Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Angel investors a unique blend of characters
It takes a certain type of person to take a huge gamble on an entrepreneur's lofty idea with their own money, but with high risk comes high returns - sometimes. Angel investors fund numerous business startups every year and yet they seem to fly under the radar."Every one of them has been burned and written cheques that have turned to dust," says Henry Kutarna, an angel investor in Calgary who heads up a group of these individuals through Alberta Deal Generator, part of a network established through Innovate Calgary and TecEdmonton. "We have a sense of humour and irony," he says.
Angel investors are high net worth individuals comprised mostly of people who've made their fortunes as entrepreneurs in their own right, but some come from big business and simply have a passion for helping entrepreneurs - and making more money in the process.
Either way, they are an important source of cash for startups in everything from technology to manufacturing to real estate. Kutarna, for example, manages a private family investment fund and brings together a network of about 300 angel investors in Alberta. He's also part of another angel investor group called Venture Alberta.
"We see our mission as to help create a capital market for technology, early-stage deals in Alberta," he says. "Today, I'm most excited about technology because of the high-growth potential . . . and the creativity and innovation you see in these early-stage deals."
He originally started managing deals in real estate and moved to manufacturing before focusing in on technology startups, but angel investors can throw their money behind any venture. The common thread is that they tend to be very active in these ventures - lending their own expertise as advisers - and they want to make big money.
"They want five to ten times their money in three years," says Kutarna. "You find an angel investor has a higher risk tolerance because they're early in the process. They are willing to roll up their sleeves and sit on your advisory board or work alongside you."
Some people wonder what drives angel investors to put so much of their own money on the line, but they're all aware of the risk - and the returns - and are usually motivated by more than just profits, says Kutarna.
"They are also people that like and enjoy working in the startup environment," he says. "They like to help a young entrepreneur get going. There's an authenticity to them that's cool to see."
There is also the social element to it, says Elspeth Murray, director of the Queen's University Centre for Business Venturing. "Rather than having a wine club, most angel investors invest as part of a group," she says. "It's as much a social activity and a way to give back or syndicate the deal as it is anything else."
For entrepreneurs with a vision, they are also a source of much-needed capital. But if you don't know where to look, it's easy to miss them. Yet there is this group of individuals just sitting there waiting for that next big thing - the next pitch.
Great !!!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS) | Sramana Mitra
--> Tags: -->Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS)
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 176 comments
I have already written a few pieces addressing the disjointed nature of the Web whereby you go one place for content, another for community, and a third for commerce; the most notable of these pieces is the popular 4C: Yahoo’s Turnaround Formula.
Let’s quickly recap the terminology:
3C = Content, Commerce, Community |
4th C = Context |
P = Personalization |
VS = Vertical SearchThis, I submit, is the formula for the future: Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS).
Web 2.0 has been a niche-y phenomenon with hundred and thousands of microcap efforts addressing one of the Cs, lately, Community being the most popular force, producing companies like MySpace, Facebook, Piczo, Xanga, and Flixster.
In Web 1.0, Commerce had been the driving force, that produced companies like Netflix, BlueNile, Amazon, and eBay. It had also resulted in the dot-com meltdown.
The same period that is seeing the surge of Web 2.0, has also seen a great deal of investment in Vertical Search, like Sidestep for travel.
Personalization has remained limited to some unsatisfactory efforts by the MyYahoo team, their primary disadvantage being the lack of a starting Context. More recently, Netvibes has raised a lot of buzz, but it also lacks the same organizing principle: Context.
In Web 3.0, I predict, we are going to start seeing roll-ups. We will see a trunk that emerges from the Context, be it film (Netflix), music (iTunes), cooking/food, working women, single parents . . . and assembles the Web 3.0 formula that addresses the whole set of needs of a consumer in that Context.
Imagine.
- I am a petite woman, dark-skinned, dark-haired, brown-eyed. I have a distinct personal style, and only certain designers resonate with it (Context).
- I want my personal SAKS Fifth Avenue which carries clothes by those designers, in my size (Commerce).
- I want my personal Vogue, which covers articles about that style, those designers, and other emerging ones like them (Content).
