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Post Event Summary 17 November 2015

London

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As a leading private and investment bank, Credit Suisse is ideally placed to support UK technology entrepreneurs and their companies at every step from early stage to exit. Alongside meeting corporate needs such as access to capital, strategic advice, M&A and corporate banking, Credit Suisse can also help manage the private wealth of entrepreneurs. The High-Tech Forum demonstrated Credit Suisse’s ability to connect companies seeking capital and institutional and wealthy private investors looking to invest.

Credit Suisse welcomed 180 technology entrepreneurs, investors and experts to the Ham Yard Hotel in London’s West End. “Credit Suisse is passionate about supporting technology companies. The lifecycle of a company requires both private and institutional money. We have brought the two together for the first time at this event,” said Ian Dembinski, Managing Director in Private Banking at Credit Suisse.

David Wah, Global Head of the Technology Group in Investment Banking at Credit Suisse, spoke about disruptive themes to watch in the sector and current trends in investing — among them, the closer relationship between companies and investors facilitated by this event. “Increasingly, our corporate and entrepreneur clients want to engage more with their sources of capital,” he said.

Panel discussions covered many current hot topics within the technology community. Why are companies staying private for longer? How should entrepreneurs prepare for exit? Where can professional investors add real value to their investments?

Themes of the day included whether the threat of another technology bubble is imagined, or real. Philippe Cerf, Co-Head of the EMEA Technology Group in Investment Banking at Credit Suisse, is in no doubt. He said: “Technology-led disruption is a long-term trend across the whole of the economy. We are seeing a new generation of entrepreneurs who are trying to be innovative and disruptive and building real businesses the old-fashioned way, step by step.”

Event Summary

The UK technology scene is thriving. London is establishing itself as a global technology hub. The UK is home to more technology “unicorns” and attracts more venture capital-backed deals than any other country in Europe.

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Early-stage investor Maria Dramalioti-Taylor of Beacon Capital also emphasised the importance of building on strong fundamentals. “The team must have the skills to push the business forward, the idea has to be a new technology or user experience and the addressable market has to be big. Today, that means over USD 1 billion,” she said.

Keynote speaker Andrew Fisher offered insights into how Shazam has become the world’s leading media engagement company. He is one of many technology entrepreneurs giving back as investors and as mentors to the next generation. “There are so many phenomenal young people across Europe who have great ideas and the reality is they can put them into practice. This is a great time to be an entrepreneur,” he said.

The Forum concluded with a start-up showcase. Kano Computing won the most votes and will receive mentoring from the Credit Suisse Corporate Finance team and access to the NOAH London technology conference, sponsored by Credit Suisse, in 2016. “Events like this are fantastic for a growing business. It is so important to have access to people who can help,” said Kano’s COO Thomas Enraght-Moony.

“I have never seen such energy, ideas and great speakers,” said Ian Dembinski in his closing remarks. The connecting of business and capital continued long into the evening.

“Technology-led disruption is a long-term trend across the whole of the economy. We are seeing a new generation of entrepreneurs who are trying to be innovative and disruptive and building real businesses the old-fashioned way, step by step”

Philippe Cerf

“There are so many phenomenal young people across Europe who have great ideas and the reality is they can put them into practice. This is a great time to be an entrepreneur”

Andrew Fisher

“I have never seen such energy, ideas and great speakers”

Ian Dembinski

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Ask the Audience

Ian Dembinski polled the audience on the kinds of investments that interested them.

Q. How Do You Currently Invest in Technology?

44% Private placement 7% Direct investments and venture capital 7% Private equity 15% Mutual funds 26% Not yet

Q. Which Trends Offer the Best Investment Opportunities?

29% Data analytics 23% Internet of things 21% Cyber security 20% e-commerce 6% Cloud

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Themes for Technology Investors

Four Disruptive Themes to Watch

1. One-Click to On-Demand

The shift from “one-click” to on-demand made possible by mobile is a creating a new paradigm for consumer behaviour, said David. Today’s consumer knows what they want, how and when they want it. Matching supply to this demand is a “huge” opportunity and a great part of the labour market is now “people who can satisfy on demand”.

