This year's EU-Startups Summit held on Malta on 9 and 10 May gathered an impressive amount of 2000 attendees, among which were startup enthusiasts, VCs, investors and service providers. Malta provided an excellent location for the event as it shares quite a few traits with start-ups: small in size but big in talent and boasting impressive economic growth rates.
The trend is clear - artificial intelligence and tech were the main industries represented at the Summit, and to no surprise: AI is expected to boost industries like manufacturing, healthcare and customer support. While AI is indeed expected to impact many industries, Werner Vogels, the CTO and VP of Amazon opined during his talk in the Summit that startups with the biggest potential are those that tackle the problems of tomorrow: population growth, healthcare, food shortages or climate change, in other words: sustainability. Sustainability is high on everyone's agenda. Whether a start-up or not, stakeholders are demanding that businesses do more on sustainability. Organisations that lead on environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues can leverage the opportunities it presents.
Start-ups are constantly looking to attract investors, be it to increase brand awareness, development of technology or further growth. Apart from the product, vision and roadmap, investors are evaluating investment readiness, requiring a company's valuation and investor due diligence. KPMG in Malta is proud to boast an impressive team of over 400 employees locally as well as its international network of member firms who can assist both start-ups and investors by providing one-stop-shop services from deal advisory, digital adoption and transformation and business process automation, valuations, IPO readiness and exit, to legal and financial due diligence and stock options issuance.
Malta is a popular EU jurisdiction for companies to set up in due to its rapid development, economic growth and a unique tax landscape, resulting in a low effective tax rate. KPMG in Malta has assisted many clients in opening companies in a matter of weeks. Our Incentives team can help start-ups navigate through Maltese incentives framework and provide guidance on the best available options.
Malta also offers the possibility for third country nationals wishing to reside in Malta while continuing to work abroad to make the most of the nomad lifestyle via the Nomad Residence Permit, allowing nationals who may otherwise require a Visa to travel to and reside in Malta.
Are you interested in discovering more about Malta and how KPMG can assist you in your start-up journey?
Get in touch with Paul Pace Ross ([email protected]) or Beate Orlova today to set up a free exploratory call. Let's grow together!