Astia Newsletter: January 2011

Sharon Vosmek, CEO Astia

Message from the CEO

WELCOME TO 2011

Let's dive right in to it, shall we?

Last week we showcased for the investment community 18 companies at the first Astia Investor Forum for the 2011 calendar year; one life science, three clean tech, five enterprise software, and five consumer tech companies. Each is a distinguished member of the Astia portfolio of over 267 companies who benefit from ongoing access to the expertise and networks of Astia's global community of investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders. The Investor Forums are just one touch point on the road to success for these companies; you can look forward to seeing and hearing more from them over the coming years.

The National Venture Capital Association has gone on record as predicting that we will see a "pick-up" in venture capital investment this year. NVCA President, Mark Heesen said in a recent press release that his cautious optimism is a result of the recovering economy, "the improving exit market and a renewed excitement in the IT sector," all of which "have engendered a confidence among VCs."

I, too, share this optimism for 2011, but I highlight that during the extremely difficult fundraising years of 2008, 2009 and 2010 the Astia portfolio maintained its historically consistent and exceptional success rate.

  • Greater than 60% achieved funding or an exit within one year
  • Over $940 million raised
  • 21 exits, comprised of 2 IPOs and 19 M&As

A very special thank you to the Astia community without whom, none of this would be possible. And an equal acknowledgement of Team Astia - a team that is growing and in transition as we launch in to 2011.

For each member of the team, our singular objective has been to attract and recruit the best and brightest professionals to effectively manage and inspire the Astia community - for your benefit and to the benefit of our mission.

In October we announced Simone Brummelhuis joining to spearhead Astia Europe. Today, I am delighted to announce two new additions to the executive team: Rob Delman, Vice President, New York Office, and Jen Shelby, Vice President, Client Services.

Rob Delman brings extensive business and angel investor experience - as well as substantial alignment with the Astia mission. Rob has been a Managing Director at Golden Seeds, a network of angel investors dedicated to investing in early stage companies founded and/or led by women. In the same way we were able to find Simone, Rob comes to us from within the Astia community. He has served as a highly rated Advisor and Ambassador for Astia since the launch of Astia NYC in 2008. In addition to joining the team full time, Rob will continue to play an active role in the angel community as well as serving as a guest lecturer at Columbia. Rob joins Program Manager, Kat Karimi in the New York office starting January 10th.

Many of you will already know the name of Jen Shelby. Jen returns to Astia after a two-year hiatus during which she served as CMO of Astia client, Betty Confidential. In welcoming Jen back, we are most pleased to announce the expansion of our client services. Our objective in bringing back Jen is to increase our engagement and support for the Astia portfolio throughout the lifecycle of these businesses. We know that the community is poised to provide value well beyond the initial entrepreneur program, investor forums & Ambassador engagement. Jen's focus will be to ensure for our clients a continued access to capital, a continued access to expertise for the growth of the businesses, and a continued investment in the leadership of the women on the founding team.

And finally, it is with a heavy heart that I share with you that Katie Nittler is stepping down as Chief Operating Officer. Katie will continue full time through the end of the month, and then will transition to part time until the end of February to help the new team ramp up. We look forward to her continued involvement in the community long after this - but we will miss seeing her on a daily basis. Her commitment and leadership over the past two years have been invaluable and we know that much of Astia's current success is a direct result of Katie's many contributions. We extend to Katie our deepest appreciation.

On behalf of Katie, Simone, Rob, Jen, Mark, Kat, Vanessa, Vinita, Stella and Brian - we wish you all a prosperous 2011!

Cheers,


Sharon Vosmek
Chief Executive Officer


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Astia's Global Entrepreneur Program - Call for Applications for 2011

worldmap

The Astia Entrepreneur Program is an unparalleled resource for success - a transformative program designed by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs who want to become dominant players in their sectors. The Format? A comprehensive multi-day workshop, 2-month program of personalized advising from premier experts and the opportunity to start benefiting from the global ecosystem of Angels, VCs, corporations, and entrepreneurs that is Astia. Who Should Apply? Exceptional women-led high growth start-ups who know that success is not just about raising money but about growing a business and thriving in today's tough market.