- I want to exchange notes with others of my size-shape-style-psychographic and discover what else looks good. I also want the recommendation system tell me what they’re buying (Community).
- There’s also some basic principles of what looks good based on skin tone, body shape, hair color, eye color . . . I want the search engine to be able to filter and match based on an algorithm that builds in this knowledge base (Personalization, Vertical Search).
Now, imagine the same for a short, fat man, who doesn’t really have a sense of what to wear. And he doesn’t have a wife or a girlfriend. Before Web 3.0, he could go to the personal shopper at Nordstrom.
With Web 3.0, the Internet will be his personal shopper.
Related Readings:
* The Taking on Giants section of Entrepreneur Journeys (Volume One)
* Personal Finance & Web 3.0
* Online Travel & Web 3.0
* Online Jobs & Web 3.0
* Web 3.0 & Photo Sharing : Synthesis
* Newspapers: Industry in Turmoil
* Enterprise 3.0 = (SaaS + Extended Enterprise)
* Rearden Commerce: Contextual Services
* Blue Nile’s Remedy
* Segments & Lifestyles Research Reports
via sramanamitra.com
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Reveille - Third Annual Business Summit Connects Students with Entrepreneurs
this is test-->-->
Third Annual Business Summit Connects Students with Entrepreneurs
By Sam Ausdemore-->Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Updated: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 19:03
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The Nebraska Wesleyan Department of Business, Accounting, and Economics hosted the third annual Executive Summit last Friday. The summit brings in local business executives for various panel sessions to answer students' questions ranging from the economic outlook, to what they look for in potential employees, to how they ended up in their professional capacity. In addition, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce again sponsored a luncheon that allowed students and business professionals to network and interact in a more casual atmosphere. This year Department chair Chris Swift decided to put more of an emphasis on entrepreneurship, bringing in dozens o speakers who have thrived starting their own businesses, or being part of a successful start-up.
Of particular interest to current and future of NWU students, and a common theme among the sessions I could attend, were two bills that are currently winding their way through the Nebraska Unicameral. The first bill would encourage companies to hire students in an internship capacity, and then reward those companies with a tax benefit. Not only would this allow current students to gain practical, hands-on knowledge of their field, but companies are allowed to hedge against one of the most common complaints about interns: they invest money in training and teaching someone only to see them go elsewhere. The State of Nebraska also benefits in stemming "brain drain," or talented Nebraskans leaving the state to find gainful employment…after the taxpayers spend millions subsidizing their education.
The second bill of interest would encourage the development of what are called "angel investors," private citizens, or groups thereof, who fulfill the function of venture capitalists, allowing entrepreneurs and start-ups access to capital that banks and traditional sources of credit that may be difficult to access. The benefit to these angel investors is again a tax credit, but, as many of the panelists could attest, the difference to a business owner could be infinitely greater. With a healthier environment for small business, then, the job market for Wesleyan graduates would remain attractive.
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Angel investors a unique blend of characters
It takes a certain type of person to take a huge gamble on an entrepreneur's lofty idea with their own money, but with high risk comes high returns - sometimes. Angel investors fund numerous business startups every year and yet they seem to fly under the radar."Every one of them has been burned and written cheques that have turned to dust," says Henry Kutarna, an angel investor in Calgary who heads up a group of these individuals through Alberta Deal Generator, part of a network established through Innovate Calgary and TecEdmonton. "We have a sense of humour and irony," he says.
Angel investors are high net worth individuals comprised mostly of people who've made their fortunes as entrepreneurs in their own right, but some come from big business and simply have a passion for helping entrepreneurs - and making more money in the process.
Either way, they are an important source of cash for startups in everything from technology to manufacturing to real estate. Kutarna, for example, manages a private family investment fund and brings together a network of about 300 angel investors in Alberta. He's also part of another angel investor group called Venture Alberta.
"We see our mission as to help create a capital market for technology, early-stage deals in Alberta," he says. "Today, I'm most excited about technology because of the high-growth potential . . . and the creativity and innovation you see in these early-stage deals."
He originally started managing deals in real estate and moved to manufacturing before focusing in on technology startups, but angel investors can throw their money behind any venture. The common thread is that they tend to be very active in these ventures - lending their own expertise as advisers - and they want to make big money.
