Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum

Annual two-day forum convening Chief Financial Officers and Chief Operating Officers from European private equity and venture capital firms, held in Málaga, Spain, structured around plenary sessions, breakouts, and a welcome day that precedes the main programme.

DATES
2026 edition
Specific dates not disclosed
VENUE
Málaga
Spain · specific venue not disclosed
ORGANISER
Invest Europe
Industry association
ATTENDANCE
~300
delegates (self-reported)

Definition

The Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum is the official annual gathering of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association dedicated to senior finance and operations professionals within the industry. It convenes Chief Financial Officers, Chief Operating Officers, and other senior fund operations executives from European PE and VC firms for two days of structured exchange on the operational and financial management of private capital funds. The forum is distinct from the PEI CFO Event, a separate initiative run by Private Equity International as a commercial publisher.

Where the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum sits in the EMEA calendar

The forum takes place in Málaga, Spain, placing it outside the main Paris-Amsterdam autumn cluster and the French Riviera winter circuit. Its specific dates within 2026 are not publicly disclosed as of verification. As an annual event with an application-based access model, it occupies a recurring slot on the EMEA private capital calendar dedicated to the GP-side operational community, a cohort that is underserved by the broader LP-GP summits that anchor the circuit.

What the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum format includes

The event runs across three days in total: a Welcome Day followed by a two-day main programme. Sessions include:

The specific names of sessions, speakers, and stage configurations for the 2026 edition are published on the official agenda at cfo.investeurope.eu/agenda/. Confirmed participants include CFOs and COOs from leading European GPs, though the speaker list is not reproduced here as it is subject to change prior to the event.

Who attends the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum

The forum is oriented exclusively toward the GP-side operational community. Attendees include:

How meetings and networking are structured at the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum

Access to the forum requires an application reviewed by the organiser, which shapes the composition of the delegate body before the event begins. Advance scheduling of meetings is confirmed as part of the event infrastructure. The welcome day and integrated networking lunches and dinners create multiple touchpoints across the programme for bilateral conversations outside plenary and breakout sessions. No official networking application is disclosed as of verification.

FAQ · Identity and audience

What is the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum and who organises it?

The Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum is the official annual event of Invest Europe, the Brussels-based association representing the European private equity, venture capital, and infrastructure investment industry. It is designed specifically for CFOs, COOs, and senior finance and operations leaders within fund management firms. The event is not a general private capital summit: it is a specialist forum for the operational layer of the GP community.

Who is the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum NOT designed for?

Five profiles for whom the event is a poor fit:

  • LP-side allocators. Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and family offices evaluating or monitoring fund managers are not the target audience. The forum addresses the internal operations of fund managers, not the capital allocation decisions of their investors.
  • GP investor relations and fundraising teams. The forum's focus is fund finance and operations, not LP engagement or capital raising. IR professionals may find the programme only tangentially relevant.
  • Junior finance and operations staff. The delegate body is composed of CFOs, COOs, and senior executives. The peer group and conversation register are calibrated for professionals with significant leadership responsibility, not analysts or associates.
  • Generalist financial services professionals. The operational specificity of PE and VC fund structures, carried interest mechanics, AIFMD reporting, and fund administration is assumed knowledge. Professionals arriving from banking, insurance, or asset management without direct fund operations experience are unlikely to find the programme pitched at an appropriate level.
  • Service providers without a direct mandate in fund finance or operations. The access model is application-based and reviewed by the organiser. Service providers whose work does not directly address fund accounting, administration, compliance, or operations are unlikely to meet the access threshold.
How does the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum differ from the PEI CFO Event?

The two events serve adjacent audiences but have different institutional origins. The Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum is the official event of Invest Europe, the European industry association, which means it carries the institutional weight and member network of the association. The PEI CFO Event is an initiative of Private Equity International, a commercial media and events publisher. The two are organisationally independent and should not be conflated.

What languages does the forum use?

The forum operates in English.

Why Málaga hosts the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum

Málaga is the confirmed host city for the 2026 edition. The specific venue has not been publicly disclosed as of verification. Located on the Costa del Sol in southern Spain, Málaga offers year-round conference infrastructure and international air connectivity through Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport. The city sits outside the primary EMEA private capital event clusters of Paris, Amsterdam, and the French Riviera, giving the forum a degree of geographic distinctiveness on the calendar. Further details on the venue, including capacity and facilities, are not available as of verification.

The organiser: Invest Europe

Invest Europe is the trade association for the European private equity, venture capital, and infrastructure investment industry, based in Brussels. It represents fund managers, institutional investors active in private capital, and associated service providers across Europe. The association produces research, advocacy, and industry standards, and operates an events programme of which the CFO & COO Forum is the specialist operational-community component. Its founding year is not documented here. The organiser website for this event is cfo.investeurope.eu.

Editorial take

The Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum occupies a narrow but well-defined position in the EMEA circuit: the only association-backed forum dedicated to the operational leadership of European fund managers, which means its peer composition, access conditions, and programme specificity are calibrated in a way that purely commercial CFO events cannot replicate.

How to register and what it costs

Registration is handled through the official event website at cfo.investeurope.eu. The forum operates an application-based access model: prospective delegates submit an application that is reviewed by the organiser before a place is confirmed. Delegate pricing is not publicly disclosed as of verification. The data indicates that separate pricing tiers exist for Invest Europe members and non-members, but the specific amounts for the 2026 edition are not available. Interested delegates should contact the organiser directly through the website.

FAQ · Access and practicalities

Is the Invest Europe CFO & COO Forum open to anyone who registers?

No. The event operates an application-based access model, meaning prospective delegates must apply and receive organiser approval before securing a place. This structure is designed to maintain a delegate body composed of senior finance and operations professionals from European fund managers.

Where and when does the 2026 edition take place?

The 2026 edition takes place in Málaga, Spain. Specific dates and the venue name are not publicly disclosed as of verification. The official agenda, including session details and confirmed speakers, is published at cfo.investeurope.eu/agenda/.

How long is the event and what does the programme structure look like?

The forum runs over three days in total: a Welcome Day followed by a two-day main programme. The format combines plenary sessions, breakouts, and integrated networking lunches and dinners across the main programme days.

Where can delegates find the programme and speaker list?

The Day 1 and Day 2 agendas, along with confirmed speakers, are published on the official event website at cfo.investeurope.eu/agenda/. The speaker list is subject to update prior to the event.

Resources

Official website https://cfo.investeurope.eu/
Register / apply https://cfo.investeurope.eu/
Programme / agenda https://cfo.investeurope.eu/agenda/