Silicon Valley of Startup Entrepreneurs Releases June Date for the Valley's Annual Startup Showcase, Launch: Silicon Valley 2011

Call Issued for Emerging Startups to Unveil their Newest Products and Services at Launch: Silicon Valley 2011, Silicon Valley's Most Affordable  High-Value, High -Visibility Product Launch Event

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) today announced that SVASE's annual product launch platform for startups from around the world, Launch: Silicon Valley 2011, will be held June 7, 2011, at Microsoft in Mountain View, California.

During the past 5 years, appbackr, BLADE, Data Robotics, Dayak, d.light.design, fix8, Industrial Origami, Jaxtr, JungleCents, Kongregate (acquired by GameStop), MyShape, Smaato, tenCube (acquired by McAfee), Triggit, Trooval, Truemors (acquired by NowPublic), uTest, Vizibility, Yodio, Zuora, and over 100 other startups leveraged SVASE's annual Launch: Silicon Valley event, to launch their products, raising over $130MM in venture capital, securing customers and partners along the way.

Companies interested in presenting their products at Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 should send an Executive Summary of no more than two pages to [email protected] by April 29, 2011.  Further details available at www.launchsiliconvalley.org

Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 is designed to uncover and showcase products and services from the most exciting of the newest startups in information technology, mobility, digital media, next generation internet, life sciences and clean energy.

In addition to extensive exposure to the media, corporate executives, and potential investors, companies voted "most likely to succeed" in their category will win the equivalent of over $10,000 worth of sponsor-supported prizes.

"Especially in the current economic environment, young companies are looking for affordable, high value, high visibility ways to introduce themselves in the marketplace," said SVASE President & CEO Chris Gill. "Based on its central position in Silicon Valley's startup ecosystem, Launch: Silicon Valley has long-provided a valuable entree to the media, corporate executives, potential investors and other influencers who can help shape young startups' success. For many companies 'Launch' has provided that critical boost."

Sponsors: Launch: Silicon Valley is once again co-presented by the early stage venture capital firm Garage Technology Ventures and Microsoft, and will be hosted at the Microsoft Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View.  Additional sponsors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson; the Band of Angels; Sand Hill Angels, the Angels Forum and Cooley Godward Kronish, among others. These sponsors have contributed resources so that each Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 category winner will receive over $10,000 in support and services to help launch their products.

Networking: Presenting companies, guest speakers, review panelists and audience members will have the opportunity to network at the Launch: Silicon Valley pre-Event Party on the evening of June 6, as well as meet on the day of the event to discuss presenters' companies in more depth and potential opportunities to work together in the future.

"Thanks to the SVASE Launch event we've made some very important connections," said James Alexander, CEO of Vizibility, a presenting company at Launch: Silicon Valley 2010. "Since the event, we've also enjoyed a great deal of media coverage, including being feature on ABC News."

How it Works: Submissions & Selections Process:

Companies interested in presenting their products at Launch: Silicon Valley 2011 should send an Executive Summary of no more than two pages to [email protected] by April 29, 2011.  Companies must have a product or service available as of June 7, 2011, but not introduced in the marketplace for more than a few months prior to the event. Executive Summaries will be evaluated by at least two members of the Launch: Silicon Valley Advisory Board.

Selected companies will be invited to present on stage for 6-minutes, followed by 4 minutes of constructive feedback, from a panel of professional investors. The product and company "most likely to succeed" will be selected by votes from the panel and audience in each of the six designated presenting categories, including information technology, mobility, digital media, next generation internet, life sciences and clean tech.

Affordable: The registration fee for companies invited to present will be $695 for SVASE Members, and $850 for non-Members. (Note: SVASE annual individual membership is $99.)

The first batch of audience registrations, at 50% discount ($97.50 for SVASE Members, $162.50 for non-members and $145 for registration plus 6 month's membership) will be available for audience members until sold at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=214780, after which the next batch of registrations, at 25% discount, will be made available.

For further information and detailed agenda please go to http://www.launchsiliconvalley.org.

About SVASE

Founded in 1995 by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) is the largest and fastest growing nonprofit in Northern California dedicated exclusively to helping technology and life science entrepreneurs start and grow successful businesses.

SVASE provides support and resources for entrepreneurs, from the idea through initial rounds of funding to product launch, delivered at 12 monthly events and a continually evolving web site. For more information about SVASE, please visit www.svase.org.

About Garage Technology Ventures

Garage Technology Ventures is a seed-stage and early-stage venture capital fund headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with investors that include Thomas Weisel Partners and CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System. Garage is focused on investing in emerging technology startups in the Western U.S. For more information about Garage, visit http://www.garage.com.

SOURCE The Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs