Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, founder of the KBW Group of Companies, participated in a panel discussion at the 2019 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW). The panel took place during the Future Sustainability Summit as part of ADSW’s larger agenda for the five-day event.
Moderated by US-UAE Business Council President, Danny Sebright, panel members included Prince Khaled in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer of KBW Ventures, Plenty Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Matt Barnard, and Softbank Investments Advisers Regional Head Faisal Rehman. Sebright questioned the panel members on the role of technology in sustainability, impact investments, and investment criteria benchmarks.
“We love companies that give us the double bottom line: the financial return and the social impact return. Not all of KBW Ventures’ interests are impact investments, however the majority of the portfolio is tech and deep tech based. Several of the tech companies we have invested in are impact-driven and come from a variety of sectors that work toward an all-around better status quo. Three sectors we work in that are relevant in terms of social impact are: food security and food science, medtech, and fintech,” explained Prince Khaled when asked to elaborate on the ratio of social impact companies in the KBW Ventures portfolio.
After the panel discussion, Prince Khaled toured the Saudi Pavilion showcasing the aims of various Saudi entities with representatives from across a variety of industries intersecting with sustainability. Various entities mentioned their aims in line with Vision 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
At the UAE Youth Sustainability Hub, Prince Khaled met with a bevy of different startups, entrepreneurs and initiative representatives presenting ideas and business models centering on sustainability and positive global impact.
One of the world’s largest sustainability gatherings, ADSW endeavors to further the understanding of social, economic and technology trends. This year’s edition, staged at ADNEC January 12-19th, widened its scope beyond renewable energy and also incorporated global sustainability challenges and opportunities into the agenda, to align more closely with the UAE Vision 2021 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, founder of KBW Group of Companies, tours Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s Saudi Pavilion and Youth Hub after participating in a panel on technology and impact investments. In this video: HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region; HE Dr. Armen Sarkissian, President of Armenia; HE Shamma Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of Youth; and HRH Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal. Video credit: ADSW
Related: Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed accepts Technology Investor of the Year award