2. Sharing Economy

From ride-sharing to matching providers of lodging services to those looking for it, aggregating demand is another economic principle that is “very compelling”. The sharing economy that comes from being able to connect people through mobile devices will disrupt many industries in future.

3. Education

The mismatch between what the education system is teaching and the demand in society is “a real problem to fix”, observed David. He predicted the “democratisation of education” through technology: “We are going to be able to reach many more people using technology than the traditional way.” This trend is tied to demographic change. Credit Suisse research suggests many more people will live to be 100 years old in future. As people work for longer, continued education will be a necessity to access the job market.

4. Healthcare

Healthcare is a USD 3 trillion problem for the US economy, said David, referring to a report by Euromonitor. Technology can help reduce the cost of healthcare provision by bringing efficiencies to monitoring, data storage and analytics and more. “We are going to see real advancements in the application of technology in terms of getting people closer to wellness, disease prediction and prevention. We are just scratching the surface of that today.”

Coming Soon…

DNA Storage

“In the future we will see DNA structures as a more revolutionary way to store data. By replicating DNA, we will have storage that will last for 1,000 years.”

Artificial Intelligence

“We will see the benefits from AI in almost every aspect of society in the next couple of decades. The three fundamental building blocks to advance AI are the ability of the microprocessor to simulate thinking, algorithms that can replicate neural networks and enough data so systems can learn.”

Driverless Cars

“Driverless cars will bring more than just safer roads. They will fundamentally change how we consume transportation. People will transact and be entertained in the car. We are going to see a whole ecosystem of change around innovations in the car in the next 10 years.”

… And Not Going Away

Big Tech

“Some of the well-known bellwethers in technology have an unprecedented history in the industry. There is a treasure trove of innovation in these companies. They just have to find a way to unlock it.”

David Wah Global Head, Technology Group, Investment Banking, Credit Suisse

Every investible theme today emanates from one of four technology megatrends: mobility, the cloud, social and big data.

Technology Megatrends

“If I have to pick one of these megatrends as the most important, it is mobility,” said David. According to Morgan Stanley data, almost one-third of the world’s population can connect to the internet “anywhere, anytime” via a mobile device. Mobile penetration is predicted to reach two-thirds of the global population by 2018 and even this estimate may be low, he added.The whole concept of mobile is different today, he continued. “We are always on and always connected through our mobiles, even in our homes.

That has really important implications for consumer behaviour and what we expect from those who provide us with goods and services”.

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Philippe Cerf of Credit Suisse asked a panel of investors and entrepreneurs about strategies for raising capital in the current market environment.

Sourcing Growth Capital

Q.How Vibrant is the European Start-up Scene?Europe is catching up with the US, said Henrik Persson of venture capital firm Lakestar Advisors. “With the first generation of general e-commerce platforms, the European markets were won by US players like eBay and Amazon. With the second generation, European companies won the markets, not only in Europe but globally, with great companies like Zalando, ASOS, Net-a-Porter and Farfetch,” he said. He also named gaming and fintech as other areas that seem “to suit Europe very well”.

Fundraising in Europe is still harder than in the US but is getting easier, said Lopo Champalimaud, the founder and CEO of online hair and beauty booking business Wahanda. The participation of private high net worth investors means there are “more options than ever”.

Tom Singer of boutique hospitality business onefinestay offered further evidence of a broadening of the investor community. Its major investor is a corporate making a strategic investment. The world is becoming more crowded, said Morgan Seigler of growth capital firm TA Associates. “But if you know your spot and you are disciplined, you can still make a return.”

Q.Why Are Companies Staying Private for Longer?Why go public if you don’t need to, asked Morgan Seigler. Going public can be “a huge pain” due to the regulatory burden and expectations of investors. In the current market environment it is “a tough argument” to sell. Some of the appeal is because public markets offer “a natural endpoint to the journey”, said Tom Singer. But going public is only a viable exit route for companies that can demonstrate “a high degree of predictability and stability”, as public markets can be “a cruel mistress” when things go wrong.

