Statewide Venue Launches January 30-31, 2002
1000 Expected to Attend Including 100+ VC Firms
MIAMI, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Later stage entrepreneurial companies from
across Florida will each have 12 minutes to convince a national audience of
venture capitalists to invest in their companies at the 11th annual Florida
Venture Capital Conference. Florida's only statewide conference for the
venture capital community, that has attracted millions of dollars of venture
capital to Florida-based companies, is set for January 30-31, 2002 at the
Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami.
"We have an exceptional group of qualified presenters this year from all
the major regions in Florida," said Thomas E. Aucamp, a Director with New
River Capital Partners and 2002 Chairperson of the Florida Venture Forum.
"Most of these companies have already raised early stage capital, have
revenues and are profitable." The Conference is a platform designed to
identify promising, high-growth companies in Florida looking for equity
financing, and showcase them to venture capitalists and other private equity
funding sources. The 2002 lineup of presenters features biotech, software
developers and medical/health care. VCs have previously invested in
communications, retail, medical/health care and high tech/e-commerce.
The two-day event includes approximately 20 back-to-back company
presentations, seminars featuring the country's leading consultants, service
providers and venture capitalists plus several national speakers. The Keynote
Speaker on January 31 is Florida Governor Jeb Bush. The Opening Day Speakers
on January 30 are John G. Clarkson, M.D., Senior Vice President/Medical
Affairs, Dean of the University of Miami School of Medicine, and Dr. Charles
Young, President of the University of Florida. Over 900 people attended the
2001 Conference and 1,000 venture capitalists, leading service providers,
entrepreneurs and investment bankers are expected to attend the 2002
Conference.
The Conference also boasts a high-profile and respected list of Platinum
Level sponsors, each of whom have contributed financially as well as hours of
volunteer time coaching presenters and acting as mentors. These sponsors
include Akerman Senterfitt, Bank of America, Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown,
Edwards & Angell, LLP, Ernst & Young, Greenberg Traurig LLP and Raymond James
& Associates, Inc.
According to the National Venture Capital Association (http://www.nvca.org),
venture capital investments have increased over the past decade with close to
$104 billion in venture capital invested in companies nationwide in the year
2000. As of the third quarter of 2001, Florida companies received
$599 million in venture capital. Presenters from prior Florida Venture
Capital Conferences over the last 10 years have been successful in raising
over $424 million in capital, and include some of Florida's most successful
entrepreneurial companies such as Citrix Systems, Sportsline.com and Redgate
Communications. According to Conference organizers, seven presenters from the
2001 Conference, either through their own efforts or as a result of the
Conference, have raised $30.8 million funding from investors.
Presenting companies at the 2002 Conference went through an extensive
selection process, which included the online submission of a detailed
application including financial history, business model and management
qualifications. More than 300 applications were submitted by companies from
within the entire state of Florida.
The entrepreneurs selected to present at the 2002 Conference have received
valuable training as a benefit of their selection. The Florida Venture Forum,
Inc., organizers of the Conference, conducted Basic Training for
Entrepreneurs, a crash course which educates presenters on presenting their
business plan, crafting an elevator speech, negotiating private equity funding
and making a successful public presentation.
Conference Registration is available on-line at
http://www.flvencap.org/attendee_form.php3 or by calling 305-446-5060. Conference
fees are $449 per person before January 9 and $499 thereafter. For hotel
reservations, contact the Doral at 1-800-713-6725 and mention the Conference
room rate of $299 for a single room.
ONLINE PRESS CENTER AND VIDEOCLIP
For additional background information, visit our online press center at
http://www.prnewswire.com/prntradeshows/january/financial/FLA_Venture.shtml ,
courtesy of PR Newswire. For a videoclip about the Florida Venture Capital
Conference, visit
http://video.vdat.com/playfile.asp?brand=VN&file=2002010301.asf&stream=w .
ABOUT FLORIDA VENTURE FORUM, INC.
The Florida Venture Forum, Inc., created in 1984, is Florida's premier
entrepreneurial networking group that helps entrepreneurs manage their growing
business and identify sources of venture capital. For updated information on
presenters, speakers and sponsors, please visit http://www.flvencap.org or e-mail
forum@flvencap.org.
Florida Venture Forum (FVF)/Florida Venture Capital Conference
Spokespersons
* Jeanne A. Becker, FVF Executive Director, 305/446-5060
* Thomas E. Aucamp, 2002 FVF Chairperson, 954/713-1165
* Kevin Watson, 2001 FVF Chairperson and Chairperson of the 2002
Conference Selection Committee, C/max Capital, 954/765-3480 x226
* Daniel H. Aronson, 2002 Conference Co-Chairperson, Greenberg Traurig,
P.A., 954/765-0500
* Reuben Johnson, 2002 Conference Co-Chairperson, Raymond James &
Associates, 561/833-0285
Following
* 2002 List of Selected Presenters (to date)
* Conference Funding History Chart
2002 PRESENTING COMPANIES
20 as of 1/3/02
* The Athena Group, Inc. (http://www.athena-group.com) (Gainesville) - Licenses
high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) semiconductor
intellectual property (SIP) that enables breakthrough improvements in
speed, power consumption and cost for system on a chip (SoC).
