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, hosted the “4th Forum on Entrepreneurship“ with 250 participants in Potsdam-Babelsberg. The event which took place for the fourth time this year focused 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”, said 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’ went to Rael Lissoos from South Africa. 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.