Innovation and Infrastructure Fund Turns Athens into Investment Hotspot

The inaugural launch of the Hellenic Innovation and Infrastructure Fund (HIIF) turned into a true “greenhouse” for investment deals, attracting top international funds managing over $20 trillion in assets to Athens. The event, held at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, brought together government officials, corporate leaders, international funds, institutional organizations, and tech startups, creating a platform for major partnerships and investment projects in Greece.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was at the center of discussions alongside BlackRock Vice Chairman Philip Hildebrand and Global Infrastructure Partners CEO Antebay Ogunlesi, highlighting the international attention on the Greek market.

“The mobilization of private capital is what will drive the country to the next level of development. Greece’s economic transformation demonstrates consistency and determination,” Hildebrand said, emphasizing the global significance of the summit.

Dynamic Panels and Roundtables

The summit featured three closed-door roundtables:

• Infrastructure & Logistics: Focused on ports, marinas, and logistics projects with the participation of Minister of Infrastructure Christos Dimas, GEK Terna CEO Giorgos Peristeris, and Jorge Hill from GIP.
• Technology & Innovation: Venture capital discussions with Greek scale-ups including Andreas Stavropoulos (Threshold Ventures), Eirini Slosser (Dyania Health), Vyron Nikolaidis (PeopleCert), and Dimitris Kottas (Delian Alliance).
• Energy & Water Resources: Featuring Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou, DEI CEO Giorgos Stassis, and Meton Energy CEO Kostas Papamandelos, coordinated by Ioannis Tsakiris, Vice President of the European Investment Bank.

Additionally, the event included dozens of one-to-one meetings, setting a record for fund visits to Greece, with participation from major institutional organizations such as the European Investment Bank, ESM, Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, and the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds.

Greek Companies and Startups in the Spotlight

The summit also showcased the active participation of leading Greek groups such as Aktor, Copelouzos Group, DEPA, DTP Group, Ellaktor, ELPEN, GEK Terna, Goldair, Helleniq Energy, Metlen, and Olympia Group, alongside international companies including Applied Materials, Fraport Greece, Iberdrola, and Molgas.

Notably, tech startups and scale-ups like Agritrack, BlueLayer, Delian, Dyania Health, EUNICE – Joltie, Harbor Lab, Hellas Direct, and One Planet Net added global innovation flair to the summit.

A Platform for Future Deals

The HIIF aims to leverage €1 billion in investments in infrastructure and technology, positioning Greece as a highly attractive investment destination despite current international challenges. The summit demonstrated the country’s capacity to generate significant opportunities for both international funds and domestic business groups.

The public presentation of the Fund underscored the government’s strategic goal of connecting public policy with private investment, paving the way for major projects that could transform the Greek economy.