Fleksy Keyboard App Now Available on Google Play, Updates Beta with Multiple Language Support

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San Francisco (PRWEB) December 05, 2013

Fleksy, the future text input company, today launched the Android version of its virtual keyboard out of beta on Google Play. The company also released a new Android app in beta to support new languages, as well as released a major iOS update in its race to be the first third-party keyboard on the Apple platform.

Available on Google Play for $ 3.99 with a 30-day free trial, Fleksy lets individuals type faster than any other virtual keyboard by not having to concentrate on hitting specific keys that are often too small for their fingers. Through a set of patent-pending Artificial Intelligence algorithms, Fleksy looks at the relative locations its users touch the screen, and interprets the word they want to type. This approach frees users to type without having to look at the screen, ultimately letting them type faster than they would otherwise. This unique approach is what allowed Fleksy to be the first virtual keyboard to work on a smartwatch, the Omate TrueSmart, which has an even smaller touchscreen surface area than smartphones.

Fleksy also released today a new version of its Android beta that supports new languages. Additionally, Fleksy made a recent update to its iOS app in preparation for the upcoming Fleksy SDK release. The new update includes a faster engine, new user interface and an option to minimize the keyboard or have it completely invisible. The upcoming SDK release will allow iOS developers to implement Fleksy in their app, allowing users to replace the standard iOS keyboard for the first time.

“When we started Fleksy we wanted to bring the best typing experience to all smart devices with a touchscreen,” said Kosta Eleftheriou, Fleksy founder and CEO. “Our team has been working extra hard to get to this moment. Exiting beta, launching the new languages and preparing for our iOS SDK puts us in a great position to accomplish our vision on both Android and iOS.”

Fleksy can be downloaded on Google Play here and the App Store here. Individuals interested in joining the Android beta to test the new languages can do so here. Developers interested in learning more about Fleksy’s SDK should contact the company here.

About Fleksy

Fleksy revolutionizes typing on smart devices through patent-pending predictive text technology that works on all device sizes. Fleksy is the first keyboard app to be demonstrated on a 3D gesture system (Leap Motion); the first to be demonstrated on a smartwatch (Omate) and the first to arrive to iOS. Fleksy’s award-winning design and technology is backed by venture capital firms like Highland Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Press Contact:

Hadara Alook

hadara(at)fleksy(dot)com

press.fleksy.com







Venture Capital e Inovação no Brasil- Susana Garcia-Robles, MIF/Fomin

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Venture Capital e Inovação no Brasil- Susana Garcia-Robles, MIF/Fomin

Como os fundos de private equity podem fomentar inovação entre as empresas brasileiras? Representantes da ABVCAP respondem esse questionamento nessa série de…

CoinJar Receives Australia's First Major Bitcoin Investment

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Melbourne, VIC (PRWEB) December 02, 2013

CoinJar, a consumer Bitcoin exchange and digital wallet provider, has secured a round of equity investment from several prominent Australian technology investors.

Leading the investment is Niki Scevak of Blackbird Ventures. Other investors include entrepreneur Torsten Hoffman; RetailMeNot founders, Guy King and Bevan Clark; game developer Rob Murray; and serial technology investor Chris Hitchen. The combined investment is reportedly in the region of $ 500,000 AUD.

“Bitcoin is a game-changer, but the process of buying, selling and using Bitcoin is still relatively hard. CoinJar changes that by making Bitcoin more accessible and, eventually much more useful. Their approach of offering a secure consumer wallet and merchant payment capability for bitcoin in addition to a liquid exchange is what makes them interesting; as consumer and business adoption of Bitcoin becomes more mainstream, CoinJar is well-placed to be a significant participant,” said investor, Chris Hitchen. “The team, product and vision are all strong and I’m excited to be involved.”

The Melbourne based startup co-founded by Asher Tan and Ryan Zhou operates a platform where users can buy, sell and transact in bitcoin. It also provides merchant services for those looking to accept bitcoin as a medium of payment.

Bitcoin companies have gained strong interest from venture capital firms around the world as interest in the cryptocurrency, along with its price, has risen to new heights. China and Singapore are among the countries which have recently seen a wave of Bitcoin related investment deals.