Public life doesn’t suit everyone, agreed Lopo Champalimaud, and public companies in Europe do face a “harder time” in the markets than US counterparts. A strategic investor became the majority shareholder in Wahanda, which was “a long way” from being ready to go public. “I was given capital and the freedom to operate, and I can sell my shares without any reporting hassles,” he explained. Cyclicality is a factor too, argued Henrik Persson. He stressed the merits of the IPO process in enabling interested parties to take a good, long look at companies before investing. Sentiment changes quickly, he said: “A few hiccups in the private market and all of a sudden investors will think the IPO process adds value.”

Philippe Cerf Co-Head of EMEA Technology Group, Investment Banking, Credit Suisse

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Q.Is it Worth Taking on a Strategic Investor?It has been for onefinestay, said Tom Singer, as it has provided a relationship that will help the business to develop and grow. He described the “halo effect” that strategic investment can have on perception of a business and its brand: “It implies quality to other investors and the wider market.” Wahanda structured the deal so there was “no path to control”, explained Lopo Champalimaud. He too stressed the importance of a long-term relationship: “It was a great process because it allowed me to get comfortable that this was somebody I wanted to work for and with in the future.”

Q.Is There a Bubble in the Market?Henrik Persson compared the market today to 2006. He said: “It can feel like everything has already happened and is highly valued but I don’t think that is true. If you are creative and innovative, you will find a lot of investment opportunities. Not really cheap, but interesting. Just keep looking.” Morgan Seigler also drew a historical parallel. “In 1999, everything was up and it did not matter what the business model was,” he said. Now, “if you have a great business, you get a great price. But if you do not deliver on the numbers, you get crushed.” He sees signs of adjustment in the market rather than fundamental change: “People are being a little more conservative on the margin.”

Philippe Cerf Moderator Credit Suisse

Lopo Champalimaud Wahanda

Henrik Persson Lakestar Advisors

J Morgan SeiglerTA Associates

Tom Singeronefinestay

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Keynote SpeakerAndrew Fisher shared what he has learned from building Shazam into the world’s leading media engagement company.

No Better Time“It is a great time to be an entrepreneur,” said Andrew. “With the maturing of the startup sector in Europe, it is easier to start a company, raise finance, go to market and, if you get it right, to get real scale.” Yet with 1.5 million digital apps on the market already, a start-up today has a long way to go to emulate the success of Shazam, one of the most popular apps in the world and used by 120 million people in 200 countries every month. Andrew recounted some of the key lessons he has learned on the journey.

Andrew Fisher Executive ChairmanShazam

1. A Unique Proposition

“There is a basic principle that many people forget when trying to start a digital business: why would people be motivated to use your offer rather than somebody else’s?” said Andrew. Shazam has succeeded because it adds something the consumer cannot do on any other device or environment, he explained. The new trend in consumer behaviour towards fewer apps presents a dramatic change in the mobile market and the race is to become a habitual service. “You have to think about how to become part of the user’s everyday life,” Andrew advised would-be digital entrepreneurs and their investors.

2. Have Cash

“I am always raising money,” said Andrew. He recounted some of the growing pains Shazam had to go through as a company ahead of its time, among them the need to make cash last while waiting for consumer behaviour to change. The result of those experiences is a highly proactive financing strategy: “The best time to take money is when you do not need it. Having that extra cash buffer is really important.”

3. Know Your Investors

Having supportive investors is key when you are trying to grow an unpredictable business, said Andrew. “We had tremendous support from investors who had a huge amount of staying power. Shazam would not be here without the people who took the risk on this business and supported the team.”

7 Lessons of Success

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4. Pivot

“Be prepared to make decisions quickly and to go back on your decisions,” he recommended. Shazam “pivoted” from music (a USD 15 billion market) into television advertising (a USD 300 billion market). Having experimented with paid-for and ‘freemium’ (part free, pay to upgrade) business models, it reverted to a free model funded by advertising when a competitor gained momentum in its marketplace. “In this space, in our proposition, people love free services,” Andrew acknowledged.