"They want five to ten times their money in three years," says Kutarna. "You find an angel investor has a higher risk tolerance because they're early in the process. They are willing to roll up their sleeves and sit on your advisory board or work alongside you."
Some people wonder what drives angel investors to put so much of their own money on the line, but they're all aware of the risk - and the returns - and are usually motivated by more than just profits, says Kutarna.
"They are also people that like and enjoy working in the startup environment," he says. "They like to help a young entrepreneur get going. There's an authenticity to them that's cool to see."
There is also the social element to it, says Elspeth Murray, director of the Queen's University Centre for Business Venturing. "Rather than having a wine club, most angel investors invest as part of a group," she says. "It's as much a social activity and a way to give back or syndicate the deal as it is anything else."
For entrepreneurs with a vision, they are also a source of much-needed capital. But if you don't know where to look, it's easy to miss them. Yet there is this group of individuals just sitting there waiting for that next big thing - the next pitch.
Great !!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Photobook Firm Shutterfly Acquires Tiny Prints for $141 Million | Digital Media Wire
Redwood City, Calif. - Shutterfly, the operator of a digital photobook publishing service, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Tiny Prints, which offers on-demand printing of cards, invitations, stationery and photobooks.Under the terms, Shutterfly will pay $141 million in cash and 3.9 million shares for Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Tiny Prints.
Tiny Prints stockholders will own approximately 12% of the pro forma combined company.
Founded in 1999, Shutterfly said it expects to generated $53-$55 million in revenues for its quarter ending March 31, and a loss of $1-$2 million, up from previous guidance of $52-$53 million.
Related Links:
http://www.shutterfly.comPublished in DMW Daily, March 22, 2011
- Previous story: Report: Conde Nast Ponders Spin-Off of Social News Site Reddit
- Next story: Digital Ad Firm SocialVibe Secures $20 Million
via dmwmedia.com
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Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
AMTonline: A State-by-State Resource Guide for Obtaining Federal or State Funding
Check out this website I found at amtonline.org
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Thursday, March 17, 2011
Challenge: 25 Silicon Prairie angel investors on AngelList - Omaha.com
Screenshot of three AngelList search results: "Omaha," "Kansas City," and "Des Moines." From angel.co.
Starting today, we at Silicon Prairie News are putting forth a fairly ambitious challenge:
Get at least 25 new investors from the Silicon Prairie region registered on AngelList.
Launched in February 2009 by Naval Ravikant and Babak Nivi, the brilliant minds behind Venture Hacks, AngelList is an online community for connecting investors and startups. AngelList currently serves over 1,300 investors who have each been vetted by Ravikant and Nivi before being admitted. Each day, the site adds roughly 20 new startups, and since its inception, over 200 have been financed because of it.
Why is this important? Our goal is simple: raise the awareness of funding sources located within the Silicon Prairie and connect the great startups with these and other investors.
Over the last few months there's been a growing conversation around angel investing, both in Nebraska and across the Silicon Prairie. Locally, we have the chatter around the Angel Investment Tax Credit Act (LB389) as well as a number of funding announcements, such as Dundee Venture Capital's investment in both Tripleseat and MindMixer (the former of which Dusty Davidson is a co-founder). With all the talk of angel investing, and with all the momentum of recent fundings, there's no better time than now to make this push.
We've long talked about one of the main tenets of an entrepreneurial ecosystem being access to capital, which includes a healthy deal flow. On a national level, AngelList is bringing transparency and efficiency to the historically challenging process of connecting startups and potential investors. Our hope is that by further introducing AngelList to our local communities, we can build a better awareness of the existence of capital, and hopefully help to facilitate investments from within and outside of the region.
So, are you up for the challenge?!
If you are an accredited angel investor, all we ask is that you take a few minutes to fill out your profile on AngelList. Additionally, if you know someone who is an investor, send them a link to this story and urge them to sign up. It's an important stepping stone for our region to have a strong representation, and we know we can do it!
To learn more about the AngelList and the affect it can have on investors and startups in our region, we conducted an email interview with Ravikant last week.
Silicon Prairie News: What is the goal, as well as impetuous, for starting AngelList?
