The future of digital platforms

SCIENCE MUSEUM, LONDON & ONLINE

9th November 2023

9th November 2023

An initiative by Launchworks & Co

Platforms and their ecosystems are now part of our daily lives. They are redefining the way we work, the way we learn, how we innovate and how we collaborate. As a community of platform leaders, how do we ensure that the full potential of these digital ecosystems is realised for all?

What is Platform Leaders?

Platform Leaders brings together entrepreneurs, policy makers, academics, investors and practitioners to exchange insights and best practices on the future of digital platforms and ecosystems. These communities don’t always talk to each other, yet are collectively building the platform economy. Platform Leaders provides strategic insights into key topics and allow experts to share complementary perspectives to shape the debate so that the potential of digital markets can be unlocked for all.

Agenda

Interested in understanding the state of the platform economy? How to adapt to Generative AI and new regulations being rolled out? What’s the current investment landscape? How can platforms help with the circular economy? How can academic research help practitioners and policy makers? Is the future of payments crypto and decentralised? These are some of the topics that were addressed on 9 November 2023.

Articles
Eco-Innovations Unleashed How BackMarket, Vestiaire Collective and Vinterior Are Shaping the Future of Circular Economy

Eco-Innovations Unleashed: How BackMarket, Vestiaire Collective and Vinterior Are Shaping the Future of Circular Economy

The transition toward a circular economy is as urgently important as ever, and for many, time spent waiting for regulatory action is a luxury that we don’t have. As public ...
Read more
Payment platforms: innovation at lightning speed

Payment platforms: innovation at lightning speed

In an era defined by digital interconnectedness, payment platforms are unsung heroes, enabling many - if not most - of our daily transactions and interactions. While payments often operate behind ...
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The platform economy - historical impact and future trends

The platform economy: historical impact and future trends

Since their genesis, digital platforms have been nothing short of revolutionary – and not just in sociological terms. As the pace of change accelerates and we look ahead to emerging ...
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Entering a new era of platform regulation

Entering a new era of platform regulation

After years of speculative discussion, major regulation that focuses on digital platforms is now at our doorstep in both Europe and the UK, courtesy of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) ...
Read more
Videos
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Keynote Benoit Reillier, CEO Launchworks & Co - 9 November 2023

Benoit Reillier reviews the present-day dynamics, challenges, and opportunities within the platform economy as well as new emerging trends.

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How can platforms power the circular economy - 9 November 2023

Jennifer Schenker, Founder & Editor-In-Chief at The Innovator, Julie Lejeune, Head of Germany/Austria & UK Vestiaire Collective, Katy Medlock, Back Market's General Manager UK, and Sandrine Zhang Ferron, Founder & CEO at Vinterior, discuss how platforms can power the circular economy at scale.

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Policy Making and Enforcement in an AI world - 9 November 2023

Tom Smith, Partner, Competition Law and Digital Regulation at Geradin Partners, Matthew Braovac, Director at Digital Markets Unit at the CMA and Oliver Bethell, Head of Competition, EMEA at Google discuss key challenges as regulators shift from policy making to enforcement.

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The future of payment platforms - 9 November 2023

Laura McCracken, Advisory Board member, The Payment Association, Ezechi Britton MBE, CEO CFIT, Mark Shaw, Director, Global Payments Strategy at Spotify and Derren Powell, VP, Business Development, Fintech UK&I at Mastercard review the state of payment platforms and how the future might look like.

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Keynote Arka Dhar, Head of Product, OpenAI - 9 November 2023

Arka Dhar, Product Lead at OpenAI, discusses the impact of Generative AI on digital platforms. He also talks about OpenAI's emerging platform strategy.

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Securing exponential returns - 9 November 2023

Joe Schorge, Founder & Managing Partner, Isomer Capital, Andrin Bachmann, Partner and Founder, Piton Capital, Camilla Dolan, General Partner, Eka Ventures explore how to secure exponential returns for digital platforms in the current investment landscape.

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The Future of Platform Research - 9 November 2023

Joost Rietveld, Associate Professor, UCL School of Management, Jean-Philippe Vergne, Associate Professor, UCL School of Management and Xu Zhang, Assistant Professor London Business School explore ongoing academic research, emerging theories, and future directions in platform research.

TheSpeakers

Here are our confirmed speakers.