5. Pay Attention to Talent

People may be surprised to learn that Shazam sees Amazon, Facebook, Google and LinkedIn as rivals given they are all competing for the best talent, said Andrew. “If you can’t match the compensation packages of others, sell the vision and the contribution the individual can make to your company,” he recommended. Talent has become so important for success in the digital sector that CEOs are making hiring a personal responsibility.

6. Keep the Trust

Using data appropriately without abusing trust is one of the biggest issues facing the digital industry, he warned. Companies must be careful not to be intrusive: “People need to understand why you are interacting with them. I may not be expecting a notification whilst I am out shopping.” The practise should be to engage at the right time in the right way and to make sure there is “a very clear value exchange.” Personal healthcare could begin reshaping our attitudes to privacy, he suggested: “Many of us will get implants that disclose everything about our bodies because we want preventative medicine. Once you have done that for your health, you are going to start getting a little bit more relaxed about disclosure for other things, providing you trust the entity you are engaging with”

7. Continue to Grow

Shazam is not only holding on to customers, it is adding 1 million net new users per week. Andrew described how Shazam keeps winning in a highly competitive and ever more crowded digital market. “Google can prove economically that for every fraction of a second shaved off their search speed, revenues go up. We see the same in our company. We keep rewriting our core algorithm because as well as expanding, we know we have to keep getting better and better at our core user experience. It is about getting that balance right between innovative new features and continually enhancing your core proposition.”

7 Lessons of Success

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How should a company prepare for an IPO or other major liquidity event?

Structuring Pre-IPO

Start EarlyPaul Matthews of UK share registrar Equiniti was ideally placed to comment on preparing to go public, having been through the process recently. Credit Suisse was joint bookrunner on Equiniti’s GBP 317 million IPO. “It is a positive step and we look forward to what listed life brings,” he said. “Start planning as early as possible,” he advised. “It is very time consuming and the due diligence is tough.”

Know Your StoryIt is essential to think about how to present the story of why you are going public, said Omri Lumbroso of Credit Suisse, as “the question will be asked at every investor meeting”. Whatever the reason, “do the groundwork to build conviction in the story”, as there will be “natural scepticism” from investors. Being a public company does not preclude a company from doing things that are not in the IPO prospectus, added Omri: “You can do big shifts in strategy, do M&A, go into new areas. But you have to be able to explain the reasons and bring your shareholders with you.” As corporate broker, Credit Suisse helps listed companies to communicate to shareholders and the market.

“Historically, there has been pressure from US investors for UK companies to flip into a US parent company. Yet the UK is a favourable tax jurisdiction and a UK company can expand into the US through a subsidiary,”

Daniel Glazer

“Certain clients may want to consider delaying an exit until they are non-UK tax resident”

John Williams

Camilla Hughes ModeratorCredit Suisse

Daniel Glazer Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson

Omri Lumbroso Credit Suisse

Paul Matthews Equiniti

John Williams Credit Suisse

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Protect Property“I cannot tell you the number of times due diligence reveals that the founders did not assign all the property to the company or code is no longer proprietary,” said Omri Lumbruso. He urged entrepreneurs to make proper filings for intellectual property, adding: “Things may seem immaterial early in your development but as you get bigger, they cost more to fix.”

Paul Matthews supported this advice with his experience from Equiniti’s pre-IPO roadshow. He said: “The threat to our business is one of the biggest questions we are asked and IP is a big part of that for tech companies. It is very important to show investors that it is being thought about.”

Look For the Best Home The question of where to list is a common topic of debate among companies and their shareholders, said Omri Lumbroso. “Valuation is only one variable,” he cautioned. A listing can support a strategic shift towards a particular location or region. Companies should also locate their “natural nexus”, which is increasingly London for technology: 2015 has seen the highest number of tech IPOs on the London market.

London is gaining ground, agreed Daniel Glazer of law firm Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. “Historically, there has been pressure from US investors for UK companies to flip into a US parent company. Yet the UK is a favourable tax jurisdiction and a UK company can expand into the US through a subsidiary,” he said. “In recent years, the higher tax rates in the US relative to the UK suggest US investors will generally do a lot better investing into a UK parent company,” he added.