Ravikant: We spent three years educating entrepreneurs on best practices for raising money via Venture Hacks. AngelList is the productization of Venture Hacks. Instead of just talking, we're building a platform for matching startups to the right investors.
(Left, Ravikant, photo from crunchbase.com)
SPN: What are two or three best practices when using AngelList?
Ravikant:
For startups:
- Fill out a complete pitch
- Try and be launched if you're web or mobile. Less important for the other sectors.
- Please follow up on all intros that you get.
For angels:
- Fill out a complete bio. Make it clear how active you are. Startups really fixate on this – they don't want their pitch going to inactive people.
- Please follow up on all intros that you get
SPN: Where do you see AngelList headed in the next five years?
Ravikant: Our mission is to get every worthy startup funded. Any part of the process that is difficult for them, we will make easier.
SPN: Could you share with our readers a couple success stories?
Ravikant: The community tracks them here:
- http://www.quora.com/AngelList/What-do-people-think-of-AngelList
- http://www.quora.com/Which-startups-have-been-funded-via-AngelList
SPN: Can you share a few thoughts that might speak to the importance of investors and entrepreneurs based within the greater Midwest in getting involved with AngelList?
Ravikant: Absolutely. My #1 pet-peeve on AngelList is seeing a great startup but knowing that I don't have enough coverage within their geography to get them funded. Then, I have to convince them to move to a startup "hub," which is really unfair to the company long-term. I'd rather just have broad coverage and have location not be an issue.
Also, innovation and creativity are global. There are plenty of great startups and investors in the Midwest. Groupon is just one of the more visible, recent examples. Since we can't connect them efficiently in person, let's connect online, especially for the initial introductory step.
You can register today as an investor or a startup looking for funding by visiting AngelList at angel.co.
To learn more about AngelList, visit these blog posts:
- Robert Scoble: "The new Silicon Valley hype machine: AngelList"
- Mark Suster: "What’s the Real Deal with AngelList?"
- The Next Web: "Naval Ravikant and AngelList: The Match.com of Funding [Interview]"
via omaha.com
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The next evolution in funding startups - ABJ Entrepreneur
Thursday, March 10, 2011, 3:40pm CST | Modified: March 14, 2011, 12:46 PM
The next evolution in funding startups
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Angel investors for 'low-burn' startups - Economic Times
All of them are raising anywhere between $5 million and $20 million for their fund and will invest between $100,000 and $500,000 in startups, which is where the gap really exists today. "The whole segment is being ignored because VCs (venture capitalists) want to only invest in companies that have reached a certain level and would potentially offer superior returns at lower risk," says Blume ventures' Reddy. The economics of managing a $100-200 million fund do not allow VCs to invest smaller amounts. For them, the time and energy spent on a $500,000 deal and a $10 million deal is the same.
The venture capital industry went through a strange phase in 2006 and 2007. VC firms were awash in cash and were literally forced to deploy capital. In effect, startups were raising an average of $3-5 million at that time. "This was probably much more than they wanted or could absorb," says Mirchandani.
Raising too much capital at the initial stage might turn into a case of misspending on what is not required for the startup even before the business has been properly validated. "In India , you need to put in a small amount of money at the initial stage to see if the model is working," says Sachin Maheshwari, director at Zephyr Peacock, an investment firm with a focus on India. Let the company fail early before spending too much money, he says. And if it does make the mark, it could be ready for bigger investments, he adds.
Great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
New Market Samurai Update Allows You To Choose Between Majestic SEO & Yahoo for Backlink Data
As many of you will have noticed, Market Samurai has recently been updated to get backlink data from a new location - Majestic SEO. We understand that for some users, the change in backlink numbers and the differences in available data has come as a surprise. Most of our users have been
via noblesamurai.com
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Zero To 17 Million Using SEO And PPC, No External Financing: E-Commerce Entrepreneur Mercia Tapping, CEO Of Boston Green Goods (Part 1) | Sramana Mitra
--> Tags: -->Zero To 17 Million Using SEO And PPC, No External Financing: E-Commerce Entrepreneur Mercia Tapping, CEO Of Boston Green Goods (Part 1)
Thursday, January 6, 2011 No comments
Mercia Tapping is the CEO of Boston Green Goods, a multi-channel e-commerce business. Her business was named to the Internet Retailer 2007 Top 500 list, and she received the 2004 Stevie Award for Woman Entrepreneurs. Prior to founding Boston Green Goods, she worked as an independent consultant and co-founded an energy consulting business. She is a graduate of Cornell University.
