23 Oct 50 companies apply to present at Early-Stage Symposium
Madison, Wis. – Fifty start-up companies have applied for one of two chances to present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, which will be held Nov. 14 and 15 at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
The annual conference will feature the third annual “Elevator Pitch Olympics” for companies in a seed-financing stage, and a separate Wisconsin Angel Network Early Stage presentation track for companies seeking angel investments beginning in the $500,000 range.
About 30 companies will be selected to present in one track or the other.
Company applications were received in five major sectors: information technology and Internet services, biotechnology, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, and clean tech.
Selected companies, to be announced by the conference steering committee, will make presentations in one of two tracks:
• Companies actively seeking angel financing will present Wednesday, Nov. 14, during the Wisconsin Angel Network investment track. Presentations will be limited to seven minutes with up to three minutes of questions from investors from across the “I-Q Corridor” region of the Upper Midwest.
• The Elevator Pitch Olympics on Thursday, Nov. 15 will allow entrepreneurs to make 90-second presentations to a panel of investors. The term describes a pitch that’s short enough to be given during an elevator ride. Just as in the real Olympics, investor judges hold up their scores and give points ranging from 1 to 5 in the categories of “quality of presentation” and “business fundability.” Immediately afterwards, presenters will get constructive feedback from judges who are seasoned investors.
The symposium, produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and its partners and sponsors, will also feature nationally known speakers, more than a dozen panel discussions, a networking reception, and an awards dinner for Wisconsin recipients of federal small-business research grants.
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