ANN ARBOR — Organizers of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium Thursday opened the application process for companies interested in presenting their businesses to investors.
The 34th annual MGCS, the Midwest’s largest venture capital event, will be held May 19 and 20 at the Marriott Resort at Eagle Crest in Ypsilanti.
Companies in search of seed, early-stage, late-stage and pre-IPO funding of up to $20 million are encouraged to apply. About 40 companies will be selected to present to the more than 450 people
in attendance, including regional and national venture capitalists, angel investors, and institutional investors.
Dean Koch, a founder of the Chagrin Falls, Ohio-based medical device company CerviLenz, presented at the 2014 event. He said the MGCS played a role in helping the company connect with Arboretum Ventures and lay the groundwork for the firm’s initial venture-capital investment.
“Arboretum is an experienced investor in medical devices and early-stage companies, which is a market segment where it’s tough to find capital,” Koch said. “The team has an outstanding track record and has been very helpful to us.”
CerviLenz has developed a device to predict a pregnant woman’s chance of giving birth prematurely. If doctors know a preterm birth is more likely, treatments can be administered to reduce the risk of preterm birth and all its attendant complications.
Companies that wish to submit an application should be privately held, actively seeking $500,000 to $20 million in funding now or within six months of the May event, and projecting $20 million in revenue within five years.
Companies in all stages of funding and representing a wide range of industries will be considered, with preference given to those with a Midwest connection. Each application will be evaluated by a committee of qualified venture capitalists based on criteria including the market opportunity, intellectual property, competitive advantages and the quality and experience of the management team.
The deadline to submit is Tuesday, March 10 and selected companies will be notified by Thursday, April 2. In addition to the 15-minute presentation opportunity, companies selected to present will receive table-top exhibit space, investor pitch/presentation coaching, pre-event promotion and a discounted event registration fee.
The MGCS is presented by the University of Michigan’s Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and its Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance, both part of the UM’s Ross School of Business, with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association. For more information about applying to present or for sponsorship information, contact Mary Nickson at (734) 615-4424 or visit www.MichiganGCS.com.