Isabelle Peeters - Inspiring and Supporting New Businesses

New resident, Isabelle Peeters is the Member of the Supervisory Board of Carlson Investments, a venture capital company chaired by Serge Telle, the Former Minister of State of the Principality of Monaco.

After living and working for a long time in Mexico City, where she also obtained an MBA at the IPADE Business School, Isabelle Peeters wanted to come back to Europe. She was looking for a lively, dynamic and sunny place.

In 2020, Isabelle’s search led her to the Principality of Monaco.

Working for Carlson Investments SE, – a company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchanges of Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich and on the Gettex platform established to provide access to venture capital investment opportunities in Europe, North America and Asia, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe, – Isabelle specializes in investment banking services and raising funds for growing companies.

Isabelle Peeters at the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference in Monaco

Did you always want to work in the field of Venture capital? Or how did this journey arise?

“Some years ago I started investing in start-ups. This led me to be involved with the companies I supported, I enjoyed being close to the creative minds of our society and gradually started giving structure to this activity by being active in venture capital,” – says Isabelle.

She gained her professional experience working for companies such as Bursamex, Avantel and Nadro. Graduate of the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). As a Member of the Supervisory Board, Isabelle helps Carlson Investments to identify new opportunities and take equity positions in private companies of a technological nature characterized by-product or process innovation active in the financial, medical, and deep technology industries.

How do you see Monaco’s future in the space sector?

“Since the set-up of the Monaco Office of Space Affairs in 2021, Monaco has clearly stated its intention to actively participate in the global Space ecosystem and support the companies from the Space sector established in the Principality.

Monaco’s early move to promote private space initiatives will attract human and financial resources to the area and substantiate Monaco’s international role in the space industry.”

As one of the leading presenters at the ELEVATE 2023 Space & Sustainability Conference, Isabelle presented the portfolio and the future ambitions of Carlson Investments to the audience, before she returned to the stage for a thought provoking Think Tank panel conversation on technology investments, especially in the area of space and sustainability.

Do you think ELEVATE can help people to understand better space technology and sustainability?

“ELEVATE has brought together many players in the space industry and the focus on sustainability has made each participant and the public reflect on the impact of space endeavours. This effort should be continued and ELEVATE has a clear role to play in this reflection.

I especially liked the questions asked by the children and young adults, they see things from a different perspective.”

Do you think HNWIs of Monaco are interested in investing into the space sector?

“Family Offices and HNWI who reside in Monaco have sophisticated investment criteria and processes which without a doubt include advanced and innovative opportunities such as the space sector.”

Carlson Investments was one of the supporting partners of the ELEVATE 2023 conference, offering a complimentary, 100 Euro technology investment shares in its portfolio for the 3-day ticket holder participants.

Technology investors’ Think Tank at the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference

Do you think Carlson Investments will include more and more space-tech into its portfolio?

“Carlson Investments through its new Carlson Deep Tech Fund will analyze and look into many companies in the space.

We do expect that the industry will grow at a steady pace and that we will continue to be extremely active in the space industry.”

What would you suggest to new investors how to start?

“I would recommend new investors to write down objectives and investment criteria, what kind of risk they are willing to take and their timeline with a clear view of cash flows.

It is good to be flexible, depending on the environment and the learnings, but still have the initial plan at hand as a reference and guideline.”

Investment talk with Isabelle Peeters at the ELEVATE Conference

Why would someone invest into your fund?

“An investor looks for returns and we aim to give very attractive returns to the Carlson Deep Tech Investors.

At the same time return is not the only investment criteria; we will focus on start-ups and businesses which can change tomorrow’s landscape, which will play a major role in the development of humanity on earth and above. This is a compelling reason to invest in our fund.”

The second consecutive year of the ELEVATE Space & Sustainability Conference naturally brought together the crème de la crème of the actors of the space industry. This list included known personalities from the Principality, such as Nicholas Frankl, Radian Aerospace advisory Board & Axiom Space investor/consultant, Anfisa Anikushina, Investment Management at Skyrora, Dr Nathalie Hilmi, Scientific Center of Monaco, Karl Karlson, General Partner at Sway Ventures, David Shilling, Future space traveller or event from the younger generation, Alan Offer, a rocket builder Monégasque student.

Read the full and illustrated interview in the Winter 2023 edition of the Living in Monaco, the Monaco Residents’ Magazine.