“Bitcoin is moving past a purely speculative play. It is only a matter of time until business and consumers take full advantage of Bitcoin as a solution to digital payments,” said Asher Tan, co-founder and CEO of CoinJar. The company has already seen partnerships with a wide-range of goods and services providers including Australian utility vehicle producer Tomcar and crowd funding website, Pozible.

With over 10,000 Australian users, the company is looking to expand globally. CoinJar is a graduate of Australian startup incubator, AngelCube.

About CoinJar

CoinJar, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, is a consumer-oriented bitcoin wallet and exchange. The website is available at (https://www.coinjar.com). CoinJar for iPhone is available free on the Apple App Store at (http://bit.ly/1atsp7t).







Compass Rose Coffee Co.: High School Students Brew Coffee For A Cause

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Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) November 28, 2013

While most students are on Thanksgiving break or plotting their “Black Friday” shopping strategies, some Virginia students are crunching sales figures and reviewing package redesigns for their small business.

Earlier this spring, twenty-four high school students at Cape Henry Collegiate launched their own coffee enterprise – the Compass Rose Coffee Company – and are producing and marketing branded coffee to consumers worldwide via the Internet and social media.

Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA, (MZB) an international coffee company headquartered in nearby Portsmouth, Va., is helping to guide the students in the endeavor. Although MZB provides advice, technical expertise and occasional staff support, everything else about the ‘real world’ company is completely student-run, including finding a venture capital grant to contract its coffee production from MZB.

“This is not just a typical school project,” said 2013 senior Lindsay Castleberry and the Compass Rose Coffee Company’s first CEO. The company’s first product, Neptune’s Brew, a 100 percent Colombian ground coffee blend, hit the market in mid-April and can be purchased for $ 6.95 online at http://www.compassrosecoffee.org

“We created a company from the ground up to learn about global commerce while turning profits into financial support to help more young people from our school travel abroad for outreach experiences and educational programs,” Castleberry said. “It’s not just the brew; it’s what the brew can do.”

Since her graduation in May, Castleberry was succeeded as CEO by Lucy Willis, a member of Cape Henry’s class of 2015. “I am excited to see where the new year will take us. We have already come so far and learned so much but we are only at the tip of the iceberg.”

The Cape Henry Collegiate Nexus Global Studies Program seeks to introduce students to a wide variety of stimulating experiences that will foster an awareness of the global community, according to faculty advisory, William Fluharty. Cape Henry Collegiate is an independent school of over 800 students for grades pre-K to 12 located in Virginia Beach.

Fluharty said the process of creating the company will help Cape Henry students not only learn about the basics of corporate structure and global business models, but integrated factors such as production, transportation, import/export regulations, finance, accounting, marketing, advertising, manufacturing, distribution, sales and communication. “This project based collaboration between Massimo Zanetti personnel passing their business knowledge directly to Cape Henry students is a prime example of a corporate-education partnership,” according to Fluharty.

Compass Rose Coffee Company has a typical corporate structure including a board of advisers, chief executive, operating and financial officers and a director of marketing. Each officer directs a team of students with interest in a particular field. For the new 2013-14 school year, a new set of officers and operations team is setting up shop to carry on the work started last year.

The process took nearly the full 2013 school year to get from concept to production, and the student team worked on every detail assisted by the guidance from the parent company.

“We want to thank Massimo Zanetti Beverage, O’Brien et al. Advertising, Palladium LLC and the Beazley Foundation for all their support and for helping us to learn and grow in our business,” Willis said. “Each company has shared their ‘real world’ knowledge and experience with us and provided a unique opportunity to learn directly from the best in the business.”

ABOUT THE NEXUS PROGRAM

All proceeds from this novel entrepreneurial exercise will go to the Nexus Financial Aid fund providing assistance to qualified students to travel on the many Nexus travel programs. Through the Nexus Program, Cape Henry students have been around the world, from visiting with the Dali Lama to working with community service programs in New Orleans helping Hurricane Katrina victims. The goal of Compass Rose Coffee Company is for every Cape Henry student to participate in at least one Nexus international program prior to graduation. Neptune’s Brew and other coffee blends can be purchased online at http://compassrosecoffee.webs.com/ or in the school’s “Spirit Store.”







