On June 11th, our CEO, Simon Glass, joined the Entrepreneurship X Access to Finance Panel as part of the IFC World Bank Group Youth Summit.
Joined by panelists: Konstantinos Kollias, IFC Global Head of Equity Portfolio; Nicole Mao, co-founder and CEO of Tiger New Energy; Hoi Ying So, IFC Global Portfolio Manager of Disruptive Technologies and Funds; and Kate Woska, Andel Vice President of Africa and Middle East impact Partnerships.
A few takeaways from the panel include:
- Emerging markets are seeing a positive shift in AI investment — a genuine signal of growing confidence in the ecosystem.
- Domestic capital in emerging markets can be a game-changer — local investors bring market familiarity that not only better serves founders, but also attracts external capital into the region.
- Impact and returns aren’t mutually exclusive — the panel explored how institutional investors can maximize both through thoughtful capital structuring, and the risks that may come with fundraising and giving away equity too early.
- Proof of concept is an entrepreneur’s most valuable tool – Capital follows conviction, and nothing builds conviction faster than proof. For entrepreneurs, especially in emerging markets, proof of concept isn’t just a milestone, it is your key to unlock capital.
This panel was a great opportunity for Qodeo to share their mission of Democratizing Venture® not only with fellow panelists, but also with an audience of over 10,000 young people, hoping to make their own impact on entrepreneurship and venture capital.
View the panel here: https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1nJOLLdknAVxR.