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Sharon Vosmek, CEO Astia Message from the CEOYou can tell it is Spring! The sun is finally warming up the City by the Bay and Astia has lots of great happenings and news to report! • Astia Client, DNA Direct was acquired by Medco Health Solutions! A HUGE Astia shout-out to Ryan Phelan, CEO & Founder! • Astia programs around the globe are moving in to full swing: Astia Europe and Astia NYC are both in the midst of the call for applications. Astia India continues to gain momentum and interest, gearing up for a first program. Astia Silicon Valley committee meetings have started; sign up for your committee today! Sponsor organizations get a seat – have you renewed your support for 2010? email me, let's talk • Astia, in collaboration with over 20 organizations and with the leadership and support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Ernst & Young and Microsoft, is preparing to launch a first annual summit to explore the myths, motivations, and metrics behind women high-growth entrepreneurs. The We Own It Summit will take place June 8 at NYU Law School. The goal is to drive collaboration, energize the global discussion, and create a roadmap for increasing women’s participation in high-growth entrepreneurship in the 2nd decade of this century. Astia is proud and excited to be a part of this momentous event. • Just yesterday the 7th Astia company since January 1 2010, shared news of a very attractive venture round. It seems if you blink you miss another Astia success story! • Astia was a part of the innovation scene at SXSW. I was invited to speak on a panel, but my observations extended beyond the topic of teaching entrepreneurs. You can read my thoughts as a newbie at South By on the Astia blog. Alas, this month we say farewell to a key Astia team member – Evie Mulberry, Vice President Astia Europe. For the past two years Evie has dedicated herself to the success of Astia Europe, building a community and program that we are proud to call core to who we are today. Back in March 2008, Evie was given a notion of an idea, and in under two years delivered Astia Europe – a thriving ecosystem gearing up now for its second Doing It Right Programme and Investor Forum. We will miss you, Evie! Thank you for all that you have done and all that you are. We look forward to reconnecting with many of you during the upcoming activities. Until then... Cheers, Sharon Vosmek
Chief Executive Officer Astia unites European Investor Community at second annual Doing it Righ; London Programme Astia will host its Second European Investor Forum on 24th June 2010, following the Doing it Right London Programme which takes place from 4th-7th May this year. Applications are being accepted now! Click here for more information Astia in Conversation with TuitionCoach CEO and Founder, Monisha Perkash After the recent acquisition of TuitionCoach by SimpleTuition Inc, Astia sat down with Monesha Perkash, CEO and Founder to find out what is next for this entrepreneur. Click here for more information Astia Notes Guest Blog: Lara Druyan, Allegis Capital Lara was recently on a panel for SVASE in which she was asked what opinion she had for entrepreneurs raising money. This question arises pretty regularly. So she thought she would take a stab at memorializing some of her thoughts. Click here for more information Astia Client DNA Direct Acquired by Medco Health Solutions Medco Health Solutions (MHS), a pharmacy benefits manager, needs massive M&A deals to move the needle. Consider that its market value is roughly $30 billion. But sometimes an M&A deal's impact is not measured by size of the price tag. And this may be the case with Medco's latest transaction: The purchase this week of DNA Direct, a privately held personalized medicine company with 30 employees. Of course, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. Click here for more information Why Aren't There More Women In Start-ups: Some New Data It’s become a common question: Why aren’t there more women in venture funded startups? I speak to venture backed startups all the time. Unfortunately, more often than not, I don’t see a single female on the executive team roster. Over time, I’ve developed a hypothesis. For some reason, in the rare occurrence when I speak to a female CEO, it’s felt to me that I’m much more likely to find another female face on the company roster. It got me curious: Is this true? Are there actually more female executives in female-CEO led companies than male-led companies? If so, there are a number of implications. Click here for more information Astia's Jennifer Hill appears on MSNBC MSNBC’s Your Business invited Astia Vice President, Jennifer Hill, to appear once again to discuss business and legal issues for entrepreneurs. The show aired Sunday, March 21, 2010. Click here for more information Fablogue featured in Business Week Astia client, Fablogue, a website to find indie fashion designers and creators of fabulous things, is featured in a follow up story in BusinessWeek. Based in New York the company's founder and CEO, Rana Mumtaz, was first contacted a year ago. Catch up with her one year out and see all that she has accomplished. Click here for more information Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek attended SXSW and shared her newbie observations Invited to speak on the topic of teaching entrepreneurs globally, Sharon joined fellow panelists Doug Richards (entrepreneur, investor, and founder School for Startups), Richard Titus (entrepreneur, investor and movie producer) and James Barlow (NCIIA and former Chief Executive at Scottish Institute for Enterprise) for a lively conversation with the audience. Click here for more information Astia Market Spotlight – Cleantech • It was the dominant VC investing category for much of 2009 with Cleantech venture investments in North America, Europe (includes Israel), China and India totaling $5.68 billion. While the amount invested for the sector was down by about 33% from 2008, the drop was much less severe than the wider VC market. • The 579 deals completed in 2009 represent a new record for the sector, up from 569 in 2008. • The leading investment sector overall remained solar, despite its total share of investment falling significantly from 40% in 2008 to 21% in 2009. In contrast, there was a significant increase in the share for transportation (up from 8% to 18%) and energy efficiency (also up from 8% to 18%). Other sectors that had more than 5% share were biofuels (10%) and smart grid (7%).
