The Venture Forum 2007 Press Releases
Leading Venture Capitalists Ask Whether Early Stage Investing is Dead
"The demise of early stage venture capital... are the rumors greatly exaggerated?"
April 24, San Francisco, CA – Is early-stage venture capital investing dead? The 2007 Venture Forum will feature an exclusive panel of some of the nation’s leading early-stage venture capitalists asking that very question.
Close to 1,000 technology innovators, venture capital firms, government agencies, and corporate investors will meet in San Francisco May 1-2 at The Venture Forum (http://www.theventureforum.com/), an annual event to connect early stage innovators with funding sources. Since its inception 13 years ago, The Venture Forum has facilitated over $600 million in venture capital, corporate and government investment, thereby helping innovators move high-value technologies closer to commercialization.
The panel will be moderated by Mark Heesen, the President of the National Venture Capital Association, who will ask the tough questions. The panelists include:
Patrick Ennis, ARCH Venture Partners
Matt Harris, Village Ventures
Bill Tai, Charles River Ventures
Victor Hwang, T2 Venture Capital & Larta Institute
Richard Scudellari, Morrison & Foerster
In 2006, the New York Times raised the question of whether the traditional venture model is broken. If so, then early-stage venture capital, the riskiest of that money, is in even worse shape. Venture capital is facing today a recent record of poor financial returns, the aging out of the old guard in venerable funds, increasing risk-aversion by institutional investors in venture capital, challenges in finding unique deal flow, and decreasing interest from entrepreneurs.
This panel will explore the future of early-stage venture capital. What will it take to generate solid returns again in early-stage venture capital? What are the market inefficiencies left to exploit in a world with freer information? Who will be the top-tier early-stage funds of tomorrow? Will new exit strategies for investors emerge that make early-stage investing more feasible?
Forum Overview
Now 13 years strong, The Venture Forum is the largest - and longest running - showcase of early stage innovation and entrepreneurship on the planet. It is the must-attend event for those seeking access to untapped quality deal flow from around the world.
Venture Forum presenting companies are drawn from Larta's robust pipeline, and prepared by Larta's world-class mentors to deliver presentations focused on a solid business proposition, excellent science, and strong growth potential for an audience of investors, partners and customers.
Venture Forum Advisory Committee members include top technology sourcing, investment, and licensing executives from Samsung Ventures, Johnson & Johnson, Burrill & Company, Intel Corporation, Technology Partners, Allergan, Unilever Technology Ventures, BASF Venture Capital America Inc., Research Corporation Technologies, Inc., DuPont, Advent Technologies, Yahoo! Inc., Lilly Ventures, Pfizer, Boston Scientific, Cargill Ventures, Genzyme Corporation, Merck & Co., Inc., Sharp Corporation, BD Ventures, and Siemens TTB.
Attendee Registration
Registration for the two-day event is $995. To register, go to http://www.theventureforum.com/registration.asp.
Credentialed Media: To register for a press pass, please contact Abigail Pohlman at apohlman@larta.org or 213-765-4836.
Sponsorship Opportunities
For information on sponsorship opportunities contact Carlos Gutierrez
at 213-765-4833 or email at cgutierrez@larta.org.
About Larta Institute
Larta Institute's mission is to increase economic development through the improved transition of scientific and technological breakthroughs from the laboratory to the marketplace, where they can solve problems, enhance economic opportunities, advance medical care, and better people's lives. Larta Institute is an independent, private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation registered in the State of California.
Since 1993, companies helped by Larta Institute have raised over $1.5 billion in capital. Its programs serve thousands of businesspeople each year. Larta accelerates the transition of cutting-edge technologies to the marketplace by connecting innovators to investors and companies, and leveraging its extensive network of relationships and resources.
Larta Institute was originally formed in 1993 through legislation enacted by the State of California to assist small companies developing innovative technologies. The Institute has expanded dramatically since then to serve thousands of clients in a wide variety of technology sectors globally.
For more information contact Rohit Shukla, CEO & Founder, at rshukla@larta.org
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
