Early Stage Corporate Governance – A Lever to Success

As part of our mission we have assembled a group of seasoned corporate governance experts to make robust governance frameworks accessible and actionable for founders and early-stage ventures. Our guide, Early Stage Corporate Governance – an effective lever for the development of start-ups in Europe, is now available as a free download.

Published with the support of ECA and APIA. Licensed under Creative Commons – CC BY-NC-ND

BY: credit must be given to the creator.

NC: Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.

ND: No derivatives or adaptations of the work are permitted.

Copyright 2024 ECA & APIA

under license of the above-mentioned co-authors. Any reproduction, even partial, in any format is only allowed under a Creative Commons license

Why Governance Matters from the Start

Effective governance enhances clarity, direction and resilience and as such becomes a strategic asset for entrepreneurs. Investors gain transparence and trust which help them adhere to a strategy and endorse the decision making process.

Good governance helps:

Strengthen your strategic decision-making
Improve the understanding and management of risk
Ensure rigour in budget monitoring and financial discipline
Support ESG alignment from the outset
Reinforce internal alignment within the founding team
Enhance the company’s reputation through high-quality governance
Increase access to funding by meeting investor expectations
Attract the right advisors, board members, and strategic partners
Prepare effectively for investor readiness and future growth stages

Our guide explores all of this – and more. From setting up a simple governance framework to preparing for the entry of professional investors, we provide practical tools, legal insights, and tested frameworks tailored to founders and scale-up leaders.

Meet the Co-Authors and Corporate Governance Focus Group Members

The guide’s co-authors are experienced independent board members and / or certified directors with deep knowledge in startup and SME governance:

Jean-Christophe Barth

Independent Board Member, Deal Mediator

Jean-Luc Biache

Certified Corporate Director (ASC France)

Aline Eibl

INSEAD Certified Director, Independent Non-Executive Board Member

Gérald Farrenc

Certified Corporate Director (ASC France)

Jean-Louis Flamand

Independent Board Member

Olivier Gras

Certified Corporate Director (ASC France)

Alan Tawil-Kummerman

Independent Board Member

We thank our institutional partners in the broader ECA governance ecosystem, in particular APIA and APIA Swiss for their contributions and support and encourage further partnerships that support our shared cause.

On-demand Masterclasses / Webinars / Company presentations

Our experts are available to deliver masterclasses, webinars or company presentations upon request. Please liaise with welcome@european-champions.org to further discuss.