BIG TIME EQUITY AT AVANTIS
[BIZ: Avantis, December 19] The financing of successful projects is difficult for innovative business and there is a constant search for alternative sources of funding. For this reason the Aachen chamber, with partners from the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion, is looking for options for businesses to acquire information on forms of finance supplementary to the regular banks, and to bring them into direct contact with investors. The ‘European Venture Market’ (EVM) is a platform that will bring business and venture capitalists together. In particular in circles where this is established practice. Thus far these meetings have taken place in Berlin, Munich, and Vienna where businesses with plans for growth have looked for solutions to the problems of finance and have had the opportunity to talk with specialists in the area of financing, about the options chances and risks. The Aachen region has also come up with 20 businesses that are interested in participating. One example is the PicoLAS company: “We think that this event is an opportunity to develop our firm. We will be able to speak personally to investors and get our plans for growth across better,” says Markus Bartram, director of PicoLAS, which offers performance electronics for laser systems. With its location on the border between The Netherlands and Germany, the European Venture Market is certainly an ideal location with its existing cross-border interactivity. In addition to the Aachen chamber, the City of Heerlen, the World Trade Center Heerlen-Aachen, the European Science and Business Park, all partners in the cross-border project ‘Heartbeat of Business in Europe’, Meuse-Rhine Triangle, there is also the ELAt (Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen Triangle) and euBAN (European Business angels network) with their partners from Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands all participating. Further partners will include the S-UBG savings bank and tax experts and accountants Pinhammer and Peters from Stolberg. The support of the Aachen chamber and its partners has meant that conditions are more favorable for the venture capitalist than they are in other venture capital markets. Information on this is available from Thomas Wendland at the Aachen chamber on 00 49 241 44 60 119 and intus@aachen.ihk.de. Forty investors are expected. Currently the following have announced their intention to attend: 3i, Aurelia Private Equity, BayTech Capital, bmp AG, Business Angel Network Germany, BMP AG, Brabo Ventures, CatCap, Conpair AG, Cartagena Capital GmbH, CatCap, Danube Equity, Earlybird, ELVC Emscher Lippe Venture Fonds Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Gamma Capital Partners, Global Life science ventures, Hasso Plattner Ventures, Intelligent Venture Capital, Investcorp, Iris Capital, KfW Hightech Gruenderfonds, LC Capital, Nordwind Capital, Partech, S-UBG, Schneider Electric Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, T-Venture, Vives, Turenne Capital Partenairs, Wellington Partners, and Xange Private Equity.
Forty international private equity companies from Europe, Israel, Asia, and the United States will be present at a conference at the cross-border science and business park Avantis on February 15 and 16. The conference is headed ‘The European Venture Market: Aachen/the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion’.
http://www.ihk.aachen.de