An information platform developed especially for new life science companies will be celebrating a premiere at this year's analytica
Analytica's Finance Day on 4 April 2008 will feature lectures and forums where prominent speakers will introduce new companies to the topic of financing, inform them about promotion programmes, and give them practical tips for approaching investors.
As a leading international trade fair for analysis, laboratory technology and biotechnology, Analytica 2008 from April 1 - 4 will pay special attention to the financing needs of new biotech companies.
The German biotechnology sector reached a new level of development in 2006.
According to the results of a 2007 survey of biotech companies conducted on behalf of Germany's federal ministry of education and research (BMBF), both the number of jobs and sales increased considerably over 2005.
During 2006, surveyed companies invested more than 970 million euros in research and development, which was 36 percent more than the previous year.
The industry is in the midst of an upswing - and depends on venture capital.
Finance Day at Analytica 2008 will focus on this situation and give scientists and company founders in the life-science sector a platform for networking with investors.
Finance Day will mediate between companies looking for capital and those that have capital available.
After all, in many cases company founders do not know how to approach potential investors.
In contrast, companies that have capital are not always in a position to evaluate the scientific impact of the ideas they are presented and find it difficult to assess their economic potential.
Therefore, the most important objective of this event is to promote dialogue between the scientific sector and providers of capital.
Finance Day is being held at the Innovations and Technology Forum, which is located in the InnovationsArea in Hall A3.
There will be four blocks on specific themes, ie, Early-phase financing, Venture capital, Joint ventures: Big pharma/chemical industry and biotech, and Life-science companies listed on the stock exchange.
The lectures and the discussions that follow them will give participants valuable information about financing to start new companies and expand existing ones.
Speakers will include company representatives as well as business angels and capital providers.
Presentations begin at 10am on Friday 4 April 2008 and continue until 5pm.
'High-tech founder's funds and business angels - An ice-breaker for life-science start-ups?' is the title of a discussion about various models for early-phase financing.
Participants will include Prof Horst Domdey, Marco Winzer, senior investment manager/authorised signatory, High-Tech-Grunderfonds, Hellmut Kirchner, founding partner, VCM Capital Management , Andreas Jenne, CEO and founder, Kinaxo Biotechnologies .
The following experts will hold a discussion on 'Venture capital: financing partners for biotech and medical-technology companies' (in English): Holger Reithinger, partner, Global Life Science Ventures, Alexander Asam, investment consultant, HBM Partners, Joerg Ritter, partner, Holme, Roberts and Owen.
Life-science companies listed on the stock exchange will report on their experiences and discuss the 'Opportunities and risks from the perspective of businessmen and investors'.
The panel will include Jan zur Hausen, Sal Oppenheim, Hanns Frohnmeyer, head of life science senior equity analyst healthcare / biotechnology, Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg, Jens Schneider-Mergener, chairman of the board, Jerini.
The panel discussions will be rounded out by half-hour lectures, many of them by renowned experts in the biotech and venture-capital sector.
They include Prof Horst Domdey, Bio M Biotech Cluster Development, Peter Heinrich, chairman of Bio Deutschland and chairman of Medigene, Hubert Birner, general partner, TVM Capital, Peter Homberg, partner, Leiter Life Science Team Deutschland, Jones Day, Holger Zinke, chairman of the board, Brain, and Holger Hinz from Quirin Bank.
Finance Day is organised by GoingPublic Media, a publisher of trade journals on the topic of company financing, technology and investments/stock exchange.
