Monaco International Investment Forum: shaping the future of investment and innovation

The 2025 Monaco International Investment Forum, an extended format of what has become a popular annual event held at the Yacht Club de Monaco, positioned the Principality as a central hub for innovation and start-up success in Europe and the wider world, bringing together pioneering entrepreneurs, investors and industry representatives from sectors ranging from sustainable mobility to skincare for a series of insightful talks and networking sessions over 13th and 14th March.

The first day of the event, attended by Monaco Life, focused on venture capital discussions, with an emphasis on start-ups, scale-ups and alternative investment opportunities. Much of the action was centred around the Yacht Club’s glamorous ballroom, which acted as the seat of engaging one-on-one meetings and business networking sessions, where investors, entrepreneurs and industry representatives discussed potential partnerships and investment prospects.

Building bridges

Monaco Life spoke with several participants during the first day of the Monaco International Investment Forum (MIIF), including Tanvir Shah, Managing Director of The Partnerships Advisory Strategy & Execution. Shah also serves on the Investment Committee of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF), an initiative of the UAE’s Ministry of Finance.

“Monaco is a centre for European innovation and start-ups, and we’re looking to invite them to the UAE and the Middle East,” said Shah, who was attending for the first time.

He added, “I’m very impressed. This is one of the most international audiences I’ve seen at an investment forum.”

Shah went on to outline his broader objectives for joining the event, explaining, “The end goal is to build bridges between the Middle East and Europe. Monaco and places like Dubai are similar in that they are forward-looking jurisdictions. There is great potential for collaboration between the two regions.”

Tanvir Shah, Managing Director of The Partnerships Advisory Strategy & Execution and part of the Investment Committee of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF). Photo by Monaco Life

Discussing trends in innovation and investment, Shah spotlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence.

“Right now, we are seeing an exponential use of AI for human good. At the Fund, we focus on challenges like water scarcity and ensuring the UAE’s self-sufficiency in water. We’ve seen optimistic progress in this area using AI,” he shared with Monaco Life.

Looking ahead, Shah spoke about the Fund’s future plans, noting, “We have €500 million and provide government venture debt to growth-stage start-ups through our accelerator programmes. We are now launching our 10th cohort, and to date, we’ve supported over 150 start-ups. We’re excited about the future of each one.”

Start-ups target growth at MIIF

Start-ups were a key focus at MIIF, with numerous entrepreneurs seeking investment and expansion opportunities in Europe.

Monaco Life spoke with Terbit Widjaja, the founder of MRI.id, an Indonesia-based company with a presence in South Korea that specialises in advanced skincare solutions and wellness technologies.

Widjaja said his main goal for attending the forum was to raise over $10 million and expand his company’s reach into European markets.

“I’m here for fundraising and to build connections with European investors,” he told Monaco Life. “What I like about this event is that it’s private and intimate, with a lot of high-quality people.”

Terbit Widjaja, the founder of MRI.id, at the Monaco International Investment Forum. Photo by Monaco Life

He also spoke about the challenges facing the healthcare sector, particularly the rising costs.

“Healthcare is the only sector where, despite advancements in technology, prices never seem to drop. Hospitals will never offer a 90% or even a 50% discount. It’s the only industry where you have to pay whatever they ask,” he said. “We want to revolutionise this with our own technology, ecosystem, beauty clinics, healthcare services and even our own biotech.”

Widjaja added that securing investment would support the company’s expansion to Dubai and the UAE, with plans to introduce medical devices and biotech products to the European market, reflecting the crossover of interest shared by fellow participant Shah.

Monaco Life also spoke with Robert Dingemanse, the CEO and founder of PAL-V, a Netherlands-based company developing sustainable FlyDrive solutions. Dingemanse described how the company’s innovation could transform personal transportation.

“With our technology, operations like policing, firefighting, military, and public security can all be improved,” he said. “Individuals also want to travel faster from A to B, and that’s exactly what we offer.”

Dingemanse, who was also attending the MIIF for the first time, said the event offered an opportunity to meet potential investors and customers.

“We’ve met a lot of interesting people, but, as always, it comes down to what results will follow,” he said.

A FlyDrive model by PAL-V. Photo by Monaco Life

Speaking about future trends, Dingemanse identified low-altitude mobility as an emerging global industry.