Remember Private Wealth PlanningEntrepreneurs should not overlook personal wealth planning, said John Williams of Credit Suisse. He tells entrepreneurs to focus on planning both pre and post liquidity. The tax relief for entrepreneurs in the UK provides a “very attractive” exit rate of 10% tax on up to GBP 10 million of gains. Entrepreneurs may not be aware of the inheritance tax planning opportunity available through business property relief either, which “will be lost post-liquidity.” The non-domicile regime is still attractive in the UK, he added, and international clients should structure their affairs well before exit or IPO. Also, “certain clients may want to consider delaying an exit until they are non-UK tax resident.”

“It is a positive step and we look forward to what listed life brings”

Paul Matthews

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Three investors shared how and where they invest in the technology sector.

How to Maximise Returns When Investing in High Tech

Greg Grimaldi Moderator Credit Suisse

Maria Dramalioti-Taylor Beacon Capital

Fidel Manolopoulos Kennet Partners

Jörg Mohaupt Access Industries

Finding the Right OpportunitiesMaximising return is about “buying low, selling high and not raising too much capital in between,” said Maria Dramalioti-Taylor of Beacon Capital, one of the most successful pre-A round investors. She believes the B2B space will offer the most interesting investment opportunities and is following the “exciting” developments in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, but warned that valuations are becoming “more problematic”. Jörg Mohaupt of family office Access Industries is also wary of valuations at “the very top”. He anticipates “loads of things we have not even thought of yet” from digital platforms. New opportunities are coming in software, predicted Fidel Manolopoulos of investment firm Kennet Partners. The many types of investor and many stages of investing in technology “mixes up” the investment cycle, but there remain “enough opportunities to find companies with different valuations”.

Adding Value to InvestmentsGreg Grimaldi asked the panel how they convince entrepreneurs to take their capital versus someone else’s. Fidel Manolopoulos stressed the value of investors who have “seen it or done it before” in the same segment and whose expertise is a match for the stage of the business. Capital used to be enough, said Maria Dramalioti-Taylor, but investors now have to show they can add value if they want to attract the most talented entrepreneurs. A history of building companies from scratch into something significant shows that “you can add value beyond just adding capital”, said Jörg Mohaupt. Entrepreneurs like to talk to other entrepreneurs, he added. Potential for crossover is also important: “Music drives a lot of eyeballs.”

What to Do When Things Don’t Go to Plan“Pivoting” businesses happens quite often, said Jörg Mohaupt. Businesses can “work beautifully but have no customers”, or they may work well in a certain space but “it is time to take the next leap”. Then again, it may be that a company requires new talent “to really make it work”. Write offs are a fact of life for early-stage investors, said Maria Dramalioti-Taylor, but there are still positives that can be taken. “A write off is an indication that you are taking risk. If there is no risk and no pain, there is no gain,” she explained. Some businesses just need more time, said Fidel Manolopoulos: “The question is when do you stop reinvesting? How much to refinance a business to take it further is a tough decision.”

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When to Exit“Whether an exit is quicker or slower depends on the performance of the business and its segment. You cannot predict how aggressively you can make it happen,” said Fidel Manolopoulos. A five or ten-year cycle can be a long time in the technology market, he cautioned: “If you do not make it or have a clear exit route by then, it might get difficult.” Exiting is a more fluid concept for an early-stage investor like Beacon Capital, said Maria Dramalioti-Taylor. “We go in when it is difficult to see where the business is going and how it is going to end up.” Beacon typically provides funding to take the business to Series A, but stays all the way through to help build “a substantial asset”.

Funds or Direct Investment?For investors who are new to the sector, the advantage of using fund structures is that teams really know what they are doing and are not going to pack up when things get tough, said Jörg Mohaupt. Fidel Manolopoulos concurred: “We specialise in this type of investment and we are measured on the return we bring our investors.” Direct investment is easy to do but can come at a high price, said Maria Dramalioti-Taylor. “This is going to take over your life,” she said. “If you are not prepared to invest a substantial amount of time, look at alternative ways to get exposure.”

