ArmInfo. On June 22nd, the Orion Summit 2023, with the slogan "Investments Position Armenia," was held at the Harvard Club in New York City, USA. About 100 representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Armenia, representing different sectors such as technology, businesses, and Financial Services, participated in the summit.
The opening of the event was performed by the founders of Orion, the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia, and Parker Sheedy, the Director of International Affairs and Strategic Growth of the Economic Development Corporation of New York City. The Armenian and United States anthems were performed live. Live stream of the summit is available through this link.
"Today is a historical day, as all of us are in New York City in the Harvard Club, and three days on, we are speaking all about money and all about investments. Our summit slogan is Investment Position Armenia. Investments to and from Armenia abroad will position our country as one of the most attractive destinations in the world. More than $52 million has been raised over the past three years through innovation and acceleration programs, and another $50 million in deals will be closed by the end of the year. Orion is also a platform for mergers and acquisitions; right now, we have four ongoing deals that we will close by the end of the year. I wish everyone a successful day," said Diana Arzumanyan, CEO & Co-Founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations Armenia.
"It is very important for us to present Armenia as a country rich in innovation and ready to make alternative investments. A country that not only has investment opportunities, but also can multiply these investments, partner and create value for Armenia and the advanced world," said Emma Arakelyan, CEO & Founder of Orion Worldwide Innovations and Venture Partner of Covenant Venture Capital.
"I want to thank the Orion team for the incredible work done over several months. Orion Summit 2023 in New York is an important event to bring together investors and entrepreneurs who can brainstorm and think together about how we can boost investment in Armenia. One of the main focuses of Armenia's economic policy is the attraction of investment. We need to change the structure of our economic growth model, moving from consumption-based to investment-led growth. Together with our colleagues from Enterprise Armenia, the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF), and the Ministry of High-Tech Industry, we are here to discuss and support your possible ideas to invest in Armenia," said Vahan Kerobyan, the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.
"This is a really exciting time for New York City. After three really tough years, New York is back and thriving more than ever. Thanks to Emma's and Diana's efforts, you have seen a very diverse ecosystem here. New Yorkers are really strong and resilient people who have been through a lot, whether it was a financial crisis in 2009, 9/11, or this pandemic. And I think that it's something that we share with the Armenians, in particular in terms of growth, value, and the way of doing business. For that reason, I am very encouraged by working with the Armenian business community and think that there is a lot of potential for collaboration and future investment there," said Parker Sheedy, Director of International Affairs and Strategic Growth of the New York City Economic Growth Corporation.
Armen Kherlopian, Chief Science and Innovation Officer of Covenant Venture Company, was one of the keynote speakers. The other keynote speaker, Renee Nalbandyan, Director, Global Strategic & Sustainable Investments at Bank of America, made her speech on the topic "Importance of corporations allocating capital for strategic investments."
Orion Worldwide Innovations together with its Armenia office, is the organizer of the Orion Summit 2023; the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia is the co-organizer of the summit; Fastex and Covenant Venture Capital are the Platinum sponsors; and the first Armenian investment crowdfunding platform, ARFI, the Armenian National Interests Funds, ANIF, Yeremyan Projects, and Burnwe are the gold sponsors. Live stream of the second half of the summit is available through this link.
During the panel discussion "Digital Julfa Network to Position Armenian Innovation, Science and Exquisite Companies," it was announced that the initiative committee is working on establishing "Armenian Centers" in different countries; the first one will be opened in Dubai.
During the summit, the launch of Orion Scoring took place. It is the world's first comprehensive scoring system that brings predictability and standardization to investors and startups.
During the three working days preceding the summit, the participants visited a number of leading educational, financial, and venture companies, had meetings with investors, and discussions at the Bank of America, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, Brooklyn Navy Yard, and other Fortune 100 companies.
More than 40 speakers from other leading companies, such as Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, BDO Global and BDO Armenia, New York Life Insurance, World Economic Forum, Francisco Partners, Block, and others, gave speeches and participated in discussions during the summit.
Orion Worldwide Innovations, is a startup growth and ecosystem acceleration hub and offers a full-service package to make companies investable and enter the US market, enhance their customer acquisition strategies, stay competitive, and protect their innovation. Orion is a U.S.-based company that was formed in 2017, with offices in New York City, U.S., and Yerevan, Armenia, though Orion partners with companies and investor networks worldwide.