Sramana: Mercia, let’s start by reviewing your background. What path did you take to get where you are today?
Mercia Tapping: I am an American citizen, but I was born in England. I have been in the United States since 1973. My former husband was an entrepreneur. When I went out on my own in later years, it was thoroughly in my genes to be an entrepreneur. The real beginning of the story of this business goes to 1995. I used to wake up with terrible headaches that required heavy duty medication to get me going. I was a highly paid consultant, and I needed to be brightly alert by 8:30 in the morning.
This had gone on for a number of years, and no doctor had been able to figure out what was going on. I had been to 18 different doctors at the time. In 1995, I met my present husband, who is in the medical profession and he took one look at me and told me he thought I was allergic to my house. That was something that I had no concept of at that particular time. I was tested for environmental allergies, which were not well known in the 1990s.
I found out my husband was right. I lived in a house that had mold, and it was really difficult to get that house completely mold free, so I moved out of the house. I followed a number of recommendations and purchased products necessary to make my own home allergy friendly. At the same time, I was consulting for a CEO, and I went in her office and saw her with a sinus headache. I told her she could not be as good of a CEO as she possibly could be with that congestion distracting her. I recommended some products and steps for her.
People looked at me like I was a walking library of information, and a lot of people told me I should start a company around it. The idea of starting another corporation was appealing to me because I was traveling all around the country. I was going to be getting married, and I wanted to stay in one place and form a relationship with my husband.
Sramana: This was all happening out of Boston?
Mercia Tapping: Yes. By the time the company was launching it was 1998, and I liked the idea of the Internet because I had always been an educator. The Internet seemed to be a way to educate a larger audience. I had started a business with my former husband in the 1970s. I disciplined myself to write a business plan. At that point, venture capitalists were giving out a lot of money and I thought it sounded like a good idea.
Sramana: What kind of business did you start with your former husband?
Mercia Tapping: It was an energy conservation and consulting business. I have always had an interest in being green. After I got divorced, I mainly went into independent consulting.
This segment is part 1 in the series : Zero To 17 Million Using SEO And PPC, No External Financing: E-Commerce Entrepreneur Mercia Tapping, CEO Of Boston Green Goods
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
via sramanamitra.com
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Welcome to the London Funding Conference
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Saturday, March 12, 2011
What Is Seed Capital? - Wovre
Business and Economy
This article has been viewed time(s)-->What Is Seed Capital?
What Is Seed Capital?,seed capital is cash that may be invested in a very project or business that consistantly improves process to be launched, or consistantly improves initial phases of active operation. Sometimes termed as seed cash, seed capital is employed to cover all expenses of this particular project until there is begun to build revenue. When the business or project becomes self-sustaining, investors are sometimes reimbursed the two principal amount and an decided sum of interest, an arrangement allowing every person concerned to profit with the venture.
seed financing is a kind of procedure for starting an innovative business. Often, 1 investor is not going to provide the total of investment cash needed with the startup. As an alternative, the seed capital is generated by way of the participation of numerous people or other entities that contribute modest portions with the overall capital required. This method helps to attenuate possibility to each and every investor, and makes less complicated to permit the company a many years being established and commence generating revenue.
the repayment of seed capital may possibly involve an uncomplicated arrangement that borrower repays the lending company after a while, which includes some sum of interest combined with the principal. In other situations, the newest company may possibly offer investors shares of stock, when the business has reached an argument exactly where issuing stock turn out to be viable. Depending on structure with the agreement governing the delivery of the seed capital, investors might have a choice of being compensated to some extent by money payments and receiving a restricted quantity of shares.
as with various investment, seed capital funding does include some sum of risk. When the newest venture fails to achieve a stage exactly where it generates revenue and ultimately begins to get profitable, investors inside project may possibly lose component or perhaps each of the seed cash. That is why, it is vital for investors to seek closely at a number of aspects with the proposed operation. This can include that this venture is organized, the amount of efficiency of this particular overall operation, and also the viability with the business strategy plan that serves as being the blueprint with the venture.
