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Day: 8 October 2019

Vroom presents leading tech start-ups, wows investors and crowds

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/10/2019

Some of the most exciting disruptive start-ups in Europe were brought together in one place on Friday to present their innovative concepts to local and international investors.

The Vroom Summit has risen beyond expectations once again, presenting everything from a solar powered car and Formula 1 simulator to a new biometric fingerprint for the art world.

Monaco Life spoke to Penelope Hope, Head of Luxury and Innovation Partnerships, about the value of Vroom and how this year’s outstanding selection was chosen.

The Lightyear solar powered car

Monaco Life: What is the concept behind the Vroom Summit?

Penelope Hope: Vroom Summit is designed to bring the best-of-the-best from the start up world to the top members of our investor syndicate across Europe. The concept is that we have a variety of short pitches from these companies, and our guests (investors) have the opportunity to invest in them. This gives them access to some of the top startup investments from across Europe.

How did you select the participants?

We conduct something called the Vroom Caravan which sees us visit the top 10 cities in Europe. While there we hold Dragons Den-style auditions for the hottest startups in the area in front of a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs from our network. We choose the top startup from each destination and invite them to pitch in Monaco.

What kind of people attend the summit?

Private investors, family offices, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, business angels, tech executives, and HNW/UHNW individuals looking for the best tech investment opportunities.

How would you rate the response to the summit? 

This year we had an overwhelmingly positive response to the summit. In particular, people praised the quality of the startups and their pitches, the exciting array of product sponsors outside the event (some of which were seeking capital themselves so also represented great investment opportunities), the high quality of genuine and interested investors in attendance from all across Europe, and the great organisation of the Vroom Team.

Icaros

Who were your favourite participants and why?

In terms of the product sponsors, we particularly loved the interactive products including the fantastic Formula 1 simulator car by Wave Italy, the virtual reality exercise machines by Icaros and the stunning automatic-gearbox electric bikes from Monaco company Stajvelo.

We also had two stunning yachts which were the stars of the show, both again made by Monaco-based companies which we are so proud to promote: the gorgeous Mercedes yacht Arrow460 by Silver Arrows Marine and the beautiful Porsche-designed yacht GTT 115 by Dynamiq, where all of our pitching companies had the opportunity to be interviewed.

Left to right: Kool and Konscious founders Boryana Uzunova and Eva Vucheva, with Source Manager Ana Kremenlieva

In terms of pitching companies, we have already had a host of investors jump in for Rundit, the investor reporting app, Pass The Keys, the home-rental service sponsored by AirBnb, and Kool and Konscious, the retail shopping site for women promoting sustainable fashion. Next to that we also have investors jumping in for Inplayer, the online paywall monetisation company, Proxy42, the future of interactive gaming, and SchoolFox, the app that allows parents to connect with teachers to streamline school communication. All of these gave fantastic pitches with great energy and passion for their amazing companies.

A final favourite was Lightyear, the solar-powered road-friendly car which not only pitched but also exhibited at the event to the delight of many a passer-by in the Monaco marina.

Where and when will be the next Vroom Summit, and what is your vision for its future? 

Currently Vroom Summit is an annual event and we will hold the next major summit in October 2020 at the Monaco Yacht Club. Our vision is that we take the Vroom Summit brand to other cities in Europe including Cannes, Lugano, Zug and London. Having run successfully for six years now, we have had time to refine the format so that it is punchy, cohesive and effective in bringing the best opportunities to serious investors. We’re confident that we can replicate this in other cities to broaden the network and benefit investors in other locations.

 

Monaco Life will be publishing our series of interviews with these participants over the coming week, so stay tuned! 

 

Race against the clock in Cap d’Ail games

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/10/2019

The Athletic Games Cap d’Ail are the perfect blend of athleticism and playful fun for those looking to challenge themselves and maybe even try something new.

This third edition of the games is sure to inspire competitors who enjoy stepping outside the boundaries to take on challenges created to show off athletic prowess and have some fun doing it.

The games, organised by World Class Monaco, are being held this Saturday 12th October from 9am to 4pm on Cap Marquet Beach. Participants are invited to try their hands at a succession of tests while beating the clock.

A 10km running race awaits competitors, who must manoeuvre through 10 obstacle course events successfully and reach the finish line. Some of the extras include a kayaking event, endurance and strength tests, and some silly fun in the form of jumping like a kangaroo and piggy-back races.

The games are open to athletes of all levels. To take part, contestants must have a partner (man-man, woman-woman or mixed) and register online at https://www.wclass.fr/ru/games

By Stephanie Horsman

Clean up of sludge spill

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/10/2019

Saint Roman beach on Monaco’s eastern border was the site last weekend of a flow of sludge that spilled from the gulley to the beach.

The culprit was a pile-driving operation on the Testimonio which inadvertently opened up a previously unidentified fault allowing the sludge to escape to the spot locally known as the Iron Bridge. Drilling was immediately stopped once the flow was spotted, but the mucky water continued running until Monday.

Clean-up operations were able to begin at this point, reducing the non-bacterial turbidity of the water.

At the behest of the Prince’s government, site managers are in communication with the relevant council departments in Roquebrune Cap-Martin, enabling real-time updates on the situation.

A camera will be installed on the site to ensure any further incidents can be handled promptly without any inconvenience to the public.

 

By Stephanie Horsman

 

Air Canada boosts service to Nice

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/10/2019

Air Canada has announced it will be doubling the number of seats currently available on it’s Nice-Montreal route. The airline is replacing the Air Canada Rouge planes with Air Canada Airbus, which will also be flying one extra day per week.

The expanded direct service, which will increase from four to five flights per week, is a response to the rise in visitors from the North American hub and will be operational from 8th May to 24th October each year.

Passengers will see additional benefits with the new service including another cabin class on the new flights. Previous flights on the B767-300 aircraft only offered two classes of service, but the new Airbus A330-300 planes are equipped with three classes for extra comfort.

The ‘Signature’ cabin boasts 27 business class seats with the ability to lie flat for those who like a bit of room to stretch out, plus added features such as a high quality cuisine. The next level is the ‘Premium Economy’ cabin with 21 plus-sized seats, priority airport services and enhanced amenities. Finally, there is the economy class, made up of 244 seats all with personal screens and food and beverage service.

“Air Canada’s quality upgrade with its Air Canada Signature Class at our airport is a mark of confidence for which we thank them, and which increases the number of seats on offer between Nice and Montreal by 58%,” said Chairman of the Board of Airports of the Côte d’Azur Dominique Thillaud. “This aligns with our efforts to create ever more connections between our region and the world, and more broadly to create gateways to all regions by offering travellers a quality alternative to the major hubs of Northern Europe.”

 

By Stephanie Horsman