ANN ARBOR ? The new president of the Michigan Venture Capital Association wants to create stronger ties with the Michigan entrepreneurial community and Michigan state government to expand the level of entrepreneurial activity in the state. Jan Garfinkle, Managing Partner of Arboretum Ventures, and the new president of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, shares her
BLOOMFIELD HILLS ? Entrepreneur & Investor Exchange will be announcing shortly an exciting program on Dec. 13 to wrap up the fall season. Plus, the group will also announce new opportunities for companies to promote themselves to the Michigan business community ? and potential investors. Those details will be announced shortly. For more information, click
ANN ARBOR ? Through the third quarter of 2005, 147 deals were closed in the Midwest for $640 million, 3.92 percent of the total dollars invested nationwide. The region?s performance in the quarter lagged its year-to-date results. In the third quarter, the region closed 37 deals raising $122.4 million, or 2.31 percent of the nation?s
BLOOMFIELD HILLS ? Great Lakes Angels will host its next monthly meeting on Dec. 14, and feature pitches from a promising pharma start up and another company developing an Internet-based recruitment tool. Featured companies include NEOCUTIS (www.neocutis.com), which markets the first and only anti-aging product to contain fetal skin cell growth factors in a clinically
ANN ARBOR ? Fifty one teams are now registered for the fall session of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest business plan writing contest. Thirty one registrations came in right at the deadline, Nov. 29. ?We?ve had an increased flow of entrepreneurs registering for the competition in recent weeks and want to ensure that teams have
BLOOMFIELD HILLS ? Thirteen potential new angel investors participated in the second Angels? Boot Camp Nov. 16 at Schoolcraft College ? angels that could soon start investing in Michigan start ups. The day-long seminar, open to high net worth individuals in Michigan, Ohio and Ontario, Canada, drew participants from all these regions, said David Weaver,
ANN ARBOR ? The Michigan Venture Capital Association is putting together a proposal to create an Entrepreneur in Residence program that would place a seasoned entrepreneur in the senior management of a Michigan venture-backed company. MVCA President Jan Garfinkle said details are little fuzzy yet, but the private equity finance group hopes to pay the
KALAMAZOO ? If you?re looking to learn how to pitch investors for cash, you might want to attend the next meeting of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur?s Quest program. Jack Aherns, a principal in TGap Ventures of Kalamazoo, and the chair of the GLEQ judging committee, will share the secrets of how to woo guys like
ANN ARBOR ? A group of venture capitalists who are University of Michigan graduates have begun giving advice to U-M professors on whether their technology business concepts have commercial value. The group, which calls itself the University of Michigan Venture Partners Network, hosted its first network get together on Sept. 9 at the U-M where
ANN ARBOR ? The purchase of Arbortext for $190 million in cash by Product Development Company (PTC) in July is one of the largest exits for any Michigan technology company so far, although the benchmark remains the $1.3 billion purchase two years ago of Esperion by Pfizer. The deal certainly didn?t hurt North Coast Technology