Investors
The creative economy potential
Investing in a creative startup has never been more promising or topical, and return on investment are one of the highest. By investing in a creative startup, you will be part of preserving culture and shaping social identities on a bigger scale. On a smaller scale, you’ll portray the focal link between entrepreneur and product, fill knowledge gaps and contribute with experience and expertise while being part of an exciting innovative journey.
Annual revenues of more than €200 billion, global exports of €223 billion, forecasts pointing at the cultural and creative industries to represent around 10% of global GDP, employing nearly 30 million people worldwide, and of them, more 19-30 year-olds than any other sector. The creative economy is expected to show 40% growth by 2030, and is considered the fastest growing sector.
Investing in creative startups
Creative startups belong to one of the most accelerating groups within the global market today. Due to digitalization, the increase of creative, innovative solutions across sectors has rocketed. Entrepreneurs know their solutions must be up-to-date, agile, adhere to a global market – and most importantly be creative.
The strengths of the startups from the CCIs are their global focus, innovative solutions, and that they cause cross-sectoral innovation. The Creative and Cultural industries are paramount in shaping growth in the future, the sector will thrive, and our global vision is to boost this growth and to grow with this sector.
The industry’s broad scope, makes the start-ups’ solutions equally versatile. Often, innovations are cross-sectional, and the ever-changing climate-, social- and digital era, keeps the cultural and creative industry on its toes to always meet changing demands and produce competitive innovations ahead of their time. The need for creative startups is on the rise, especially as more and more jobs become automated. This not only emphasises creative startups’ strength but also indicates a highly lucrative space in the market. Return on investment in creative startups is, in comparison to other sectors, high, but a lack of political and media acknowledgement, makes it an underrepresented category. With all of this in mind, this is the ideal time to invest in a creative startup.
Activities for investors and startups
For innovative startups and creative entrepreneurs, we often see reports and real live examples pointing at their access to finance being a lot more difficult than for startups in other sectors. These obstacles rarely have to do with poor products but can be due to a variety of reasons. Oftentimes, the startups just need experienced advisory, a platform to showcase from or a community to network in, and in other instances, they need upskilling training. Together with investors and industry experts in our network, we help startups with upskilling, valuable knowledge, advisory, exposure and networking in a wide range of activities throughout the year. This ads value, not only to startups, but also to investors who get firsthand access to the newest product and service developments as well as to new talented entrepreneurial profiles.
Expand your investment portfolio and connect with fellow creative industry investors
CBI – Creative Business Investor is a global investors’ network focused on promising creative businesses and start-ups, launched by the Creative Business Network, with the aim to unlock the full potential of creative industries by easing their access to finance. Being part of the CBI network of investors will open opportunities for you. Here you can connect with brilliant innovative start-ups through our regional, national and global events. And you also get to meet more than 6,000 potential business partners annually, expand your network and help companies grow. To know more about the successful start-ups of Creative Business Network go here.
Case studies of successes from our network
The future of motion capture secures USD $3M
Danish/US based startup Rokoko Electronics, developers of a motion capture studio contained within a wireless body suit, that enables creators to turn any set into a motion capture stage, managed to complete a DKK 19 million ($3M) capital raise, valuing the company DKK 250 million ($39M).
Speakers
Throughout the year, we invite interesting profiles to share their experiences with the network, and we aim at always keeping our network profile diverse and global and on point with current topics.
Javier Echarric
As Former CEO of EBN, and Secretary General of Invest Europe, Javier Echarric is an investor who enjoys a unique perspective of the European innovation and investment ecosystems.
Vuyisa Qubaka
Tech and small business advisor Vuyisa Qubaka has a wealth of experience setting up creative business strategies and consulting, and is a partner in the pan African innovation firm HYBR group.
Wingee Sampaio
Cartier Women’s Initiative, Global Director Wingee Sampaio is a woman of social impact. She currently serves on the investment committee of Next Wave Ventures that invests in startups determined to create social change.
We can help you find the next big investment opportunity in the creative and cultural sector.
It is not always enough to have a great story, the perfect team and a brilliant service or product. There are many key challenges for creative and cultural industries to find funding to launch their business. We support creative entrepreneurs getting ‘investment ready’ by providing them with a better understanding of the investor’s community as well as the financial / bank environment.
For this purpose, we have developed over several years a global network of experts on this topic to help creative startups all over the world get access to funding.