Webinar Series: Preparing early-stage innovations for investment readiness

^{This series is possible with the support of our Bioregions members.}

Across Europe, research teams and innovators are developing promising forest-based and biobased solutions with strong potential for environmental and economic impact. Yet many early-stage innovations struggle to progress beyond the laboratory, often due to limited familiarity with investor expectations, early market validation, or how to communicate their value effectively.

To help address these barriers, the Bioregions Facility of the European Forest Institute is launching a three‑part Investment Readiness Webinar Series, designed to give innovation teams a clear and practical introduction to early-stage investment.

Each session is delivered by META Group, a European leader in research, commercialisation and innovation finance. 

These webinars are designed to be interactive, with dedicated time for questions and open discussion. Participants are welcome to share their own challenges and experiences so the sessions can be as relevant and practical as possible. 

Event on 17 March 2026

Webinar 1: Understanding the Investor Landscape

17 March 2026 | 10:00–11:30 CET

This first webinar offers a clear and structured overview of the different types of investors active in early-stage innovation and what sets them apart. This is done by exploring their incentives and drivers.  

By understanding the context in which investors operate, participants gain a sharper view of how each type of investor differs, from individual business angels to different forms of venture capital, including corporate, government-backed, traditional, and impact-oriented funds.

The webinar also touches on how family offices approach investment decisions, when debt financing may be an option for young companies, and how tools like equity crowdfunding fit into the broader funding picture.

This session helps participants understand who the key investor groups are, how they differ, and which types may fit their stage and technology. 

Download presentation

Watch on demand

Event on 31 March 2026

Webinar 2: Getting Investor Ready

31 March 2026 | 10:00–11:30 CEST

This session focuses on what “investor readiness” means for early-stage equity investment. Rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all checklist, the webinar explains how expectations change depending on the maturity of the innovation and the type of investor involved. 

The session looks at how to: 

Understand how expectations vary between different types of early-stage VC investors

Align and refine the value proposition for early-stage investors

Identify which elements of readiness matter most at different stages

By the end, participants will have a clearer sense of how to calibrate their preparation and messaging to match the expectations of the specific investors and investment rounds they are aiming for. 

Watch on demand

Event on 14 April 2026

Webinar 3: Understanding the Investment Process

14 April 2026 | 10:00–11:30 CEST

This final session takes a deeper look at early-stage equity investment from Business Angels, Venture Capital funds, and Impact investors, focusing on what happens once an investor shows interest.

It offers a practical walk-through of the mechanics of an early-stage deal, helping participants understand how to prepare for and navigate the most critical phases of the process: term sheet negotiation and due diligence.  

The focus is on how innovators can communicate their goals clearly, driving and owning the process while not losing sight of the mandates, priorities, and decision-making processes of early-stage investors. 

Watch on demand

About the expert

Jan Debets, Manager, META Group

Jan Debets is a manager at META Group. META Group specialises in partnering with academic researchers to bring their “knowledge to market”. It does so by partnering with researchers in EU-funded projects as an expert exploitation partner (such as EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition), as well as by investing through its numerous venture capital funds. Jan was previously a manager at Business Angels Europe and is currently a board member at HEC Paris Alumni Angels.

Previously, Jan was an investment associate at the Dutch VC and venture debt fund Capital Mills and interned at Silicon Valley-based fund 500 Global. Jan studied History in Leiden, Paris and Oxford and holds an MBA from HEC Paris.  