INNOVATE SHARE CONNECT INSPIRE
INNOVATE SHARE CONNECT INSPIRE

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In conversation with Lajla Aganovic – speaker at THE SPOT 2022

With less than a month to go to THE SPOT, ThinkSport has many exciting speakers to announce and one you should definitely meet is Lajla Aganovic, Head of Venture Engagement at Logitech. 

Lajla graduated from the EPFL with a MSc in cryptography and security of systems, but her passion for interacting with people worldwide diverted her from the pure scientific career to embrace the world of asset management and venture capital. She started her professional path in Lombard Odier (equities portfolio management), obtained the CFA certification, and then moved to private investments in Freemont Management. Subsequently, Lajla joined Swisscom Ventures in order to fully use her technological and financial skills in a Venture Capital fund before joining Logitech as Head of Venture Engagement last year. Her goal is to support Logitech's innovation initiatives by leveraging external talent and cutting-edge technologies. She compares her role to a playmaker in a basketball team, coordinating Logitech's and selected startups' efforts, for the best common outcome.

We sat down with Lajla to talk about her involvement in THE SPOT. Here is a sneak preview!

You will be sharing your expertise in the workshop on investment trends in sport – can you disclose some insights?

Yes, with pleasure! Currently I see two dominating investment trends in sport. The first one is related to what I like to call the sustainability of the human being. This refers to solutions that help people track and interpret their own vitals in order to understand what specific training is most suitable for them, so that they can stick to it in the long-term, keep their balance and most importantly "STILL ENJOY DOING IT OVER TIME"! 

Second, virtual sports – i.e., physical activity (in a team or in solo) that people can enjoy while evolving in a virtual environment – are booming. Here one of the main keys again is to "never lose the FUN part of it" and designers of such virtual training experiences have to remain innovative. Virtual sports can be a creative complement to traditional exercise as I believe they can stimulate our imagination to even reinvent some of our traditional sports. It's always about finding the right balance.

What do investors seek when investing in sports?

Apart from decent returns of course, I think that investors are looking for fresh trends that resonate with our new life modes: space, cost and availability constraints. Everything changes and sport is no different. An investor is always searching for THE GREAT NEW IDEA that will keep improving people’s overall wellbeing and makes us happier for longer - again the sustainability of the human being. 

We keep changing, just like our climate and the world surrounding us, but feelings of happiness, community spirit (be part of something bigger), joy, fun, and so on remain. We have to cherish that human part in us. That's what makes us so special, doesn't it?

A personal question: do you like to keep moving yourself?

Yes, absolutely! I am a keen tennis player, skier, and mountain hiker. I am also passionate about dancing and artistic creation, after having practised classical and modern ballet for two decades.

Got curious? Would you like to connect with Lajla and other pioneers in innovation at THE SPOT on 18 and 18 May in Lausanne, Switzerland? Click here to learn more about the event and, if not done so yet, to purchase your ticket!

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