Investment letters

• Silicon Valley is renowned for its pioneering ideas, yet the innovative forces underpinning its ecosystem can be found around the world.
• At Comgest, we keep a close eye on global innovation hubs – Tokyo, Paris, Basel, Shenzhen and beyond.
• Our unconstrained investment philosophy means we search the globe for standout quality growth companies that benefit from innovation and other competitive advantages.

THE SILICON VALLEY “MODEL”

Silicon Valley’s story begins in a garage behind a wood-panelled home at 367 Addison Avenue in Palo Alto, California. It was there, in 1937, that former Stanford University students Bill Hewlett and David Packard built their first product—laying the foundation for what would become Hewlett-Packard (HP).

Over the 20th century, the region spanning the Santa Clara Valley south of San Francisco became a global symbol synonymous with economic progress and technological innovation. The Silicon Valley model is rooted in close-knit collaborative relationships between top-ranked universities, industrialists, venture capitalists and policymakers. This synergy fosters a culture of risk-taking and entrepreneurship—ripe for breakthrough ideas.

At Comgest, we seek quality growth companies with enduring competitive advantages, emphasising the importance of their research and development (R&D) capabilities. As a result, we keep a close eye on companies that operate near global innovation hubs. These regions typically benefit from a high concentration of top-tier research universities,rich talent pools, ample venture capital and government support.

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