Applications are taken on a rolling basis.

Apply today if you have...

  • An innovative idea in either the Technology, Life Sciences or Clean Tech sectors
  • A high-growth investment opportunity
  • An exceptional team and business strategy
  • A significant market opportunity
  • A defendable competitive advantage
  • At least one woman in a leadership role (at C level) or in significant position of equity and influence

Visit Astia and complete your application before February 7th to be considered for the European Astia Entrepreneur Programme.


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Astia 2011 Calendar

Astia Entrepreneur Programs
London: March 14 - 18
New York: April 25 - 29
San Francisco: October 24 - 29

Astia Investor Forums
Silicon Valley: January 20
London: May 11
New York: June 22

Annual Events
We Own It Summit: London, June 10
7th Annual Astia Awards: Mountain View, December 1


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Astia News

Astia 2011 Outlook - Will we see a "pick-up" in venture capital investment this year?

Read more here.

TechCrunch Europe announces Astia European Programme

Read more here.

Press Release: Exceptional female entrepreneurs wanted!

Read more here.

Stanford Business Cases on Astia with Professor Tom Kosnik & Katie Nittler

Read more here.


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Community News

DFJ Partner's New Book

Bill Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson wrote a book about the partnership between venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. Read more here.

From Kauffman Labs

Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation Launches Challenge to Illuminate Breakthrough Ideas from Female Scientists and Engineers. Read more here.

TEDWomen

What's next TEDMen? Astia CEO Sharon Vosmek quoted. Read more here.

TEDWomen - Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg on Why We Have So Few Women Leaders: Read more here.

The National Cancer Institute

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs have announced the launch of a new Regulatory Assistance Program. Read more here or learn more about applying here.

How to Follow the Top Angel Investing Women in Tech on Twitter

Read more here.

Year-End VC Report Shows Strength of Internet & Early Stage Investment

Read more here.

The 2012 Project has launched!

It's a national, non-partisan campaign to increase the number of women in legislative office because Election 2010 saw the first decline in the number of women in Congress in more than three decades, and a drastic drop in the number of women state legislators. Click here for more information.

2010 was The Year of Whining About Women in Tech

Read more here.


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Become an Astia Sponsor

Join the Astia Community

SUPPORT Astia as a donor!

2010 Marked the beginning of the Decade of the Woman Entrepreneur. As the year comes to a close, support Astia today! Help us maintain our momentum to grow our networks globally and expand the reaches of our community. Operating on less than a one million dollar budget annually, Astia continues to deliver unparalleled programs and services to women entrepreneurs, but we can't do it without you! Contribute today!

Astia is now blogging!

Join our ongoing discussions at Astia Notes

You can now follow Astia on Twitter: Sharon Vosmek | AstiaSF | AstiaEurope |
AstiaNYC | AstiaIndia

Astia is also on Linked-In and Facebook. Be sure to join our groups!

Astia Sponsors

Become an Astia Sponsor

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Kauffman Logo

Microsoft


AOL


Moss Adams



PriceWaterhouseCoopers


SNR Denton


SVB Financial Group

Osborne Clarke New

Lowenstein Sandler

US Trust: Bank of 

America Private Wealth Management

Wells Fargo

Iron Creative Communications

Angelsoft

J. Sagar Associates

IF Communications

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How to Get Connected

Silicon Valley
siliconvalley@astia.org

New York
nyc@astia.org

Europe
europe@astia.org

India
india@astia.org

Market Updates

Silicon Valley

Silicon 

Valley

Hosted by Fenwick & West, Astia was proud to present 18 exceptional pre-screened, women-led, high-growth companies from Life Sciences, Clean Tech, Consumer and Enterprise to the Investment Community at the Astia Silicon Valley Investor Forum.