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via wovre.com
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Thursday, March 10, 2011
Unlocking the money to succeed | The Post
Navigation (Home) News News Features The Market Media & Marketing Comment & Analysis Computers In Business Profile Property Motoring Agenda Letters
People In Business Budget Forum Events / Conferences Company Reports Tools Crossword Search the archives Newsletter IMODE RSS 
via sbpost.ie
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Startups are about making great first impressions - National Startup Business
Entrepreneurs are all about firsts, and the most important is you making a great first impression – on investors, customers, new team members, and strategic partners. Poor first impressions can be avoided, but I’m amazed at the number of unnecessary mistakes I see at those critical first introductions, presentations, and meetings.
The key message here is “preparation.” People who think they can always “wing it,” bluff their way past tough questions, or expect the other party to bridge all the gaps, sadly often find that what they think is a win, is actually a loss which can never be regained.
We've all met people that we instantly like because of a great first impression, and want to do business with. Here are some common sense things that they do and you can do to maximize the first impression that you impart in any business environment or discussion:
- Dress appropriately from the perspective of the person you are trying to impress. This one is so obvious that I hesitate to mention it, except for the fact that I see it ignored so often. Maybe you love wearing Hawaiian shirts to work, but when you visit a traditional banker to close on a loan, it will be worth your time to put on a solid shirt and jacket.
- Always research the person online before a first meeting. In today’s world of LinkedIn and Facebook, there is no excuse for not recognizing a person as you meet them for the first time, and knowing their accomplishments, if not their interests and academic background.
- Google the organization and the role they represent. It’s polite to ask a professional you just met about their company affiliation, but it’s much smarter to ask them about a current issue, making it clear that you already know a good bit about their company, and their role in that company.
- Find a common business link or friend to warm up the connection. The best introduction to a new customer, or potential angel investor, is a warm introduction from a common friend, rather than a cold call. In my opinion, this approach will double or triple your probability for success, no matter what the transaction.
- Be prepared to concisely state your key objective. Before the other party has to ask, you should look for an opportunity to net out what you are here to accomplish, and even have a couple of questions in mind that you would like to get answered. Think of it as not forgetting to ask for the order.
- Know a lot, but don’t flaunt it. Some people do all the right legwork, but then kill themselves by appearing arrogant or obsequious in the way that they can’t stop talking about everything that they know. When you meet someone new who is important, your first words after “Hello” should be a question rather than a long personal dissertation.
- Be positive, courteous, on time, and attentive. We have all met people who, when asked “How are you?” provide a long litany of their latest woes, or a diatribe on current political issues. Obviously, being late to your own meeting, or appearing distracted or uninterested, will also leave a bad first impression. Smile and relax.
All of the common first impression mistakes are avoidable, and elements of the right approach are easily learned. Most entrepreneurs have spent months, and hours of hard work, preparing the necessary business plans, executive presentations, and financial models to impress investors. Just apply the same diligence in preparing yourself for all those “first” opportunities.
That image of you that you first present usually lasts longer and has more impact that any document you can prepare. Then use and watch the body language, as I mentioned a few days ago in a previous article. Remember, you only get one chance to make a great first impression.
via examiner.com
cOOL !
Silicon Valley of Startup Entrepreneurs Releases June Date for the Valley's Annual Startup Showcase, Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports
Information contained on this page is provided by companies via press release distributed through PR Newswire, an independent third-party content provider. PR Newswire, WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
SOURCE The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs
Call Issued for Emerging Startups to Unveil their Newest Products and Services at Launch: Silicon Valley 2011, Silicon Valley's Most Affordable High-Value, High -Visibility Product Launch Event
SAN JOSE, Calif., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) today announced that SVASE's annual product launch platform for startups from around the world, Launch: Silicon Valley 2011, will be held June 7, 2011, at Microsoft in Mountain View, California.
