Launching : Boardwave. Connecting Software Leaders Across Europe

Boardwave was created, to create strong connections that accelerate success in European software.

I founded Boardwave with a strong belief that all the knowledge and experience exists in Europe to build many more world-leading software businesses, that can compete on a global scale. Boardwave are passionate about building a better software industry in Europe. All of the knowledge and know-how to start, grow, scale, and build these great software companies already exist here - right now! But that knowledge is often fragmented by geography, growth stage, sub sector focus and investor portfolio.

www.boardwave.org

Our goal is to nurture it and connect it to the people that need it most. To give them the insights and clarity they need to make better decisions and build great companies. So that in the future Europe can rival the long term success seen in Silicon Valley.

The Who's Who of European Software

After approaching some of the most pre-eminent names in the European software sector to discuss the idea of Boardwave, we received amazingly positive feedback, over the last few months and we very soon realised this was not only a good idea, but a great opportunity to do something meaningful to benefit everyone in this ecosystem.

And so Boardwave was created, to connect the leading software CEOs, Chairs, Non-Execs, Founders and Investors in Europe. Enabling them to share knowledge and best-practice, to network and to mentor one another; to create strong connections that accelerate success in European software.

Even as we launch the initiative, we already have a strong team of Patrons and Mentors that are unrivalled in their contribution to the European software sector over many years.

What do Salesforce.com, Workday, Suse, Sage all have in common?

Our Patrons are people like Steve Garnett, who built Salesforce.com in Europe for a number of years; Melissa Di Donata, CEO of Suse, leading her business through the largest software IPO in Europe in 2021, and the first woman to take a multi-billion euro company public on the Deutsche Borse. Chano Fernandez, the Co-CEO of Workday, leading one of the world's largest Enterprise software companies, currently living in London. Stephen Kelly, formerly CEO of Sage but also with a strong track record in Government as an advisor to No. 10 Downing Street, and Chairperson of the Science & Technology Honours Committee.

Elona Mortimer-Zhika, is CEO of IRIS Software, and passionate about diversity. She was UK Tech Awards Business Woman of the Year 2020; Global Banking and Finance Business Woman of the Year UK 2020 and the Venus National Finance Professional of the Year 2018. She is excited to be a Boardwave Patron and Mentor, to find new ways to improve diversity.

Embraced by the Investment Community

Boardwave has also been enthusiastically embraced by the investment community. Nic Humphries is Executive Chair of Hg, arguably the biggest investor in tech in Europe, and also a Boardwave Patron. Wol Kolade, is a Boardwave Patron. He is Founder & Managing Partner of Livingbridge, his firm are deepening their commitment to invest in software and technology - right now. That makes him a busy guy as Wol is also Deputy Chair of NHS England, and Co-Founder of 10,000 Black Interns.

Our family of investor sponsors are incredibly extensive and diverse and all are experts in software investing ; Advent international, APAX Partners, CINVEN, CPPIB, Expedition, Farview, Hg, KKR, Livingbridge.

Other sponsors include Bank of America, Rothschild & Co, Goto.com, Liberty, and the tech marketing agency Silver.

Besides this our world-class committee is driving Boardwave forwards, helping us to curate this community and its events & activities. They will be working hard to make sure we recruit the only the right members, so our community remains the "who's who" of European software for years to come.

Boardwave's unique networking programmes

Boardwave uniquely provides a high powered networking group for brilliant leaders; independent of their business size, from start-ups to large Public & PE backed businesses; for talented first time CEOs, to the industry's most accomplished and successful Senior Executives and their Investors.

Boardwave delivers a programme of informal networking events. The very first will be our Launch on September 14th, in London.

Once the conversation has started, at our networking events, Boardwave drives further discussion through a series of more intimate dinners and debates. Then its mentoring programme helps executives to confidentially discuss their own business issues and personal development with world-class leaders, with relevant experience.

It's completely free to join and independent, so there’s no sales pitches. Just open free flowing debate between thought leaders, at our curated events. 

Our mentoring programme is especially helpful to developing software CEOs and Founders. We connect them with deeply knowledgable & experienced Senior Executives. Helping develop them as leaders and accelerate their business success.

Boardwave is not-for-profit

Boardwave is not-for-profit, our revenue comes from our sponsors, to enable us to build the Boardwave community. We do this with a conscience. Having run all our programmes, each year, if there is any surplus capital, we donate it to our charity partner, Cure Parkinsons.

Boardwave - connecting like-minded people to facilitate their growth and success. Together we will shape the future of the European Software sector.

Where can I learn more?

You can read more about Boardwave at our website, www.boardwave.org. If you are a Software CEO, Non-Exec Director, Chairperson, or Founder in Europe; whether thats in a start-up, scale-up or larger business and you think you would like to be part of the Boardwave community you can apply for free membership here.

Our Launch event will be on September 14th, 12:30pm to 3:30pm on the Roof Terrace of the Seacontainers Hotel in London. Members can apply for tickets here.

Come see what it's all about, but hurry spaces are limited.

Phill Robinson - Founder Boardwave