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In This Issue Message from the CEO
JOIN Astia and become a 2010 member today!
The financial contributions received through our membership program help to underwrite Astia´s mission of providing programs that accelerate the funding and growth of women-led companies, develop the executive leadership of the founding team, and enable For more information on membership levels and benefits, visit our website.
Become an Astia Member— Astia is now blogging! Join our ongoing discussions at Astia Notes
You can now follow Astia on Twitter: Sharon Vosmek | AstiaSF | AstiaUK | Astia is also on Linked-In and Facebook. Be sure to join our groups! Want to join the Astia community? Register for the community portal and fill out your member profile! Astia Investor Advisory Council JOIN Astia´s Investor Advisory Council Allegis Capital; Alloy Ventures; Apex Venture Partners; Asset Management Company; CalPERS; CISCO; Garage Technology Ventures; Hamilton Lane; Hummer Winblad Venture Partners; Illuminate Ventures; Intel Capital; Levensohn Venture Partners; Milk Street Ventures; Opus Capital Ventures; Palomar Ventures; Prolog Ventures How to Get Connected
Silicon Valley
New York
London
India |
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Silicon Valley
On 25th February Moss Adams opened their new offices in Santa Clara up to Astia Community to host a Thank You Reception for all the Committees and Advisors for the Doing it Right Silicon Valley 2009 program. Thank you Moss Adams! Our first dedicated Astia Consumer Day on 3rd March was a great success — 18 entrepreneurs engaged for a day with Astia Clients, Investors & Industry experts in the Consumer space. When asked about future trends the Investors said to expect longer timescales to exits, continued focus in food and personal care on natural and an overall trend towards transparency & authenticity. |
New York
Astia proudly supports New York Entrepreneur Week (NYEW), April 12-16, 2010. NYEW is a non-profit movement formed around a single belief: entrepreneurs change the world. And now is the time for entrepreneurs who have the will and drive to prove they can achieve anything, to stand up and come together in New York State for another groundbreaking NYEW event. With over 100 speakers from 40 cities, 15 states and 3 continents, NYEW unites the states diverse entrepreneurial community. To take part in the entrepreneurial revolution, join us and attend New York Entrepreneur Week. Astia community members are invited with a 75% off discount code: ASTIA2010. Doing it Right New York 2010 To maximize the opportunities presented by New York Entrepreneur Week we have changed the dates for the Astia program to the summer – please note the new dates. To support our amazing entrepreneurs we will be hosting two Investor Forums – one in June for our existing qualified companies and September for the companies that go through the July Program. Key Dates: May 15: Application Deadlin: June 9: Investor Forum June 9: In-person Screening July 19-23: Program Dates Questions regarding our New York initiatives should be directed to Jennifer Hil. |
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London
This month, we officially kick off the call for applications for the second annual Doing it Right London programme running 4-7 May! Doing it Right isn't about looking for funding, it's about finding funding. If you want to know what to say to investors and how you say it, who better to ask than VCs and angel investors? They'll be there. But that's just the beginning. Doing it Right is designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Qualifying entrepreneurs will cultivate invaluable relationships with key players and get straight talk from leading experts on developing strategies that support high growth and their success as leaders. We are proud to announce that this year’s Doing it Right programme is presented in collaboration with The Next Women, enabling Astia entrepreneurs to immediately have access to the invaluable resources and network that The Next Women has to offer. Doing it Right London 2010: Key Dates: April 15: Application Deadline May 4 – 7: Doing it Right London June 24: European Investor Forum For information about participating in Doing it Right, visit astia.org or sign up here to join us at an Astia meetup in London on 12 March, 17 March or 16 April and hear about what the Astia community has to say about the programme. The 2010 Doing it Right London programme and European Investor Forum is hosted and sponsored on location by Osborne Clarke, Morrison & Foerster LLP and BDO LLP. |
India