CGTrader.com Invites 3D Designers To Challenge Santa Claus

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Vilnius, Lithuania (PRWEB) November 28, 2013

The fast-growing marketplace, which recently announced a 3D printing partnership with Sculpteo, is increasing its 3D printing ambitions. This time CGTrader is challenging the idea of gift-giving itself. Designers are invited to join Christmas 3D Printing Challenge and create 3D models that could be 3D printed and become great gifts or decorations for the forthcoming holiday.

The authors of the best Christmas model and the best Christmas portfolio will get magnificent gifts as well. Each of them will be awarded with 500 USD from CGTrader and Filabot Wee for making 3D printer filament. The runner-ups will also be awarded with valuable prizes – which include filaments for 3D printers from Colorfabb, gift cards from Sculpteo, filaments and promotional features from Kentstrapper and 3D printing service at 3D Print UK.

“Christmas is a special time of the year for a lot of people. As the world of manufacturing is changing, we think that giving 3D printable gifts instead of having a nightmare of Christmas rush in a supermarket will become a standard practice. We would like to encourage our designer community to participate in this trend and create outstanding Christmas gifts and decorations,“ says Marius Kalytis, CEO of CGTrader.com.

CGTrader is currently running another challenge for 3D designers as well – the 3D Architecture Challenge, which looks for the best architectural 3D designs in the market. There were some ambitious and notorious 3D modeling challenges on this marketplace earlier. One of them was Staples 3D Printing Challenge, which was used to define the best 3D print-ready model which could be printed out of paper.

About CGTrader.com:

The community-based 3D model marketplace CGTrader.com was founded in 2011. CGTrader has been built with the vision of democratizing the 3D modeling and 3D design market. This approach has attracted investors and in early 2013 CGTrader raised 185,000 EUR from venture capital fund Practica Capital. There are more than 42,000 3D models uploaded to the digital library and more than 26,500 registered users, uniting 3D modeling professionals from all around the world.







The Changing Face of Venture Capital Pt II #SVASE

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Panel discussion on the changing face of venture capital @Launch SVASE 2011. Moderator: Peter Delevett, San Jose Mercury News. Panel: John O’Farrell, Andrees…

Unconventional Oil & Gas Quarterly Deals Review, Q2 2013 – Bakken Shale Emerging as an Attractive Destination for Buyers

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London (PRWEB) November 27, 2013

Unconventional Oil & Gas Quarterly Deals Review, Q2 2013 – Bakken Shale Emerging as an Attractive Destination for Buyers

Summary

GlobalData’s “Unconventional Oil & Gas Quarterly Deals Review, Q2 2013 – Bakken Shale Emerging as an Attractive Destination for Buyers” report is an essential source of data and trend analysis on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and financings in the unconventional oil and gas industry. The report provides detailed information on M&As, equity/debt offerings, partnerships, and PE/VC transactions registered in the unconventional oil and gas segment in Q2 2013. The report provides detailed comparative data on the number of deals and their value in the last five quarters segregated into deal types, segments, and geographies.

Data presented in this report is derived from GlobalData’s proprietary in-house deals database and primary and secondary research.

Scope

-Analyze market trends for the unconventional oil and gas industry in the global arena

-Review of deal trends in the unconventional oil and gas segments, such as shale plays, CBM, Oil Sands

-Analysis of M&A, Equity/Debt Offerings, Partnerships, Private Equity, and Venture Financing in the unconventional oil and gas industry

-Summary of unconvetional oil and gas deals globally in the last five quarters

-Information on the top deals that took place in the industry

-Geographies covered include – North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South & Central America, and Middle East & Africa

-Review the valuation metrics, such as US$ per boe, US$ per 1P reserves, and US$ per 2P reserves

Reasons to buy

-Enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner

-Find out the major deal performing segments for investments in your industry

-Evaluate type of companies divesting / acquiring and ways to raise capital in the market

-Do deals with an understanding of how competitors are financed, and the mergers and partnerships that have shaped the unconventional oil and gas industry

-Identify major private equity/venture capital firms that are providing finance to unconventional oil and gas companies

-Identify growth segments and opportunities in each region within the industry

-Identify top deals makers in the unconventional oil and gas industry

Table of Contents

1 Table of Contents 3

1.1 List of Tables 5

1.2 List of Figures 7

2 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Deals Summary 9

2.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Deal Analysis, Q2 2013 9

2.2 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Deals by Type, Q2 2013 12

3 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Deals Summary by Type 13

3.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Q2 2013 13

3.1.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Share of Deals by Transaction Size, Q2 2013 15

