News
Hasso Plattner Ventures brings together social entrepreneurs and investors
- Forum on Social Entrepreneurship with over 250 expert participants
- Solar-Pioneer Bertrand Piccard presents his solar-powered aeroplane with which he plans to make a non-stop flight around the world
- Shai Agassi announces progress in the Project Better Place in cooperation with Renault-Nissan, after Israel, Denmark and California have entered talks
- Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award goes to Rael Lissoos
Potsdam/Berlin, July 2nd, 2008. Eran Davidson, CEO of Hasso Plattner Ventures, together with sponsors Deutsche Bank and MAN Ferrostaal, this morning opens the “4th Forum on Entrepreneurship“ in front of 250 participants in Potsdam-Babelsberg. The event which takes place for the fourth time this year focuses on the opportunities and limits of social entrepreneurship.
The projects presented encompass a wide range of social entreprises, from the initiative for the reduction of oil-dependancy by large-scale employment of electric cars (Project Better Place by Shai Agassi) to the visionary use of solar energy in transport (solar aeroplane by Bertrand Piccard), the employment of wireless networks for telephone and data services in Southafrican townships (Rael Lissoos of DABBA Telecoms) through to school meals of children in need in Germany (Caroli Dienst, Kinder ohne Hunger), to name but a few. These initiatives crucially differ from classical development aid in their aspiration to finance themselves or even be profitable in the medium term. Through this form of organisation social enterprises can achieve a completely new dynamics and penetrating power and become increasingly interesting to investors.
“My profit is not the money in the bank or a big car but to experience social change”, says Mel Young who, leading on from the project of a Scottish magazine for the homeless created the football world cup for the homeless. The tournament has grown to more than 50 participating countries and succeeds in restoring confidence to its participants, thus empowering them to change their lives. This year’s prize of ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ goes to Rael Lissoos from Südafrika. His company DABBA Telecoms provides the township of Orange Farm south of Johannesburg with cheap to no cost VoIP mobile communication and thus helps to overcome the disadvantages of the poor in the digital age.
Joachim Häger, director of Private Wealth Management of Deutsche Bank in Germany, on the commitment as sponsor: “In Private Wealth Management at Deutsche Bank, we look after many clients who have built their fortunes by being successful entrepreneurs. Ethical aspects and renewability of the investment are increasingly important criteria for capital investment. In this regard we experience a growing demand in philanthropic investments which, apart from a financial return, also guarantee emotional interest. One example of this trend is a micro finance product we introduced last year. In philanthropic issues and criteria for a renewable capital investment, we are not only partners to our clients as well as the management of Hasso Plattner Ventures, but we regard ourselves as committed to the participants of the Forum.”
The three host companies Hasso Plattner Ventures, Deutsche Bank and MAN Ferrostaal fully intend to further promote the issue of Social Entrepreneurship in the future.
About Hasso Plattner Ventures
Hasso Plattner Ventures was founded in 2005 in Potsdam near Berlin with the explicit aim of investing in young IT-enterprises with high potential. Today, the group’s portfolio comprises ten companies in Germany and Austria with a total revenue of €15m in 2007 and over 300 employees. The volume of the fund was increased by the edition of a new fund in 2008 to €150m. Investors include – apart from Hasso Plattner himself – the Investment Bank of the State of Brandenburg ILB, CMEA Ventures from California as well as entrepreneurs Shai Agassi and Arnon Katz. In 2008 a Southafrican subsidiary was created: Hasso Plattner Ventures Africa focuses particularly on companies with clear aims for investment returns as well as social and renewable models.
About MAN Ferrostaal
MAN Ferrostaal is a worldwide supplier of industrial services for the construction of large-scale industrial plants and machine supply. As a general contractor for plant construction, the company offers project development, project management and financing solutions for turnkey plants in the areas of solar thermal power plants as well as biofuels, petrochemical and industrial plants. In ccoperation with manufacturers of machines and production lines, MAN Ferrostaal offers sales and services in the areas of automotive industries, print and packaging, piping, ships and transport solutions. With 4,200 employees MAN Ferrostaal is represented in more than 60 countries. The company achieved a turnover of EUR 1.4 billion in 2007. MAN Ferrostaal is a subsidiary of MAN Aktiengesellschaft, Munich. The MAN Group is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of engineering equipment and vehicles, generating annual sales of around EUR 16 billion. MAN supplies products, systems and services to the capital goods industry and employs approx. 55,000 people worldwide. The core areas operated by the MAN Group, Commercial Vehicles, Industrial Services, Diesel Engines and Turbomachines, all hold leading positions in their markets. MAN is a member of the DAX German Share Index, Germany’s top 30 public limited companies.
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