Astia India continues to have increased support from the local eco-system in India as a direct result of the focus and energy of the Astia community. This is the power of Astia. In particular we want to recognize and thank Anurakt Jain, Draper Fisher Jurvetson India and Chair of Astia India Advisory Board for his relentless effort and contribution. Here are Anurakt’s personal comments on our progress: “For the past year, in the hardest of times, the team backing Astia India has been trying to get the sponsorship in place. The initial response has been far more than encouraging and we look forward to sharing news with all of you in a couple of months. Conventional logic compares Bangalore with the Bay Area (Silicon Valley of India) and Mumbai as New York (financial hub of India). However, these comparisons do not necessarily stand the test of ground realities. India is a diverse marketplace – not just in its varied colors, religions, food etc. but also in the markets, regions and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The team at Astia is cognizant of these differences and is taking a consensual approach towards building a program that is true to our original goal – of promoting high-growth women-led companies. Astia India is in the process of expanding its Advisory Board and we welcome all thoughts, suggestions, and introductions and watch this space! Anurakt Jain, DFJ India, Chair of Astia India Advisory Board For any queries, feedback, suggestions or recommendations, please write to Ruchi Khemka |
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"One of Astia's taglines is the ‘power of the network.’ What is really interesting to me is that as Astia opens up its network of world-class advisors, investors and business partners, those experiences and contacts help start-ups take their game up a level. Ironically, by helping us do well within their network, Astia has also helped us do well outside the network too. That's powerful!" Martha Amran, PhD, CEO, Ennovationz Ennovationz has launched Ennovationz Greenathon Contest where you can help Astia raise up to $10,000 towards our fundraising goals! We have until April 22, 2010 for members of the Astia community to sign up and make a personal commitment to reduce their energy use. To see the rules and prizes go to click here. To register as a user and join the Astia group go to www.ennovationz.com.
Zweave is proud to announce two new products. Zdesign 3.5 is a product lifecycle management (PLM) platform that enables apparel, retail and related consumer product development teams to more cost effectively manage the way products are designed and produced as they strive to deliver higher quality goods in less time. MyZdesign, the first light weight PLM tool for the Fashion Industry that provides PLM capabilities on-demand for less than a dollar a day. For more information, visit www.zweave.com
Apply or nominate someone you know to receive a w2wlink Ascendancy Award. For the second year in a row, an executive advisory board will review applicants and award the w2wlink Ascendancy Awards to outstanding women who have "ascended" to achieve and innovate in Corporate, in Entrepreneurial and in Career Transition settings. Tell colleagues, peers, executives and clients to nominate by March 31. w2wlink.com is accepting nominations for candidates from eight cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C. They are also accepting nominations for at-large candidates from any other city. Three winners from each category--Corporate, Entrepreneur, and Career Transition--will be chosen from the nominees from each city and from the at-large category. From these twenty-seven winners, an executive women advisory board will select three National Winners. In addition to recognition for their accomplishments, the National Winners will each receive a prize of a private business club membership for one year from ClubCorp, www.clubcorp.com, along with other sponsored recognition. Winners will be announced in May 2010. Visit w2wlink.com for a nomination and application form or request via email at womenawards@w2wlink.com through March 2010. For more information, contact: Kate O'Donnell, publicrelations@w2wlink.com 214-866-0299. w2wlink.com is the premier community dedicated to professional women, helping you get to where you're going - faster. We provide you expert knowledge, tools to overcome obstacles, connection with others in our online groups and monthly webinars and events in 10 cities with other w2wlink members. Building our ecosystem and supporting the Astia Companies is paramount to us all – check out the latest offers from Astia Companies W2WLink is offering the Astia community a 20% discount on membership (code: Astia10). This offer is valid for 2 months
As part of Astia’s strategy to partner with the leaders in the high growth sectors Astia is pleased to continue its partnership with Cleantech Open and has joined the Cleantech Open Competition Partner Network. We will keep the Astia community updated on events and the all important Competition. Deadline for entries is May 22nd. Astia's Doing it Right London: May 4-7, 2010 Deadline to apply: April 15 Program location: London, UK Learn more and complete your application on astia.org.