“In 50 years, advanced mobility is projected to be a one to two trillion-dollar industry,” he said. “Like any new sector, it takes time for investors to recognise its potential. Now, they’re beginning to understand that FlyDrive is different from air taxis or other flying vehicles. With PAL-V, you can drive from Monaco, take off and fly over the Alps to Geneva, conduct your business, then fly to Munich and drive back home. It’s two to three times as fast as any other option.”

PAL-V vehicles are priced from €500,000, with deliveries set to begin in Europe.

See more: Interview: Robert Dingemanse on the PAL-V Liberty and the dawn of flight-drive technology

Other exhibitors at the forum included Sotheby’s Dubai, Ubiquity’s Max Copilot, Rennsport, Alkemia Capital, Gami Capital, Ear Focus Technology, SEG Kapital, Aurora Advisory, Bitcoin People, Skeal – Scale My Meal, La Joie Homebase™ and BRB Costruzioni Edili. Each presented their latest products and services, covering sectors such as real estate, artificial intelligence, sustainable mobility and fintech.

 

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All photos by Monaco Life

Napoleonic treasures with ties to the Principality going under the gavel at Artcurial

Napoleon Artcurial Monaco Prince Louis II

A remarkable collection of Napoleonic artefacts, many with connections to Monaco and the Grimaldi family, will go under the hammer at an Artcurial auction in Paris on 1st April. This extraordinary sale, titled Napoleon(s): Imperial Collections from a Great Connoisseur, brings together 370 lots from a distinguished collector in southwest France, offering an unparalleled glimpse into the grandeur of the First and Second Empires.

History buffs and admirers of Napoleon will have a field day at the Napoleon(s): Imperial Collections from a Great Connoisseur sale, hosted by the Artcurial auction house on 1st April in Paris.

A significant portion of the auctioned items originate from the former Napoleonic collection of Monaco’s Palais Princier. Prince Louis II, the great-grandfather of Prince Albert II and a military man in his own right, served with distinction in World War I, which led him to develop a penchant for military history. His devotion to the Napoleonic eras led him to amass one of the most impressive collections of imperial artefacts known, including some very rare and valuable pieces.

In 2014, the Prince’s Palace made headlines when it sold part of its Napoleonic collection, dispersing treasured relics that had once been carefully curated by Louis II. Some of those treasures found their way into the hands of the collector whose estate is now being auctioned at Artcurial, bringing these historical objects full circle.

Among the standout pieces is a historic Couronne de Rue medal, once belonging to Emperor Napoleon I. This prestigious prize was seized by Prussian forces from Napoleon’s carriages on the fateful evening of 18th June 1815, following his defeat at Waterloo. Estimated to go for between €30,000 and €50,000, the medal was part of the war spoils delivered to Prussian Field Marshal von BlĂĽcher, who later gifted it to Major-General Willem van Panhuys, the Netherlands’ representative at the battle. In the early 20th century, it was acquired by Monaco’s Prince Louis, before passing into private hands.

The Couronne de Rue medal, which once belonged to Emperor Napoleon I, was seized by Prussian forces from his carriages following his defeat at Waterloo. Photo source: Artcurial

Another piece once owned by the House of Grimaldi is a flag of the 1st Battalion of the 111th Line Infantry Regiment bearing the motto Valor and Discipline. It carries an estimated sale price of €30,000 to €40,000.

The sale also features two grand imperial portraits from the Second Empire, painted in the style of renowned artist Franz-Xaver Winterhalter, with estimates ranging from €60,000 to €80,000, and a Lepage rifle from 1812 that belonged to the Emperor, which is expected to fetch between €50,000 and €80,000.

Before the sale, the collection will be on public exhibition in Monaco from 19th to 24th March, allowing enthusiasts to view these significant pieces in real life. The exhibition, open daily from 9.30am to 1pm and 3pm to 6.30pm at Artcurial’s Monaco base in the Monte-Carlo Palace building, will offer visitors a rare opportunity to connect with history before the gavel falls in Paris.

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Movement and legacy: Barbara Chase-Riboud’s tribute to Josephine Baker in Monaco

 

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo source: Palais Princier de Monaco via Artcurial