3.1.2 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Transactions by Status, Q2 2013 16

3.1.3 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Number of Transactions by Region, Q2 2013 17

3.1.4 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, by Region and Size, Q2 2013 19

3.1.5 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Asset Transaction Value, by Region, Q2 2013 20

3.1.6 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, by Type of Unconventional Source, Q2 2013 22

3.1.7 Oil & Gas, Global, Asset Transactions, Conventional versus Unconventional, Q2 2013 24

3.1.8 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Asset Acquisitions, Q2 2013 26

3.1.9 Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Acquisitions, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transactions, by Value, Q2 2013 29

3.1.10 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Asset Buyers, Q2 2013 31

3.1.11 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Asset Sellers, Q2 2013 32

3.1.12 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Asset Transactions, Q2 2013 33

3.2 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Mergers and Acquisitions, Q2 2013 34

3.2.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Share of Deals by Transaction Size, Q2 2013 36

3.2.2 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Number by Status, Q2 2013 38

3.2.3 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, by Region, Q2 2013 39

3.2.4 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Number of Deals by Region and Size, Q2 2013 40

3.2.5 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Value by Region, Q2 2013 41

3.2.6 Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Conventional versus Unconventional, Q2 2013 42

3.2.7 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transactions, Q2 2013 44

3.2.8 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transaction Value, Q2 2013 46

3.2.9 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Corporate Buyers, Q2 2013 48

3.2.10 Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Top Deals, Q2 2013 48

3.3 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Equity Offerings, Q2 2013 49

3.3.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Top IPOs, Q2 2013 50

3.3.2 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Top Secondary Offerings, Q2 2013 51

3.3.3 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Top PIPE Deals, Q2 2013 51

3.4 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Debt Offerings, Q2 2013 52

3.4.1 Unconventional Oil and Gas, Top Debt Offerings in Q2 2013 53

3.5 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Private Equity and Venture Capital Deals, Q2 2013 54

3.6 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Partnership Deals, Q2 2013 56

3.6.1 Partnership Deals in Q2 2013 57

4 Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Acquisitions and Asset Transaction Multiples, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 59

5 Further Information 61

5.1 Methodology 61

5.2 About GlobalData 62

5.3 Disclosure information 62

5.4 Disclaimer 63

List of Tables

Table 1: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 11

Table 2: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Deals by Type (%), Q2 2013 12

Table 3: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 14

Table 4: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Deals by Deal Value (US$ MM) and Share (%), Q2 2013 15

Table 5: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Deals, Deal Value (US$ MM) and Share (%) by Status, Q2 2013 16

Table 6: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Number of Transactions by Region and by Value (US$ MM), Q2 2013 19

Table 7: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Transactions by Type of Unconventional Source, Number of Deals and Share (%), Q2 2013 23

Table 8: Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Conventional versus Unconventional, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 25

Table 9: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Asset Acquisitions, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 28

Table 10: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Acquisitions, , Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transactions, Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 30

Table 11: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Asset Buyers, Q2 2013 31

Table 12: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Asset Sellers, Q2 2013 32

Table 13: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Asset Transactions, Q2 2013 33

Table 14: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 35

Table 15: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, by Number of Deals, Deal Value (US$ MM) and Share (%), Q2 2013 37

Table 16: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, by Number of Deals , Total Value (US$ MM) and Share (%), Q2 2013 38

Table 17: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Number of Deals by Region and Size (US$ MM), Q2 2013 40

Table 18: Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Conventional versus Unconventional, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 43

Table 19: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Deals, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 45

Table 20: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transactions Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 47

Table 21: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Corporate Buyers, Q2 2013 48

Table 22: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Top Deals (US$ MM), Q2 2013 48

Table 23: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Equity Offerings, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 50

Table 24: Unconventional Oil and Gas, Global, Top IPOs, Q2 2013 50

Table 25: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top Secondary Offerings, Q2 2013 51

Table 26: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Top PIPE Deals, Q2 2013 51

Table 27: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Debt Offerings, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 53

Table 28: Unconventional Oil and Gas, Global, Top Public Debt Offerings, Q2 2013 53

Table 29: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 55

Table 30: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Partnership Deals, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 57

Table 31: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Acquisitions and Asset Transaction Multiples (US$ ), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 60

