Bold Women - Transforming Big Ideas: 1st Venture Capital Forum to Showcase Women-Led Life Sciences Companies

AllThingsLifeSciences 2009 Venture Forum: Madison, September 30th- October 1st

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Venture-catalyst Springboard Enterprises in partnership with Phenomenelle Angels Fund and with the support of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce has announced the companies to be showcased at AllThingsLifeSciences 2009: Madison. This is the first venture capital forum where active angel, venture, and corporate investors get a preview of eighteen women-led life sciences companies. The forum, part of a two-day entrepreneurial program which also includes a seminar for aspiring entrepreneurs - Equity Matters: The Route To NASDAQ, is scheduled for September 30 - October 1, 2009 at University of Wisconsin-Madison's Fluno Center.

In addition to the presenting companies, the featured speakers will be two of the top women officials in the Wisconsin state government, Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton and Secretary of the Department of Financial Institutions Lorrie Keating Heinemann.

"Springboard is a great source of deal flow for any savvy investor, angel group or venture fund. The companies and CEOs that were recruited are highly qualified and serve large and rapidly growing markets," said Lauren Flanagan, Managing Director, Phenomenelle Angels Fund. "Our fund has been a catalyst for the development of an ecosystem that fosters women's entrepreneurship. The addition of the Springboard programs in Madison offers a terrific source of deal flow for regional investors and new opportunities to grow the economy."

"Springboard has had an outstanding ten year record of recruiting and showcasing great companies that deliver positive returns to their investors," stated Kay Koplovitz, chairman of Springboard Enterprises. "Today's innovations in life sciences are nothing less than miraculous and we've recruited some of the most promising investment opportunities to offer investors here in Wisconsin."

Over one hundred companies from across the U.S. and abroad applied to take part in AllThingsLifeSciences 2009. The Madison forum is the first leg of a three event road show. During October presenting companies will also pitch at events in Silicon Valley and New York City. The entrepreneurs qualified for this year's venture forum program represent a wide range of business opportunities across the expanding life sciences category. A Bootcamp program for the selected companies was held in July at The George Washington University in Washington, DC with special briefings by White House officials and Members of Congress. Presenting Companies for the Madison AllThingsLifeSciences: Venture Capital Forum road show:

A&G Pharmaceuticals, Maryland

Arcxis Biotechnologies, California

Ativa Medical, Minnesota

Avaxia Biologics, Massachusetts

CanFel, California

Closys Corporation, Minnesota

Curemark, New York

Epicardial Technologies, California

EraGen BioSciences, Wisconsin

Eso-Technologies, Wisconsin

Ibogen, Florida

Kemeta, Arizona

Michelle's Miracle, Michigan

Moerae Matrix, Indiana

PharmaJet, Colorado

Quintessence, Wisconsin

Sequella, Maryland

Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Wisconsin

AllThingsLifeSciences is sponsored by lead sponsor Aetna Foundation and the Madison Forum Sponsors (to date) are: the Wisconsin Department of Commerce; Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions; Grant Thornton LLP; The University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Science, Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP.

AllThingsLifeSciences Road Show Sponsors are: Aetna Foundation, Alexandria Real Estate, Covington and Burling LLP, Grant Thornton LLP, Morrison Foerster LLP; Merck & Co; MetLife; The George Washington University's Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence. Venue Sponsors are: University of Wisconsin/Madison's Fluno Center; Stanford's BioX-Clark Center; and PriceWaterhouseCoopers .

AllThingsLifeSciences Road Show Co-Hosts are: Madison - Phenomenelle Angels Fund; Silicon Valley - Life Science Angels; New York City - New York City Investment Fund and the New York Biotechnology Association.

AllThingsLifeSciences participating Corporate and Venture Partners include:

Actin Biomed

Aisling Capital

Ajax Partners

AP John Ventures

ATV Capital

Bain Capital

Baird Venture Partners

Calumet Ventures

Canaan Partners

Care Capital

Carrot Capital

Ceres Venture Fund

Charter Life Science Ventures

CHL Medical Partners

Chrysalis Ventures

Claremont Creek Ventures

Earthrise Capital

EDF Ventures

First Analysis Corp

Flagship Ventures

Fletcher Spaght

Golden Seeds

Heritage Equity Partners

Jefferies & Co.

LFE Capital

Life Science Angels

MedImmune Ventures

Merck & Co.

Morpheus Capital

New Capital Fund

New Enterprise Associates

NGN Capital

NYC Investment Fund

OnSet Ventures

Partners Healthcare

Pfizer Venture Fund

Phenomenelle Angels Fund

Prism VentureWorks

Quaker BioVentures

Retro Venture Partners

RiverVest Venture Partners

Sequel Venture Partners

Sigma Partners

Silicon Pastures

SVB Capital

SWM Life Science Fund

Synergy Partners

Tevel Angels

Triathlon Medical Ventures

Venture Investors

VIMAC Ventures

Vivo Ventures

Wavepoint Ventures

Wexford Science & Technology

Phenomenelle Angels Phenomenelle Angels Fund I, LP is an early stage fund that invests in women and minority owned or managed businesses in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Qualifying businesses must have at least one woman or an ethnic minority holding substantial ownership or in an executive (C-level) position. Investors are limited to women who are accredited investors, and select entities. Phenomenelle invests in exceptional management teams that exploit proprietary technology to create breakthrough applications in the following market sectors: Information Technology, BioTechnology/Life Sciences, Clean Technology, Consumer Goods/Services and Communications. The Phenomenelle Angels Fund fills special unmet investment opportunities in women and minority owned and/or managed businesses. We leverage our investor base of successful women entrepreneurs as well as our experienced Business Advisory Board, Technical Advisory Board and Investment Committee to assist portfolio companies with recruiting, sales and marketing, strategic partnerships, board development, operations, finance and access to additional debt and equity capital. (www.phenomenellevc.com)

Venture-Catalyst Springboard Enterprises is the go-to organization for information about and support for emerging growth ventures led by women. Springboard recruits, qualified, coaches, showcases, and supports women entrepreneurs as they seek equity capital and build their businesses. The 380 companies that have been showcased at Springboard forums have raised over $4.5 billion in equity, grants, and corporate investments and provided positive returns for their investors including 7 IPOs. Springboard Enterprises is supported by Patron Sponsors AETNA Foundation; AON; Capital One Bank, NASDAQ Foundation; Venable LLP, Grant Thornton LLP, and The George Washington University and the Center For Entrepreneurial Excellence (CFEE). (www.springboardenterprises.org)

SOURCE Springboard Enterprises