Borderless Tech Investments – Silicon Valley North
Borderless Tech Investments – Silicon Valley North
How American & Canadian Investors Are Re-Shaping the Global Tech Landscape
Featured Speakers:
- Dave Evans, Partner at Apax Partners
- Leon Pedersen, Managing Director at CPP Investments
- Ricky Lai, Partner at Portage Ventures (Sagard Holdings)
- [TBD, Vista Equity]
Event Background
The Technology sector continues to dominate the public equity stock markets constituting ~ 28% of the S&P 500 stock index value. Massive leveraged buyouts also continue within the technology sector driven by a strong appetite for the Technology assets, e.g. CPP Investments and Silver Lake’s recent $12.5 billion acquisition of Qualtrics. Within the late-stage venture capital/ growth equity, a pullback of valuations has chastened investors sharpening their underwriting systems with adages of “clear path to profitability” becoming more commonplace in investment committee meetings. Lastly, within early-stage venture capital, the technology sector is buoyed by a renewed interest in AI and the meteoric user growth by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Set against a changing geo-political environment, rising interest rate environment and a still untamable domestic inflation, the Technology sector is rife with fascinating angles to explore, fortunes to be made and pitfalls to avoid.
Join us for a rare, fascinating panel discussion from world-class institutional investors spanning Venture Capital, Growth Equity and Mega-Cap Buyouts with Canadian and American roots that are reshaping the world of technology. This in-person discussion and reception has limited capacity. Go beyond the headlines and be part of a discussion with investors who are collectively responsible for moving billions of dollars in shaping the Technology sector worldwide.
A few of the questions/ topics we will explore include:
- Recently CPP Investments joined forces with U.S-based SilverLake announced a joint $12.5 billion offer to acquire Utah-based Qualtrics. Is this type of partnership that is will be a one-off or do you foresee more cross-border investment partnerships to acquire top tech assets?
- Generative AI has seemingly catapulted to the top every investor’s 2023 strategic priority list. North America AI talent centers e.g. Montreal and Silicon Valley are losing ground to other global hubs such as Bangalore, India, London, UK, and Shanghai, China. From an investment due diligence perspective, please show how you assess the Tech Talent of a potential investment.
- How does the regulatory environment for foreign investments and capital flows in America and Canada affect the region’s respective attractiveness in your investment decision-making?
The event is open to all Columbia University Club of New York members and will take place at the Penn Club. Event Hosts: Olga Artman, ’09TC and CUCNY Board Member, and Daniel Iglesias, Wharton, Class of 2022.
Tickets are $35 per person and include a wine and cheese reception.
6 PM Registration
6:30 PM Talk followed by Q&A
7:30 PM Wine and Cheese Reception