Press Releases
ICON's Eddie Harding in Top Line up of Speakers at Venturefest 2011
November 2011
Innovative business talent comes to the fore today at Venturefest Bristol 2011, the showcase event at the Bristol & Bath Science Park. The event aims to bring together new technology and innovation-based business ideas with the funding and support they require to help them grow.
Core to Venturefest is the Innovation Showcase where new businesses are able to demonstrate their innovative products and services and new entrepreneurs able to perfect their pitch techniques in The Pitch at Venturefest.
Tech Incubator SetSquared also brought together a top line up of speakers that included ICON Corporate Finance, Investment Director, Eddie Harding, Eden Ventures, Octopus Ventuers, Icera, Atlas Genetics, enModus, and NVIDIA whose presentations covered:
-
Funding for Startups and Seed Funding
-
Funding for Growth and
-
Exit Options
Other highlights included keynote speeches by Paul Magelli, the founder of Bristol-based specialist software firm Apertio, sold recently to Nokia Siemens Networks, and Nigel Risner, author, television presenter, motivational speaker, and experienced business coach.
Venturefest Bristol also included an intellectual property (IP) clinic and patent and trademark attorneys EIP, a funding clinic run by Angels Den, and the Bite-sized MBA course delivered by Rupert Vernalls of Business formation.
Science City Bristol communications executive Becky Sage said: "The appetite for Venturefest has been huge. The West of England has a substantial population of entrepreneurs and innovators which has been reflected in the number of applications we received and the number of delegates. But this event isn't about large numbers; it is about the quality of ideas and the quality of interaction on the day. We are grateful for the help of expert panels and partner networks who have helped us to generate delegate numbers and ensure the quality of companies that are participating."
About Venturefest
Venturefest has played a key role in the development of many businesses, including: rahuCatalytics, WheelRight, Panchromos, Impact Applications and Diamond Hard Surfaces.
About ICON
ICON has significant expertise in fundraising and M&A in the tech sector, and Eddie has completed many deals in the space including fundraisings for Aria Networks, Mobile Commerce and Equinox Converged Solutions, the MBO of Trilogy Broadcast, the MBI of Cleartone Telecoms Plc and the sales of Action Information Management (AIM), Fluency Voice and Gamma Projects.
