TAG attends the WSA Investors Forum 2007
On May 2, 2007 TAG attended the Annual WSA Investment Forum. The forum hosted by WSA provides a unique opportunity for Washington
technology companies and others to connect with key venture capitalists and technology buyers.
This all day event takes place in Seattle and attracts about 300 attendees each year. TAG is affiliated with WSA and works closely with WSA as well as other statewide technology and economic development groups to deliver services and other benefits to technology companies locally. Attending the WSA Investment Forum offers the opportunity to make connections with the venture capital and investment community as well as to raise the visibility of the technology community of Whatcom County in general.
The event featured presentations by 18 promising new technology companies in the Digital Media, Web Services and Wireless technology sectors from the Northwest region. Panel discussions followed each presentation with reactions to the presenting
companies. This feedback provides presenting entrepreneurs and other attendants education on company building, financing as well as industry trends in general.
The event featured an interesting opening presentation by Stephan Dupont, the Executive Director of the National Venture Capital Association who shared some current statistics on the Venture Capital markets in the US and Washington state. Below are some highlights from his presentation:
- WA is the 3rd most active venture capital region in the nation.
- 7 percent of total dollars nationally is being invested in the US is invested in WA.
- The sectors with the highest deal count and amount are software, medical devices and biotech
- 30% of Venture Capital in Washington state comes from within the Northwest, 27% from Silicon Valley
- IT is still attracting the largest portion of venture capital but it has decreased from 53% to 50% from 1998 to 2006. Life sciences is up from 17% to 39%.
- The VC funds are growing larger and the concentration is increasing. The largest 24% of funds attract 74% of capital
- The outcomes of VC backed companies are: 33% are acquired, 35% remain private, 14% go public, and 18% fail.
- VC backed companies used to go through IPOs but since the mid 90s the trend has changed and an increasing number go through mergers and acquisition.
2007 Speakers and panelists included:
- Mark Anderson, CEO, Strategic News Service® (SNS) (General Session Panelist)
- Paul Bialek, Managing Director, Frazier Technology Ventures
- Stephane Dupont, CFA, Executive Vice President, National Venture Capital Association (General Session Panelist)
- Larry Feinsmith, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley - Information Technology Division
- Brian Goffman, Venture Partner, Madrona Venture Group
- Robert Gary, Executive Director of Product Realization, AT&T
- Jeremy Jaech, President and CEO, Trumba
- Paul Kwan, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Technology Banking (General Session Moderator)
- Bill McAleer, Managing Director, Voyager Capital
- Matt McIlwain, Managing Director, Madrona Venture Group
- Larry Orr, Managing General Partner, Trinity Ventures (Lunch Keynote)
- Jodi Sherman Jahic, Principal, Voyager Capital
- Susan Sigl, General Partner, SeaPoint Ventures
- Mike Slade, Partner, Second Avenue Partners
- Adrian Smith, Principal, Ignition
- Gus Tai, General Partner - Trinity Ventures
- Dr. Reed Thorkildsen, Vice President of Technology and R&D, InfoSpace
- Peter Wilson, Engineering Director, Google Seattle (General Session Panelist)
- Steve Wood, Chairman, SinglePoint
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