Arka Dhar from OpenAI speaking at Platform Leaders November 2023

Arka Dhar

Product Lead, OpenAI
Jennifer Schenker, The future of digital platforms at Platform Leaders 2023

Jennifer Schenker

Founder & Editor-In-Chief, The Innovator
Joe Schorge Platform Leaders 2023

Joe Schorge

Founder & Managing Partner Isomer Capital
Laura McCracken

Laura McCracken

Advisory Board member, The Payment Association
Benoit Reillier - The Future of Platform Leaders

Benoit Reillier

Co-founder & CEO Launchworks & Co
Xu Zhang

Xu Zhang

Assistant Professor London Business School
Jean-Philippe Vergne

Jean-Philippe Vergne

Associate Professor UCL School of Management
Camilla Dolan Eka Ventures November 2023

Camilla Dolan

General Partner, Eka Ventures
Matthew Braovac

Matthew Braovac

Director at Digital Markets Unit, CMA
Darren Powell Mastercard Platform Leaders November 2023

Derren Powell

VP, Business Development Fintech UK&I, Mastercard
Francois Coumau Launchworks & Co

Francois Coumau

Scaling Expert, Launchworks & Co
Laure Claire Reillier Launchworks & Co Platform Leaders

Laure Claire Reillier

Co-Founder and COO Launchworks & Co
Oliver Bethell The future of digital platforms, Platform Leaders 2023

Oliver Bethell

Head of Competition EMEA, Google
Sandrine Zhang Ferron

Sandrine Zhang Ferron

Founder and CEO, Vinterior
Joost Rietveld Platform Leaders 2023

Joost Rietveld

Associate Professor, UCL School of Management
Katy Medlock Back Market Platform Leaders November 2023

Katy Medlock

General Manager UK Back Market
Andrin Bachmann Piton Capital

Andrin Bachmann

Partner and Founder Piton Capital
Tom Smith Platform Leaders

Tom Smith

Partner, Competition Law and Digital Regulation, Geradin Partners
Mark Shaw Spotify Platform Leaders November 2023

Mark Shaw

Director, Global Payments Strategy Spotify
Julie Lejeune Vestiaire Collective Platform Leaders November 2023

Julie Lejeune

Head of Germany/Austria & UK Vestiaire Collective
Ezechi Britton CFIT

Ezechi Britton MBE

CEO CFIT
TheAgenda

9:00AM – 9:30AM

GUEST REGISTRATION AND FRENCH BREAKFAST

In-person guest registration at the Science Museum

9:30AM – 9:40AM

WELCOME TALK

Start of the online webinar and the in-person conference.
Platform Leaders introduction by the master of ceremony.

Francois Coumau

Scaling Expert, Launchworks & Co

9:40AM – 10:00AM

STATE OF THE PLATFORM ECONOMY

This keynote on the state of the platform economy will set the scene for the day and highlight how the fundamental shift from value chains to digital platforms has profoundly transformed organisations in the past decade. Based on the most recent research and the forthcoming second edition of Platform Strategy, this session will review the present-day dynamics, challenges, and opportunities within the platform economy as well as new emerging trends that will no doubt shape the organisations of tomorrow.

What is new in the platform economy? How digital platforms have adapted post pandemic? What are the key challenges faced by new and existing platforms, including regulatory, competitive, and technological challenges? What is the likely impact of AI on digital platforms? Beyond today’s platforms what are the new organisational forms, from ecosystems to distributed autonomous organisations (DAOs) that are emerging?

Benoit Reillier

CEO Launchworks & Co

Co-author of Platform Strategy

10:00AM – 10:20AM

KEYNOTE: HOW AI IS TAKING PLATFORM STRATEGY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Digital platforms have long been using the power of artificial intelligence. However, the emergence new generative AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT are nothing short of transformational. It changes competitive advantage in many industries. Even established platforms are not immune.

So, how can digital platforms build or sustain competitive advantage in this fast changing environment? What are the potential impacts on talent, strategy, and society as a whole? 

Arka Dhar

Product Lead, OpenAI

Laure Claire Reillier

COO Launchworks & Co

Co-author of Platform Strategy

10:20AM – 11:00AM

HOW CAN PLATFORMS POWER THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEMS?

Digital platforms have emerged as a catalyst in propelling the circular economy, which emphasises the reduction of waste through the reuse, repair, and recycling of products. These platforms facilitate the exchange of goods and services, extending the lifespan of various items, especially those that are resource-intensive to manufacture, such as smartphones, furniture and high-quality apparel. As these platforms grow in scale, they have the potential to create more sustainable ecosystems by reducing the demand for new products, thus alleviating the strain on natural resources and minimising environmental degradation.

What strategies can be employed to scale circular platforms and amplify their impact on sustainable ecosystems? How can collaborations between digital platforms, governmental bodies, and other stakeholders expedite the transition towards a circular economy? What are the potential challenges that might arise in scaling circular platforms and how can they be mitigated?

