More than 600 of the world’s most important investors in space, cyber security, AI, and in life-changing medical research are gathering in South Australia for the first time today, attending a conference at the Festival Theatre.

The annual Sohn Hearts & Minds conference, which has predominantly been held in Sydney since its inception in 2016, brings together global investors and leaders to present and pitch exclusive investment opportunities that may ultimately lead to life-saving medical innovation, as well as advancements in other key industries.

The one-day event will also result in a substantial donation to South Australian medical research, with the events attendees collectively being responsible for more than $1 trillion worth of investments.

Sohn Hearts & Minds was attracted to South Australia by the Malinauskas Government, which is sponsoring the event.

This year’s event features about 40 presenters, with keynote speakers including:

• Mr Howard Marks from Oaktree Capital Management – a global investment firm with $205 billion in assets under management.
• Mr Nick Moakes, the Chief Investment Officer at Wellcome Trust – a global charitable foundation with a £36.8 billion investment portfolio.
• Ms Rikki Bannan, the Executive Director of Australian Small Caps fund at IFM Investors - a global institutional asset manager with over $215 billion of funds under management.

The Malinauskas Government has worked with event organisers to curate the conference’s content, with selected discussion panel themes focused on South Australian themes such as space and AI, featuring local speakers.

The State Government will also host a series of displays highlighting several South Australian companies from key industries including medical devices, advance manufacturing, robotics, green transition, agriculture, alternative fuels and energy.

Sohn Hearts & Minds has used its proceeds to fund Australian medical research, having raised more than $70 million alongside its philanthropic listed investment company Hearts and Minds Investments Limited over the past eight years.

In total the conference has hosted 209 speakers and been attended by more than 7,700 people since 2016.

Quotes

Attributable to Joe Szakacs

South Australia has the best economic growth in the nation, according to the latest CommSec’s State of the State Report.

If we want to capitalise on our growing economic momentum and our state’s many competitive advantages, we need to showcase them to the world.

By bringing this conference to South Australia, we’re shining a bright light on the opportunities right here in our backyard.

Sohn Hearts & Minds has drawn some of the most influential investors around the world to the heart of Adelaide to see firsthand the ways the Malinauskas Government is creating a strong investment ecosystem.