* Copharos, Inc. (http://www.copharos.com) (Ponte Vedra Beach) - Developer of
proprietary vitamin B-12 based imaging and therapeutic agents to the
used in the early detection and treatment of various cancers, with
possible applications in infectious disease as well.
* CopperCom, Inc. (http://www.coppercom.com) (Boca Raton) - Develops an end-to-
end architecture that combines voice over broadband access with a robust
soft switch system.
* Dialtone, Inc. (http://www.dialtone.com) (Ft. Lauderdale) - Provider of
dedicated managed hosting based on both the Linux and Windows 2000
platform.
* Dyadic International, Inc. (http://www.dyadic-group.com) (Jupiter) - Develops
proprietary biological systems for the discovery and expression of
eukaryotic proteins, polypeptides and other biologically active
compounds from diverse environmental sources.
* Florida Digital Network (http://www.floridadigital.net) (Orlando) - Provider of
local, long distance and Internet access service to customers in eight
markets across Florida.
* Image-Guided NEUROLOGICS, Inc. (http://www.igneurologics.com) (Melbourne) -
Leading innovator in the development of precision access, navigation,
and delivery products for the less invasive treatment of neurological
diseases.
* IntelliNet Technologies, Inc. (http://www.intellinet-tech.com) (Melbourne) -
Develops communications infrastructure software and middleware
technology for networking traditional SS& and next generation IP-based
networks.
* In.vision Research Corporation (http://www.invisionresearch.com)
(St. Petersburg) - Developer of a fully integrated suite of XML-based
software products that have been developed to work together "off-the-
shelf" from inception.
* Medcanica, Inc./Pobcab, LLC (http://www.medcanica.com) (Miami) - A medical
device company focused on the development of instruments and procedures
to perform closed chest, endoscopic, coronary artery bypass ("CAB")
surgery on a beating heart, or POBCAB (Port, Off-Pump, Coronary Artery
Bypass).
* MeshNetworks, Inc. (http://www.meshnetworks.com) (Maitland) - Developer of high
speed Ad Hoc, mobile wireless, pure IP networking technology based on
DoD specifications that can deliver 608 Mbps at up to 1/30 the cost of
traditional wireless networks.
* NexTrade (http://www.nextrade.org) (Clearwater) - Provides full suite of
electronic exchange technology that enables market participants to trade
products, primarily financial instruments, quicker, more efficiently,
anonymously and at lower costs than a traditional trading environment.
* Optium Corporation (http://www.optiumcorp.com) (Orlando) - A fiber-optics
company that designs, manufactures, and markets high-speed transceiver
products.
* PartnerCommunity, Inc. (http://www.partnercommunity.com) (Boca Raton)- Provides
partner management solutions for service providers who need to bond
electronically with their customers and partners.
* Pilgrim Software (http://www.pilgrimusa.com) (Tampa)- Developer of proprietary
Enterprise Quality Management (EQMO) software solution for managing the
product quality life cycle within manufacturing and the supply chain.
* PsiloQuest (no website) (Winter Park) - Develops and commercializes
Chemical Mechanical Planarization's (CMP) polishing pads.
* ScriptRx, Inc. (http://www.scriptrx.com) (West Palm Beach) - Provider of
interactive healthcare systems for patient documentation, which reduce
medication errors, fraud and dramatically improve the timeliness and
quality of patient care in Hospital Emergency Departments (EDs.)
* Sunol Molecular Corporation (http://www.sunolmolecular.com) (Miramar) - A
biopharmaceutical developer of high value novel human therapeutics based
on the immune system molecules from the antibody super family-
antibodies, T-cell receptors and major histocompatibility complexes
(MHC).
* SWANTECH, LLC (http://www.swantech.com) (Ft. Lauderdale) - Designs,
manufactures and markets advanced ultrasonic stress wave diagnostic
systems used to determine the operating health of machinery.
* Xytrans, Inc. (http://www.xytrans.com) (Orlando) - Leading supplier of
Millimeter Wave (MMW) transceivers for broadband communications.
