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12/13/2007
2007 Boston Emerging Technologies Conference
Finding the Money — Angel, Venture, and Beyond
The era of easy capital is over, but the money is still out there … if you know where to look.
Start your funding search on the right track with Foley's third annual Boston Emerging Technologies Conference, “Finding the Money — Angel, Venture, and Beyond.”
We discussed the latest financing techniques and strategies for start-up companies. Through presentations and break-out sessions, we examined the wide range of funding options, including angel investors, traditional venture capital funds, private equity, your bank, and new financing methods such as SPACs, CAPS, APOs, and PIPES. Additionally, we showed attendees how to optimally position themselves for financing by protecting their intellectual property, exploring strategic partnerships, and solidifying their corporate structure and management team.
The Boston Emerging Technologies Conference draws on the decades of experience our speakers and industry experts have from working as advisors, investors, and entrepreneurs.
For more information, please contact Candice Benda at cbenda@foley.com or 312.832.4732.
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Foley Partner Susan Pravda Opens 2007 Boston Emerging Technologies Conference
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Susan Pravda, Foley Partner and Chair of the Emerging Technologies Industry Team, kicked off the conference with a few opening remarks. She addressed the recent survey conducted by Foley on trends in the emerging technology sector.
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Financing Outlook from an Investor's Point of View
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Foley Private Equity & Venture Capital Partner, Gabor Garai, led this discussion along with panelists Erik Brooks of ABRY Partners LLC, Jim Maynard of Silicon Valley Bank, Zenas Hutcheson of Vesbridge Partners, LLC, Sunil Dhaliwal of Battery Ventures, and Chris Dean of Summit Partners, in addressing the current state of the venture capital market. Panelists focused on the availability of capital, the areas of investor focus and the hot deals of the last year. They also addressed the impact of the current credit crunch on exit strategies.
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Strategic Partnerships
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This session, moderated by Foley Private Equity & Venture Capital Partner, Ed LeFevre, along with panelists Wendy Caswell of Zink Imaging, Inc., Bill Rich of Bluesocket, Inc. and Paul Wrycha of Foley will provide an overview of the benefits of working with large partners, a review of key deal terms that are critical from the emerging company's point of view, and tips for managing strategic partnerships over time.
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What Preparation Does Your Company Need to Get Ready for Financing?
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Beth Felder, Foley Private Equity & Venture Capital and Emerging Technologies Senior Counsel, led this session with panelists Steve Zamierowski of Deloitte, Jeff Bussgang of IDG Ventures Boston, and Robert Nault of Constant Contact, Inc. They covered such topics as understanding and justifying your valuation, structuring and timing pre-financing equity issuances, and preparing for transaction-related diligence.
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International Funding Sources
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Foley Private Equity & Venture Capital Of Counsel, Sven Riethmueller, moderated this session with panelists Dr. Bernd Geiger of Triangle Venture Capital Group Management, Harald Horgen of The York Group International, and Stefan Weber of Noerr Stiefenhofer Lutz. The discussion outlined a comprehensive overview of available funding sources and strategies for initiatives to obtain money from European sources to finance technologies in the U.S.
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What Can Your Bank Do for You?
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The panel – Dave Kantaros of Foley and Oscar Jazdowski of Silicon Valley Bank, and Jarvis Kellogg of Foley – explored ways to work with your lender in structuring creative loans and maximizing the relationship between your lender and investors.
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Bridging the Gap in Early Stage Funding: Angel Investing
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This session was led by Foley Emerging Technologies Industry Team Chair, Susan Pravda, and panelists, Robyn Davis of Angel Healthcare Investors, LLC, Chris Sheehan of CommonAngels, and David Friend of Carbonite, Inc. The discussion covered how to fund angel financing and what terms to expect for this money.
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SPACs/APOs/PIPEs/PORTAL
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Panelists Tom Hartman of Foley, Bill Shaw of Nasdaq, Steven Levine of EarlyBirdCapital, Inc., and Curt Creely of Foley discussed how special purpose acquisition companies raise money, identify targets and close acquisitions, and how alternative public offerings fill the gaps left by traditional IPOs.
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IP Royalties & Licensing Agreements
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John Garvey, a Foley Private Equity & Venture Capital Partner, moderated this session with panelists Josh Hamermesh of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Matt Karlyn of Foley. They addressed in-licensing technology, specifically how to identify potential profit opportunities; approaching potential business partners, pre-transaction due diligence; negotiating with the licensor; and integration of the in-licensed technology into the company business operations.
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Another Solution: Taking Money Off the Table
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This session was moderated by Foley Private Equity & Venture Capital Senior Counsel, Todd Boudreau with panelists Brad Adams of Boston Corporate Finance, Oscar Jazdowski of Silicon Valley Bank, and Jon Lemelman of Riverside Partners LLC. The session covered various topics for companies that would like to leverage their success into liquidity opportunities. The sessions also covered private equity LBOs and MBOs, strategic partnerships, as well as conventional and unconventional bank financing.
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Financing Outlook from a Company's Point of View
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Murray Beach, President and Co-Founder of Boston Corporate Finance, will lead this session along with panelists Dave Barlow of Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Rob Adler, CEO of go2Media, Chris Risley of Streambase Systems and Gary Phillips of Marathon Technologies. They will discuss the current financing environment for emerging growth technology and life sciences companies as well as how best to prepare your company to raise capital and how to avoid some of the common pitfalls in the fundraising process.
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