BayBrazil & partners GABA, IEFF, SiliconFrench, TEC and U.S. Polish Trade Council present: 

How Raising Capital in 2011 is Different for Entrepreneurs

Financing startups in Silicon Valley has changed in recent years.  Entrepreneurs today don’t have to rely on only VC funding anymore, nor do they necessarily have to turn to Angels, there are other ways for them to finance their ventures nowadays.

In our panel discussion we will look at:

* Are entrepreneurs today financing their startups mainly by bootstrapping or have they found different ways to get their companies going?

*How are VCs adapting to these changes? Have they rolled out new financing models or are VCs simply being replaced?

*Have Angels and Super-Angels taken their place in getting start ups off the ground?   

* Is it easier getting financing in other countries now, or do startups still have to come to the US for that?

The panel discussion will be followed by networking & a complimentary cocktail.

Moderator:
Kelly Porter,  Managing Director, Woodside Capital Partners, specializes in advising internet, digital media and entertainment companies engaged in media, web 2.0/3.0, advertising and entertainment. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, corporate strategy and venture finance as a CEO, venture capitalist and private investor, having participated-in or completed dozens of transactions, including financings, acquisitions and IPOs.

Panelists: 

• Lisa Dolev, founder and CEO of Qylur Security Systems, Inc., which is developing the first automated multi-threat checkpoint system for mass public markets .
• Daniel Robin, adjunct professor of strategy and management at Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM), finance executive and educator, investment professional and venture catalyst
• Sebastian Blum, VP of Business Development at Cooliris, previously at  T-Venture (Deutsche Telekom investment branch); Managing Director in their Silicon Valley office. As part of this role, Sebastian fundamentally drove partnerships between startup companies and Deutsche Telekom throughout Europe and the US. Prior T-Ventures, Sebastian worked in Sales and Marketing for Unilever, Germany
• Dave Gravano has 19 years of financial services experience, including 12 years of domestic and international venture debt experience. Before joining WTI in 2008, Mr Gravano held senior positions at Silicon Valley Bank, Fortress Investment Group, and Meier Mitchell/GATX Ventures in the US as well as GATX’s London-based venture lending business, GATX/ETV.
• Bjoern Herrmann, founder of blackbox – a next generation seed accelerator for technology startups. He founded and led 4 companies in Education and HR prior to that in Germany, Bangladesh, Russia and the US. His personal mission statement is to maximize the capitalization of every human individual.