Astia's Doing it Right New York: July 19-23, 2010 Deadline to apply: May 15 Program location: New York City Learn more and complete your application on astia.org.
BayBio NEST | 7th Annual Life Sciences Investor Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 5:30pm - 9:00pm The Entrepreneur and Investor Roundtables event is a unique event designed to facilitate introductions, dialogs and establish connections between life science entrepreneurs and investors. This event provides early stage companies with an accessible first step into the capital markets while providing investors a first look at intriguing innovations. The Entrepreneur and Investor Roundtables event is well known for its iconic ‘speed-dating’ format. Each year, VC firms and Angel Investors listen to brief pitches from dozens of biotech entrepreneurs. In Palo Alto. Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum- The Greening of Health: Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 6:30pm - 8:30pm Ada Lovelace Day Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 Ada Lovelace Day, 24 March 2010, is an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in technology and science. Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum- Going Public in 2010: Is the Window Opening? Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 6:30pm - 8:00pm 2009 was a challenging year for IPOs. As we start 2010, investors, entrepreneurs, investment bankers and other securities professionals are all optimistic that 2010 will be a much better year. Certain online media and networking companies seem to be well positioned to enter the public market including Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Yelp. How receptive will institutional investors be to new market entrants given the market volatility of 2009? Our distinguished panel will discuss these and other factors that will impact the IPO market in 2010. Join us as they share their perspectives on these issues as well as factors to consider in the IPO preparation process. Tech Women's Event: Our Piece of the Pie Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 6:00pm - 8:30pm Last year, SDForum Tech Women hosted a panel of women entrepreneurs and then a panel of women VCs. During these sessions, we heard about some of the challenges women face in getting investors to back their companies. In this session, the panel will focus on what steps women entrepreneurs can take to increase the attractiveness of their ventures to investors and to find alternative sources of funding. To receive a 40% discount for Astia Members - include the code TWPmarchVIP when you register. NACUE: National Student Enterprise Conference Date: From Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 8:00am To Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 5:00pm As the country climbs out of the recession, 'business as usual' approaches to economic growth will just not cut it. Championing innovation and entrepreneur-led economic growth, this year's conference, 'Business NOT as Usual', brings together investors, policy makers, international corporates and global entrepreneurs, with the objective to not only inspire, inform, connect and provide experiential opportunities to young entrepreneurs, but also to further the discourse, thought leadership and policy awareness around enterprise and innovation to drive the UK economy forward. BayBio2010 | Life Science Innovation: Drivers and Barriers Date: Wednesday, April 07, 2010, 8:30am - 5:30pm BayBio2010 is a one-day conference focusing on Northern California's strength in life sciences innovation. This conference will examine the fundamental questions of who pays for biotech innovation and why in this unprecedented environment. It will focus on how the current financing environment and new sources of capital affect business models, development and commercialization strategies. NYEW 2010: Stand up and come together Dates: April 12 - 16 New York Entrepreneur Week (NYEW) is a non-profit movement formed around a single belief: entrepreneurs change the world. And now is the time for entrepreneurs who have the will and drive to prove they can achieve anything, to stand up and come together in New York State for another groundbreaking NYEW event. Click here for more information 85 Broads & NYU Stern Present: What's Your 2020 Vision? Date: Saturday, April 24, 2010, 8:00am - 5:30pm What do BOBBY KENNEDY, SUSAN LYNE, NOMI GHEZ, NIKO CANNER, CINDY PADNOS, and ASWATH DAMODARAN all have in common? They are speaking at our NYC conference! Click here for more information International Museum of Women: Celebrating Change Date: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 5:30pm - 11:00pm Tickets are now available for Celebrating Change, IMOW's annual evening benefit. Join IMOW at the Metreon City View, a spectacular venue with the night-time skyline of San Francisco as the glittering backdrop. Celebrating Change will include multi-media exhibits, live performances, a DJ and Dancing, and food, wine and spirits from leading women chefs and producers. |
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