How to Maximise Returns When Investing in High Tech (cont’d)

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Start-Up ShowcaseThe Forum provided a platform for the next wave of UK technology companies.

Carsten Kølbek Moderator Serial entrepreneur and seed investor

Going PlacesFour early-stage ventures were invited to pitch for the prize of mentoring by the Corporate Finance team at Credit Suisse and participation in the NOAH London technology conference, which is sponsored by Credit Suisse, in 2016. The showcase was introduced by serial entrepreneur and seed investor Carsten Kølbek, who told the audience: “We looked at hundreds of start-ups around the UK to bring you four companies who have really cool technology, an interesting business model, venture capital financing and real traction in the market. Vote for your favourite.”

Digital Shadows digitalshadows.comDigital Shadows provides cyber situational awareness to help organisations protect against cyber-attack, loss of intellectual property, brand and reputational damage. Its managed service, which was designed in collaboration with large financial institutions, monitors the digital footprint of an organisation and provides real-time alerts of malicious activity. Its competitive advantage is the breadth of its coverage. “Our view of the internet ecosystem allows us to pick out lots of different types of threats,” said James Merrick, Vice-President of Operations.

James Merrick

Audience Vote

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Property Partnerpropertypartner.coThe difficulties in accessing UK residential property as an asset class led the team behind Property Partner to create a crowdfunding platform and trading exchange for investors. “Direct investment in residential property is not a smart way to invest as you end up with a small and undiversified portfolio,” explained founder and CEO Dan Gandesha. Investors choose from a range of residential properties, receive a share of the rental income as a dividend and they can sell whenever they like. Since launch in January 2015 over £13 million has been invested through the platform, funding the acquisition of more than 80 properties.

Dan Gandesha

“You never know where the next helping hand will come from. As we continue to grow, having access to sources of capital and people who can advise us is so important.”

Thomas Enraght-Moony Chief Operating Officer Kano Computing

Start-Up Showcase (cont’d)

eReceiptsereceipts.co.uk“We enable retailers to identify their customers, understand their customers and better engage with their customers,” said Andrew Carroll, founder and CEO of eReceipts. The company uses customer intelligence to enable retailers to target customers more effectively with product offers and discounts. This can help bricks and mortar retailers to compete with digital rivals by building one-to-one relationships with customers through customer-centric retailing, said Andrew. eReceipts has over 12.5 million customers on its database, for clients who include major UK retailers such as Argos.

Kano Computingkano.meKano computers are designed to be as simple and fun to use as Lego. With a Kano kit, children can build their own computer and learn how to code through play. To date, nearly 50,000 kits have been sold worldwide. “What’s really interesting is what people are doing with them,” said Thomas Enraght-Moony, Chief Operating Officer. After building their computers, children share their programmes with each other online. “This is our vision of the future: combining kids with technology with online learning,” said Thomas. Kano has recently launched two extension kits and further hardware and software additions are planned.

Thomas Enraght-Moony Andrew Carroll

This material has been prepared by an Advisor of CREDIT SUISSE (UK) LIMITED or its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively “Credit Suisse”) and not by Credit Suisse’s research department. It is not investment research or a research recommendation for the purposes of the FCA rules as it does not constitute substantive research or analysis. The information provided is not intended to provide a sufficient basis on which to make an investment decision. It is intended only to provide observations and views of the said Advisor, which may be different from, or inconsistent with, the observations and views of the Credit Suisse analysts or other Credit Suisse Advisors or the proprietary positions of Credit Suisse. Observations and views of the Advisor may change at any time without notice. Credit Suisse accepts no liability for loss arising from the use of this material. All valuations are subject to Credit Suisse valuation terms. Information provided on trades executed with Credit Suisse will not constitute an official confirmation of the trade details.Credit Suisse (UK) Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority for the conduct of investment business in the United Kingdom. The registered address of Credit Suisse (UK) Limited is Five Cabot Square, London, E14 4QR.If you have any questions regarding the document, please contact your Relationship Manager.© Credit Suisse (UK) Limited 2015 14

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