will help us to actually become more sustainable. Interested? Read more in the link below 👇

The era of ‘move fast and break things’ is over. But experimentation is essential because small failures can lead to big successes. Disruptive technologies are a growing governance challenge for boards. In Jenny's latest thought piece – the fourth in The EY Technology Governance Series – I explore how directors and decision makers can strike the right balance between reckless enthusiasm and restraint. This is article forms part of a series complementing the EY Technology Governance Program presented alongside Ean Evans, Sebastian Moore, Claire Boussioutas, Vicki Jamieson, Michael Rafferty, Louisa Francis GAICD, Marc L'Huillier, Akila Kesavan, David Boyle, Will Duckworth and Des Silberberg.

The era of ‘move fast and break things’ is over. But experimentation is essential because small failures can lead to big successes. Disruptive technologies are a growing governance challenge for boards. In Jenny's latest thought piece – the fourth in The EY Technology Governance Series – I explore how directors and decision makers can strike the right balance between reckless enthusiasm and restraint. This is article forms part of a series complementing the EY Technology Governance Program presented alongside Ean Evans, Sebastian Moore, Claire Boussioutas, Vicki Jamieson, Michael Rafferty, Louisa Francis GAICD, Marc L'Huillier, Akila Kesavan, David Boyle, Will Duckworth and Des Silberberg.

Delighted to share the results from our first #DeloittePrivate Scale-Ups Confidence Survey: European Report 2024. Key findings below, but overall really encouraging to read that despite difficult market conditions over the past 12-18 months, scale-ups across Europe continue to feel confident about the future. 💸 #European scale-ups struggled last year primarily with lower/delayed new business and customer signings; cash flow, liquidity & funding challenges; and finding the right talent. 🌎 US dominates international expansion plans despite cultural and regulatory challenges. 📈 Government support is a key driver for #scale-up growth and development. 🥇 Overall, there is a need for greater unity and cooperation to enhance #innovation across Europe. A huge thank you to all our founders & investors who participated in the survey and to our passionate teams across EMEA who were the driving force behind the study. https://lnkd.in/eMxTkqt8 Tiffany Wint Matt Henderson Abi Briggs Duncan Down Kirsty Newman Anaïs De Boulle Simon Hitchcock Laoise Flanagan Kate Bell Jan-Piet Nelissen Yannick Van den broeke Pepijn Janssen

Deloitte's Scale-ups Confidence Survey: European Report 2024 has launched, revealing that European scale-ups still feel optimistic about their future growth despite macroeconomic challenges. We surveyed 388 CEOs and founders across 5 geographies to discover the challenges, the ambitions, and the key focus areas driving the tech ecosystem. Key findings reveal that: 📗 The top growing sectors are driven by regulation, consumer demand, and awareness regarding sustainability. 💸 European scale-ups struggle mainly with lower/delayed new business and customer signings, cash flow, liquidity, and funding issues, and finding the right talent. 🌎 The US dominates international expansion plans despite cultural and regulatory challenges. 📈 Government support is a key driver for #scaleup growth and development. 🥇 Overall, there is a need for greater unity and cooperation to enhance #innovation across Europe. Read the report to see how the Dutch tech ecosystem measures up against broader Europe https://lnkd.in/ea6qanPa #ScaleUpConfidence #ScaleUpEcosystem #GrowthMindset

🔍 How do firms adjust their open innovation strategy in response to major economic shocks, such as the 2008 financial crisis? 📣 Excited to announce a new study in Industry and Innovation: "Open innovation during the 2008 financial crisis" 👥 Authors: Konstantinos Trantopoulos, Martin Woerter & Georg von Krogh 🔑 Research Highlights: Firms persisted with open innovation strategies during the financial crisis. The nature of the crisis led to varied approaches in external knowledge search. A unique dataset on Swiss firms' innovation during the crisis was analysed. 💡 Policy and Managerial Implications: This study offers insights into strategic adjustments in innovation processes in times of economic downturns, emphasizing the resilience of open innovation practices. #OpenInnovation #FinancialCrisis #Strategy #ExternalKnowledge #InnovationManagement 📚 Article Link: https://lnkd.in/ewQe-Gak