FLORIDA VENTURE CAPITAL CONFERENCE
PRESENTERS WHO HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING
COMPANY YEAR PRESENTED AMOUNT SOURCE
Tony Zalenski
Boca Research 1992 $7,000,000 Summit Partners
561/997-6227
Dr. Norman Weldon
Corvita Corp. 1992 $11,000,000 Institutional Investor
305/557-3100 (California)
Ted Leonsis
Redgate Communications 1992 $1,000,000 Massey Birch Inv. Group
415/525-4000
Diane Huth
Skinny Snacks 1992 $13,000,000 Original Brazilian
941/278-0244 Investor
Luis Romero-Font
Celpage, Inc. 1994 $6,000,000 Providence Ventures
809/277-2812
Michael Levy
Sportsline USA, Inc. 1995 $ 3,000,000 Kleiner Perkins Caufield
954/351-2120 and Byers
Armand Alciatore Econ. Dev. Fund of
Tahoe Surgical Puerto Rico and
Instruments 1995 $750,000 Venture Capital Fund
1-800-TAHOE-11 of Puerto Rico
Eric Hale
UroQuest, Inc. 1995 $2,500,000 E.M. Warburg
1-800-464-8735 Pincus
Global Vision 1996 $2,500,000 Crosspoint Ventures
904/268-4587
Mead McCabe, Jr.
Genetic Vectors 1996 $4,768,700 Initial Public Offering
305/716-0000
Nick Molina
Let's Talk Cellular 1996 $21,100,000 Initial Public Offering
305-477-8255
Burt Sookram
Catalina Food Ingredients 1997 $3,500,000 Sirrom Capital
813-845-5595
Ellen Caravello
On-line @Unicom 1997 $1,000,000 PennWell Publishing
561/276-2433
Luis F. Ayala
TAC Systems, Inc. 1997 $2,000,000 Sirrom Capital
205-721-1976
Michael Dowling
Sawgrass Electronics
Group, Inc. 1997 $5,000,000 N/A
954-340-8127
Brendan T. Fitzgerald
Microgistics, Inc. 1998 $2,400,000 Combination of
407-757-5780 Private Investors
John Lawlor
The Email Channel 1998 $385,000 Antares Capital
561-226-3624
Steve McLaughlin
Net Healthcare 1998 $9,000,000 Sale/merger with
954-492-8774 Preferred Employers
Holdings
Gary Patterson
Imaginet Design Solutions 1998 $380,000 South Florida-based
954/922-0399 bank
Martin E. Doyle
Perception, Inc. 1998 $3,000,000 Equity funds from
305-593-5505 Private Investors
Gail Nichols
Willow CSN Incorporated 1998 $5,000,000 Terms confidential
305-864-6577
Oscar Coen
Yupi.com 1999 $108,000,000 Interprise Technology
305/604-0366 Partners, IFX
Corporation, Sony, etc.
Michael Baron
TeraNex 1999 $4,000,000 BancBoston Capital
407/417-1086
Michael A. McNeal
Absolutely Software 1999 $1,000,000 Private investors
561/852-0681
Clifford T. Boro
Internet Financial
Network, Inc.(IFN) 1999 $10,000,000 Private investors-Julius
954/321-6061 Trump
Scott Moody 1999 $20,000,000 Stonehenge Capita
AuthenTec Royal Bank of Canada
407-729-5848
Jerome Pepin
U.S. Bid 1999 $1,200,000 Private investor
407-725-0260 2000 $ 10,000,000 Spectrum Equity
Investors and
Brinson Partners
Zijad F. Aganovic, Ph. D.
Cylex Systems, Inc. 1999 $6,000,000 H.I.G. Capital
561-998-7175
2000 Florida Venture Capital
Christopher Cogan
GoCo-op 2000 $ 21,000,000 Invemed Associates
407-628-3636 2001 $ 23,000,000 Invemed Catalyst Fund
David A. Schwedel
Marex.com 2000 $ 43,000,000 Brown Simpson Strategic
305-285-2003 Growth Funds
Glenn Parker
ParkStone Medical 2000 $ 31,500,000 Oak Investment
954-389-8900 Partech International
Cardinal Health
Salix Ventures
Kenneth Dotson
ScoreCardUSA.com 2000 $ 1,600,000 CrossBow Ventures
407-482-8282
Orlando, FL
Michael Davis
eAngler.com 2000 $ 9,100,000 SI Ventures LLC
877-979-3474 Brunswick Corporation
2001 Florida Venture Capital
Steve Sponder 2001 $3,200,000 Crossbow Ventures
BizProLink
954-535-2999
Rick Sanderson
Fourbit Group, Inc. 2001 $1,500,000 Private Investors
954-938-9900
John Textor 2001 $6,800,000 Crossbow
Jester Digital
Wyncrest Capital
561-833-9220
Keith Gibson 2001 $5,000,000 Stonehenge
Kview, Inc. Capital,
813-221-2765 Advantage Capital
Thompson
Murff LCC and others
Nate Clement 2001 $300,000 Fred Perkins,
LatPro Perkins & Assoc.
954-474-6880 ext. 138
Michael Meiser 2001 $4,000,000 Crossbow
Medmundo Battery Ventures
305-576-0227
Chris Fleck 2001 $10,000,000 Mellon Ventures
OmniCluster HIG Ventures
561-981-0261 Crossbow
TOTAL: $424,483,700
SOURCE Florida Venture Forum, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.flvencap.org
CONTACT:
Claudia Margolis, of Florida Venture Forum,
Inc., +1-305-446-5060, or cmargolis@beckerconsulting.com
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