Jennifer Schenker

Founder, The Innovator

Sandrine Zhang Ferron

Founder & CEO, Vinterior

Julie Lejeune

Head of Germany/Austria & UK Vestiaire Collective

Katy Medlock

General Manager UK

Back Market

11:00AM – 11:30AM

COFFEE BREAK

11:30AM – 12:20PM

THE FUTURE OF PLATFORM REGULATION: POLICY MAKING & ENFORCEMENT IN AN AI WORLD

While digital platforms have been able to innovate and scale their businesses largely unencumbered by specific regulations, this is about to change. In Europe, two new milestone regulatory packages, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA), are now laws, so called ‘gatekeepers’, ‘very large online platforms’ and ‘very large search engines’ have been designated and enforcement will start soon. Other countries such as the UK and the US are following suit. Yet the speed of change and innovation in the market is accelerating and the ‘coming wave’ of AI is upon us.

What will happen as regulators shift from policy making to enforcement? How can regulation keep pace with fast changing and high innovation markets? Is there a new emerging regulatory paradigm beyond utilities? How can platforms continue to innovate in increasingly regulated environments? How will regulation shape the sector going forward? What are the risks?

Tom Smith

Partner, Competition Law and Digital Regulation, Geradin Partners

Oliver Bethell

Head of Competition EMEA, Google

Matthew Braovac

Director at Digital Markets Unit, CMA

12:20PM – 13:30PM

NETWORKING LUNCH

13:30PM – 14:15PM

THE FUTURE OF PLATFORM INVESTMENT: SECURING EXPONENTIAL RETURNS

Digital platforms have been the darlings of investors over the past decade and provided some of the highest returns ever witnessed. This has helped platform founders secure significant VC investments to finance their growth. However, with a lower number of IPOs, a more difficult investment landscape, and the new AI wave, digital platforms will have to demonstrate their potential and ability to monetise sooner rather than later.

What are the key challenges that digital platforms are facing in the current investment landscape? What are the key trends affecting the investment landscape at the moment and what advice would you give to platform founders looking to secure VC investment? How can digital platforms demonstrate their potential and ability to monetize in a more difficult investment environment? What role will AI play in the future of digital platforms?

Joe Schorge

Founder & Managing Partner

Isomer Capital

Camilla Dolan

General Partner, Eka Ventures

Andrin Bachmann

Partner and Founder Piton Capital

14:15PM – 15:00PM

THE FUTURE OF PLATFORM RESEARCH

This panel explores ongoing academic research, emerging theories, and future directions in platform research. Given the interdisciplinary nature of platform research, that panel will touch upon technical, economic, social, and regulatory perspectives. Speakers will review recent significant findings as well as new emerging trends.

What are the more interesting recent research findings and what are the implications for practitioners and policy makers? What are the current hot topics in platform research? How is AI both becoming an important research topic beyond computer science, from ethics to economics? What are the new emerging trends and most promising areas for future research?

Joost Rietveld

Associate Professor, UCL School of Management

Xu Zhang

Assistant Professor London Business School

Jean-Philippe Vergne

Associate Professor

UCL School of Management

15:00PM – 15:30PM

COFFEE BREAK

15:30PM – 16:15PM

THE FUTURE OF PAYMENT PLATFORMS

Firms like Visa and Mastercard were among the original platforms - connecting billions of cardholders and merchants globally to transact - thus creating a unique payment ecosystem that is still at the heart of our economies. However, the system is rapidly changing to meet the evolving needs of merchants and consumers and respond to new payment regulations. Moreover, a raft of new entrants around the world are developing alternative payment solutions, including wallets, identity, open banking, peer-to-peer, BNPL, super-apps, digital currencies, and NFTs.

How is the UK and Europe stacking up against the rest of the world on payments? How are payments evolving to meet the unique needs of marketplaces and platforms? How can social media companies, such as YouTube and Instagram, build trusted native payment solutions to empower the creator economy? How are new payment regulations impacting the traditional payment ecosystem? What lessons can we learn from some of the leading regional payment systems around the world, such as mPesa, Pix, and UPI? How are cryptocurrencies and other alternative payment methods changing the landscape? Tips for other platforms -like marketplaces- keen to get the best payment experiences for their ecosystem participants? What is the future of payments?

Derren Powell

VP, Business Development
Fintech UK&I, Mastercard

Mark Shaw

Director, Global Payments Strategy

Spotify

Ezechi Britton MBE

CEO CFIT

Laura McCracken

Advisory Board member

The Payment Association

16:15PM – 16:35PM

CONFERENCE WRAP UP

Closing remarks and key insights from the event by our master of ceremony and conference co-chairs.

Benoit Reillier

CEO Launchworks & Co

Co-author of Platform Strategy

Laure Claire Reillier

COO Launchworks & Co

Co-author of Platform Strategy

Francois Coumau

Scaling Expert, Launchworks & Co

16:35PM

CONFERENCE CLOSES

End of the conference. Guided visit of the Museum and networking drinks.