I am hosting a VC panel discussion on Wall Street's impact on the Venture Capital industry - here's the session description.
Wall Street Meltdown - Impacts on VC Funding?
If you’re an entrepreneur seeking venture capital, how do today’s financial headlines impact your business? Looking ahead, does the investment banking industry collapse, mortgage industry bailout, and a softened dollar have a direct connection to investment dollars? If so, what can entrepreneurs expect in the coming year?
Before the recent demise of Lehman, Merrill, and other investment banks, the venture capital industry was already having a challenging year. For the first time in 30 years, no VC-funded company went public in the second quarter. The IPO drought ties up capital and extends investment timeframes, lowering returns. Now with the Wall Street meltdown, there are fewer firms to support M&A deals and IPOs. How are VC firms planning to navigate the coming years, and what does this mean to an entrepreneur seeking capital? What sectors are gaining momentum, and which are falling out of favor?
Join us Monday, October 20, 2008 for the EBIG Startups/Venture Capital Special Interest Group Meeting in Berkeley. Learn from a panel of VC investors who will discuss:
- What is the impact of the economy on venture capital and entrepreneurs?
- What sectors are gaining investor momentum?
- Where is the smart money going in the rest of 2008?
- How can entrepreneurs make the most of these trends?
- How to avoid common pitfalls when approaching investors
Confirmed panelists include:
- Peter Gardner, Wavepoint Ventures bio
- Shomit Ghose, Onset Ventures bio
- Lars Leckie, Hummer Winblad bio
- John Steuart, Claremont Creek Ventures bio (scroll down to John)
- Spencer Tall, Allegis Capital bio
The meeting will be held:
Monday, October 20, from 7-9PM
University of California Berkeley Extension, Golden Bear Building
1995 University Avenue
Berkeley, California
(Two blocks from Downtown Berkeley BART)
I hope you can join us for what promises to be a lively and interactive session.
Who should attend? Founders, CEOs of early stage technology companies seeking equity investment and others interested in the implications on high tech for the current economy.
Thank you to our sponsors, Siemens TTB, for hosting us at the UC Berkeley Extension.
To register, please visit www.ebig.org. We look forward to seeing you October 20!
Update 10/16: Here's a draft of questions for the panel - what would you add?