Class of 2010 companies presenting: Ballooning Nest Eggs, Frontier Markets, Hey Neighbor! and TravelSort, TriBarter, The Comet, ColorModules, Native Cloud Systems, Fanminder, RippleSend, Crystal Biosciences, TerViva BioEnergy, Nutrabella, Yoomerang,

And we are thrilled to be joined by these Astia companies who have made great progress since they last presented: Qlubb, Real Life Plus, Formotus and BioVantage Resources

In appreciation of the role of the Advisors there will be a networking event on February 24th to say thank you! A new tradition thanks to the generosity of sponsor, Moss Adams.

The 2011 calendar is now set and includes two 'on ramp' programs in North America - entrepreneurs should apply now who are looking to fund raise in 2011 so they maximize the opportunities that the Astia community provides.

India

India

The global Astia community is real - one of the companies, Frontier Markets, who is presenting at the Investor Forum in Silicon Valley has already had tremendous support from our growing India community thanks to introductions from TiE. We are excited to see this connection between the communities.

India Entrepreneurs - we encourage you to apply for the European program taking place in March. We have a fantastic program lined up with many fantastic entrepreneurs already attending!

New York

New 

York

We have just returned to NYC after attending the Astia Silicon Valley Investor Forum. There were several NYC-based companies presenting, including Ballooning Nest Eggs, Frontier Markets, Hey Neighbor! and TravelSort. All generated a lot of investor interest and we will continue to monitor their progress!

Rob Delman has joined the Astia team as Vice President, New York. Rob is an active angel investor with Golden Seeds, a partner in the ARC Fund as well as other NY-based early stage investor organizations. We are excited to have Rob join us!

We are also gearing up for our New York Entrepreneur Program so we welcome all introductions to early stage companies with a woman in a C-level role. Click here to learn more and apply! We will be road tripping it to Boston in the upcoming weeks to hold an "About Astia" event to generate local interest for our programs and community. Let us know if you know of any investors, entrepreneurs or community members that you think would like to attend this event - watch for upcoming details.

Europe

Europe

Astia Europe is organizing events and partnering with relevant organizations to develop the European Astia community. In Amsterdam, we invited potential Astia clients, investors and experts to About Astia event on January 18th. Then on January 27th in London, Astia partners with The Next Women for a pitch competition to identify strong entrepreneurs. A number of highly regarded investors such as Octopus Capital, Orrick, Piton Capital and DN Capita will be joining the panel to give feedback to the presenting entrepreneurs.

Astia is proud to be a supporting sponsor and member of the judging panel at the CWT Everywoman in Technology Awards in the UK. As to the upcoming Astia Entrepreneur programme in March 14-18, 2011, the call for applications has received a lot of attention in Techcrunch and The Financial Mail on Sunday. As a consequence, a number of technology entrepreneurs have applied to Astia to get more information, and the screening of companies are taking shape. Apply to Astia to get feedback on your business by investors, entrepreneurs and advisers.


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Client News


Aspaeris®; was well received at this month's EATA Expo in Philly and continues to build momentum as the number of institutions using Aspaeris® continues to grow. Athletes from Colleges, Universities, Private Schools, and Premier Athletic Clubs in 14 states are using Aspaeris® compression shorts.


Avaxia Biologics, Inc. to present Key Pre-Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease Remission Data at Biotech Showcase being held on January 10-12, 2011 in San Francisco, California. Read more. http://astianotes.blogspot.com/2011/01/avaxia-biologics-inc-to-present-key-pre.html


DegreeArt.com offers a new service to clients and the public. Check out their sample trend report.

 


Frontier Markets has secured its energy partnerships and is moving to Rajasthan! We are working with Sahayata, a large Microfinance Institution in rural and peri-urban Rajasthan. Jaipur is FM's first area of operations. We will be marketing and selling D-Light Design's Kiran and Nova solar light, Greenlight Planet's Sun King Light, Envirofit's Cook Stove, Serval's gas valves, and Duron Energy's solar lighting system.