During the past 5 years, appbackr, BLADE, Data Robotics, Dayak, d.light.design, fix8, Industrial Origami, Jaxtr, JungleCents, Kongregate (acquired by GameStop), MyShape, Smaato, tenCube (acquired by McAfee), Triggit, Trooval, Truemors (acquired by NowPublic), uTest, Vizibility, Yodio, Zuora, and over 100 other startups leveraged SVASE's annual Launch: Silicon Valley event, to launch their products, raising over $130MM in venture capital, securing customers and partners along the way.
Companies interested in presenting their products at Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 should send an Executive Summary of no more than two pages to Launchsv@svase.org by April 29, 2011. Further details available at www.launchsiliconvalley.org
Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 is designed to uncover and showcase products and services from the most exciting of the newest startups in information technology, mobility, digital media, next generation internet, life sciences and clean energy.
In addition to extensive exposure to the media, corporate executives, and potential investors, companies voted "most likely to succeed" in their category will win the equivalent of over $10,000 worth of sponsor-supported prizes.
"Especially in the current economic environment, young companies are looking for affordable, high value, high visibility ways to introduce themselves in the marketplace," said SVASE President & CEO Chris Gill. "Based on its central position in Silicon Valley's startup ecosystem, Launch: Silicon Valley has long-provided a valuable entree to the media, corporate executives, potential investors and other influencers who can help shape young startups' success. For many companies 'Launch' has provided that critical boost."
Sponsors: Launch: Silicon Valley is once again co-presented by the early stage venture capital firm Garage Technology Ventures and Microsoft, and will be hosted at the Microsoft Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View. Additional sponsors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson; the Band of Angels; Sand Hill Angels, the Angels Forum and Cooley Godward Kronish, among others. These sponsors have contributed resources so that each Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 category winner will receive over $10,000 in support and services to help launch their products.
Networking: Presenting companies, guest speakers, review panelists and audience members will have the opportunity to network at the Launch: Silicon Valley pre-Event Party on the evening of June 6, as well as meet on the day of the event to discuss presenters' companies in more depth and potential opportunities to work together in the future.
"Thanks to the SVASE Launch event we've made some very important connections," said James Alexander, CEO of Vizibility, a presenting company at Launch: Silicon Valley 2010. "Since the event, we've also enjoyed a great deal of media coverage, including being feature on ABC News."
How it Works: Submissions & Selections Process:
Companies interested in presenting their products at Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 should send an Executive Summary of no more than two pages to Launchsv@svase.org by April 29, 2011. Companies must have a product or service available as of June 7, 2011, but not introduced in the marketplace for more than a few months prior to the event. Executive Summaries will be evaluated by at least two members of the Launch: Silicon Valley Advisory Board.
Selected companies will be invited to present on stage for 6-minutes, followed by 4 minutes of constructive feedback, from a panel of professional investors. The product and company "most likely to succeed" will be selected by votes from the panel and audience in each of the six designated presenting categories, including information technology, mobility, digital media, next generation internet, life sciences and clean tech.
Affordable: The registration fee for companies invited to present will be $695 for SVASE Members, and $850 for non-Members. (Note: SVASE annual individual membership is $99.)
The first batch of audience registrations, at 50% discount ($97.50 for SVASE Members, $162.50 for non-members and $145 for registration plus 6 month's membership) will be available for audience members until sold at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=214780, after which the next batch of registrations, at 25% discount, will be made available.
For further information and detailed agenda please go to http://www.launchsiliconvalley.org.
About SVASE
Founded in 1995 by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit in Northern California dedicated exclusively to helping technology and life science entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses.
SVASE provides support and resources for entrepreneurs, from the idea through initial rounds of funding to product launch, delivered at 12 monthly events and a continually evolving web site. For more information about SVASE, please visit www.svase.org.
About Garage Technology Ventures
Garage Technology Ventures is a seed-stage and early-stage venture capital fund headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with investors that include Thomas Weisel Partners and CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System. Garage is focused on investing in emerging technology startups in the Western U.S. For more information about Garage, visit http://www.garage.com.
©2011 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved.
via abc3340.com
Cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you very much !!
Cheers,
Jg
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
DC Angel Investor and Venture Capital Event on Thursday, July 21, 2011 in Washington, DC
via fundingpost.com
Great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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