Before we start, it’s important to note that luckily OurCrowd Summit took place before the terrible COVID-19 outbreak. Now the whole world is suffering from the virus and hard to imagine how dangerous it would be to gather 23K people now… And back then, OurCrowd 2020 managed to host almost 23 thousand attendees!
And last week Israeli government shut schools, universities, banned indoor gatherings of over 100 people, urged people to avoid unnecessary gatherings.
We’ve been lucky enough to be at OurCrowd Global Investor Summit 2020 to meet all those talented and professional people, to listen to experts and to understand that the world’s future will be saved by those tech innovators and investors who decided to invest their money for good. Because it’s business to drive the future and to help the world to survive. And everything will be ok!
Getting down to business, as we promised when conducting our survey, UppLabs likes to highlight some of the most important OurCrowd 2020 takeaways.
Numbers
This event amazed almost every participant, from entrepreneur and techie to investor and business owner. Here’s why:
- 186 countries were represented
- 23 000 participants attended the 1-day event
- 2 030 speakers submitted their talks
- 100+ exhibitors
- 61 sponsors
- The schedule contained 40 sessions
- Over 1 400 facilitated meetings among investors, startups, and corporate executives
- 200 delegations were represented at the summit
- Along with 500 government officials
This year OurCrowd 2020 empowered global networking on technologies.
The incredibly diverse program included:
- industry leaders speaking on crucial topics
- breakouts tackling social and political issues facing the venture world
- amazing tech demos
This event provided eye-opening insights on what will drive future business.
OurCrowd 2020 Survey highlights
Right after the summit, UppLabs conducted a survey to reveal OurCrowd Global Investor Summit participant’s insights.
Download the results!
- Most of the OurCrowd attendees were CEO and Investors
- Most of the participants represented FinTech and Real Estate industries
- Most popular topics during the summit were: banking, healthcare, cyber-warfare, and latest innovations
- The three main reasons to disappoint the participants were: the event duration (only one day), poor wi-fi, overcrowded place
- The level of the event organization received 9-10 points (out of 10) from the respondents
- 100% of respondents say that OurCrowd was useful for their networking, and they will definitely come back next year
What will drive future business?
The Summit was one of the largest and most important tech events in the world and the biggest business event in Israel’s history. And we know, not for the last time.
It was the real window into the future that showed us a lot of solutions to ‘impossible’ problems. Startup technologies showed their ability to save lives!
1. The biggest threat the future cybersecurity will fight is the dark web.
2. Google and IBM stated that in about five years, quantum computers would be able to break the encryption we use today.
3. Brain computers are no longer science fiction. This technology will provide a direct communication pathway between an enhanced or wired brain and an external device and will bridge the time gap in how we communicate with machines.
4. Automation is the next big trend all the businesses will follow in 2020.
5. VR platforms, ultrasound and radiation therapies are capable to cope with complicated diseases and save lives.
6. As an investor, it is crucial to invest your money for good (from AI to medical breakthroughs). That is a global approach that will bring us to a healthier and more conscious society.
If the last year’s tendency taught us to think more about renewable and sustainable energy, today we add medical startups to the list of the vital initiatives for good.
7. Ukraine shows its potential. This year’s OurCrowd Summit added to its program a Tel Aviv meetup called ‘Grow with Ukraine’. It unveiled the tech potential of five Ukrainian IT service companies, including a speed dating session.
UppLabs, as a company with an R&D office in Ukraine, is extremely happy to watch such tendencies.
8. Israel is a perfect place for startups with an English-speaking ecosystem and innovations support. Right now Israeli startups show their swift ingenuity in fighting coronavirus:
- automatic handwashing micro stations;
- facemasks that potentially kill, not only block, coronavirus;
- the remote virus examination device;
- wireless, noninvasive stickers, for monitoring blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate, and more.
Is there a future for startups and businesses?
“If people are working from home, use this time to plan and do creative work. If you are forced to spend more time with your kids and your wife, turn it into an advantage, it is not a curse,” – said Jonathan Medved (OurCrowd CEO) about how OurCrowd is dealing with the corona crisis to Elham Nasser-Eddin, a news reporter at CTech by Calcalist.
“This is not just a battle for China, but a world battle,” Medved said. “The tech community must take responsibility to be on the front line in fighting coronavirus. We must come up with solutions – not just travel bans – to stop these types of epidemics.”
UppLabs totally supports Jonathan’s opinion! Moreover, watching the business stopping the activities due to the remote work, we prepared the material about how to work with remote teams, which will be soon shared on our blog. The world will recover, the question is, will you be able to get your business back on track fast? The economy is on a temporary halt. But life’s not.
At this point, our experience might help you dealing with remote work while COVID-19 outbreak.