Erica Weirich, Founder, GHRF gave a talk at the World Affairs Council of California on January 12th on Improving Health Care Through Technology and Cultural Understanding in Bhutan and other Underserved Populations. Read more.


HarQen won 2010 Top Product of the Year for Voice Advantage from HR Executive magazine - one of the most prestigious awards in the HR technology space. HarQen also recently announced its integration into SmartSearch, a leading applicant tracking system that serves over 165K users and 4.7MM job seekers worldwide.


Kiboo is proud to announce that Jacob Apelbaum has joined the team as our new Chief Technology Officer.


Mamayoyo New to the team are Jan Roersma, a well known hospitality and development advisor and lawyer Matt Norton from Parker Poe. In the first week of January a power team went into open negotiations with the Government of Antigua & Barbuda for a lease to buy a 20 acre lot for the first Mamayoyo Family Resort.


TravelsinTaste was contacted by Fox Business News for an expert opinion in order to compile the top 5 New Year's Eve destinations across the country.

On January 13th TravelsinTaste launched TravelsinTaste Epicurean Adventures is a limited-time-only, custom-crafted experience that was tailor-made exclusively for TravelsinTaste's most loyal fans. We continue to reach out to our network of chefs, mixologists, sommeliers, restaurants and foodie friends to create unforgettable experiences that you'll be talking about for days to come. To give you a hint: Our next adventure will feature creatures from under the sea paired with exquisite wines. Our inaugural event is: "A Decadent Sunday Night Supper at Strip House - An Exclusive Evening on Sunday Jan. 30."


TravelSort is excited to announce that Patricia Larocca has joined its team as VP and Director of Sales. Patricia brings 15 years of experience in the travel industry, including as Director of Partner Marketing at Travelocity, where she was instrumental in rapidly growing their hotel business. TravelSort was also recently mentioned in Fox News and MSNBC.


TriBarter was featured in PRLog as an Astia Client. Also featured was a video feature founder, Heidi Katz, explaining her company.


Universal Giving was invited to the White House's Consortium on Next Generation Leadership and Social Innovation in July 2010. CEO Pamela Hawley spoke at the Commonwealth Club in August and the Mary Baker Eddy Library in November. In the past year, volunteering through the UniversalGiving site has risen 66% over 2009.

Imagination Welcome is rebranding as Yoomerang with the tagline: go anywhere. bring back stories. A centerpiece of this re-branding is naming the avatars Yoodles. A Yoodle is you + a doodle (a doodle of you), and Yoodle-creation will be the starting point for kids to have fun exploring through a variety of earth-loving characters in stories, on-line games, and real-life toys. An early version of the website is on-line with a preview of the fun coming soon. Yoomerang's commercial launch will be later this year.


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Market Spotlight: Q3 2010 US VC Market Trends

  • Venture capitalists invested $4.8 billion in 780 deals in the third quarter of 2010. Quarterly investment activity decreased 31 percent in terms of dollars, and fell 19 percent in number of deals compared to the second quarter of 2010 when $6.9 billion was invested in 962 deals.
  • The decrease in dollars invested was in large part due to the absence of large rounds in the Clean Technology sector, which drove last quarter's higher investment levels. Yet with few exceptions, investment in all industry sectors slowed this quarter.
  • According to PWC MonetyTree, the Software industry regained its position as the number one industry sector for investment with $1.0 billion going into 190 rounds. Still this level represented a 13 percent decrease in dollars and a 21 percent decline in deal volume from the second quarter when $1.1 billion went into 242 rounds.
  • The Biotechnology industry received the second highest level of funding for all industries in the quarter with $944 million going into 108 deals. This level of investment represents a 32 percent decrease in dollars and a 29 percent decrease in deals compared to the second quarter when $1.4 billion went into 152 deals.
  • Medical Devices and Equipment saw a 27 percent decline in dollars and an 18 percent decline in deal volume in the third quarter with $573 million going into 82 deals. This sector ranked third overall for the quarter.
  • The Clean Technology sector saw a 59 percent decrease in dollars to $625 million compared to the second quarter when venture capitalists invested $1.5 billion.
  • Internet-specific companies received $661 million going into 154 deals in the third quarter, a 25 percent decrease in dollars and a 28 percent decrease in deals over the second quarter of 2010 when $878 million went into 214 deals.

Sponsor Spotlight


The Althea Foundation Commits $20,000 to Astia's European Programme

The Althea Foundation is a social venture fund dedicated to helping 'agents of change' reach the full potential of their inspired ideas. Althea has developed a distinctive approach to philanthropy by providing financial support partnered with the guidance needed to increase impact and grow social innovations to scale. The Foundation has supported Astia since 2006, underwriting in its entirety the the name change and rebranding of Astia from the Women's Technology Cluster. Founder and Chairman of the Foundation, Alexsis de Raadt St. James, will join Astia's European Advisory Board.


MossAdams goes Gold!

Moss Adams has supported Astia for 5 consecutive years through many financial contributions and projects. For 2011 MossAdams has raised their sponsorship level to Gold! We are proud to have them as our sponsor and part of our community. Moss Adams LLP is the 11th largest accounting and consulting firm in the United States, and the largest headquartered in the West. Founded in 1913 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Moss Adams has 21 locations in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Our staff of over 1,700 includes approximately 240 partners.


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Astia Events

The NextWomen Pitch Evening & About Astia with Simone Brummelhuis

January 27th, 2011

The NextWomen is hosting a Pitch Evening with Investors with the aim to support women-led businesses prepare and practice their investment pitches with a panel of investors, and to inform them about the Astia entrepreneur programme.

Register here.

Astia European Entrepreneur Programme

Application Deadline: February 7th, 2011

Pre-screened, select start-ups at all stages of high-growth will be invited to join Astia and experience our hallmark programme that has resulted in a greater than 60% funding success rate for prior participants. Astia focuses on Technology, Life Science and Clean Technology sectors.

Apply here.


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Astia Partner Events

VLAB and SNR Denton present Entrepreneurs Uncensored - Legal Series!

January 25th, 2011

This three part series provides entrepreneurs business, tactical and legal education. Presented by experienced industry CEOs, venture capitalists and lawyers, the series will offer insights on cutting-edge issues faced by entrepreneurs today.

Register here.

Travels in Taste Inaugural

January 30th, 2011

Travels in Taste Inaugural A Decadent Sunday Night Supper at Strip House - An Exclusive Evening.

Reserve a table.

The Women Presidents' Organization

Application Deadline: February 1st, 2011

The Women Presidents' Organization has launched the search for the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies™ in North America sponsored by American Express OPEN! 2011 marks the 4th Annual WPO competition to find the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies™ in North America. Companies will be ranked according to revenue growth from 2006 to 2010. The Top 50 fastest growing companies have the chance of being published online and in print!

Apply here.

The Level Playing Field Institute

Submit Deadline: February 3rd, 2011

The Level Playing Field Institute has sponsored this anonymous survey explores the experiences and perceptions of employees within the Information Technology industry. We are most interested in the opinions of Information Technology engineers and managers, and all employees of tech start-ups.

Complete the survey here.

Women 4 Technology

February 16, 2011

Informal networking lunch for female CEOs, CXOs, entrepreneurs, VCs & Business Angels in the technology sector. Bailey Fisher hosts the next event in its popular series of networking lunches for female decision makers in the technology sector at Hotel Felix, Cambridge. The guest speaker is Emma Loisel, an experienced Non-Executive Director and investor in high-growth ventures, with a passion for innovating businesses, consumer offerings and industries, particularly through the adoption of technology.
Attendance is by invitation only for senior women in the technology sector. Attendance is at a cost of £10 per head to include a 2 course lunch with wine and coffee.
If you are interested in attending please e-mail Jenny on jenny@baileyfisher.com



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