List of Figures

Figure 1: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 9

Figure 2: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Deals by Type (%),Q2 2013 12

Figure 3: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 13

Figure 4: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Deals by Transaction Size (US$ MM) by Share (%), Q2 2013 15

Figure 5: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Deals and Deal Value by Status (US$ MM), Q2 2013 16

Figure 6: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Number of Transactions by Region (%), Q2 2013 17

Figure 7: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Deal Value by Region (US$ MM), Q2 2013 20

Figure 8: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Number of Transactions by Type of Unconventional Source (%), Q2 2013 22

Figure 9: Oil & Gas Asset Transactions, Global, Conventional versus Unconventional, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ Billion), Q2 2013 24

Figure 10: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Asset Acquisitions, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 26

Figure 11: Unconventional Oil & Gas Asset Acquisitions, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transactions (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 29

Figure 12: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Mergers and Acquisitions, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 34

Figure 13: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Deals by Transaction Size (US$ MM) by Share (%), Q2 2013 36

Figure 14: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, by Status, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2013 38

Figure 15: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, by Region (%), Q2 2013 39

Figure 16: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Value by Region (US$ MM), Q2 2013 41

Figure 17: Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Conventional versus Unconventional, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ Billion), Q2 2013 42

Figure 18: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Domestic and Cross-border, Number of Deals, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 44

Figure 19: Unconventional Oil & Gas M&As, Global, Domestic and Cross-border Transactions Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 46

Figure 20: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Equity Offerings, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 49

Figure 21: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Debt Offerings, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 52

Figure 22: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Private Equity and Venture Capital, Number of Deals and Deal Value (US$ MM), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 54

Figure 23: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Number of Partnership Deals, Q2 2012-Q2 2013 56

Figure 24: Unconventional Oil & Gas, Global, Acquisitions and Asset Transaction Multiples (US$ ), Q2 2012-Q2 2013 59

Read the full report:

Unconventional Oil & Gas Quarterly Deals Review, Q2 2013 – Bakken Shale Emerging as an Attractive Destination for Buyers

http://www.reportbuyer.com/energy_utilities/oil_gas/unconventional_oil_gas_quarterly_deals_review_q2_2013_bakken_shale_emerging_attractive_destination_buyers.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Oil_and_Gas_energy

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: query@reportbuyer.com

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: http://www.reportbuyer.com







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To VC Or Not to VC – What is the State of the Venture Capital Market?

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During the second quarter of 2009, U.S. Venture Capital funds raised $ 1.7 billion vs. $ 9.3 billion in the second quarter of 2008, representing a drop of almost 82 percent! This startling statistic reinforces the fact that you MUST be prepared when trying to raise capital with Venture Capital firms. Companies are going after a much smaller pool of capital, so Venture Capital firms will only fund your company if you’re presented in a way that’s professional, memorable and believable.

Here is a checklist of 8 things to address that can increase your chances of gaining interest from Venture Capital firms:

Be honest with yourself – Is your company a viable candidate for Venture Capital?  If you go through all the steps in preparing an Executive Summary/Business Plan, you’ll have the answer to that question.  You may have a very viable business but it may not be a Venture Capital candidate.
Problem or Opportunity – What specific problem or opportunity are you addressing with your product or service?  You need to be clear about the pain or opportunity and how you’re going to reduce costs, increase revenue, reduce time-to-market, etc.
Solution – How are you going to fix the problem?  What hardware, software, and services are you offering?
Market Opportunity – What specific market segment are you targeting?  Remember, there are riches in niches!  You’ll show that you’ve done the research needed to have a strong go-to-market strategy.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – What is unique about your product or service offering and why would a client pay you money vs. all the competition in the market?  (for emerging technologies where there isn’t business competition, you’re competing against inertia)
Management Team – Who will be running the business and how are they uniquely qualified to make your company successful?
Financial Projections – Remember, investors will only invest in your company if you can show them how you will make them money.  Your five year financial projections should clearly demonstrate how you will do this…but they need to be believable or you’re wasting your time.  Nothing turns off an investor faster than projections of your company reaching unrealistic revenue targets.
Funding Request – Many business plans fail to include how much capital they require and its uses.  If you are requesting a certain amount for Phase 1 and plan a subsequent round for a later Phase, state that as specifically as you can.

These are only a few areas that must be addressed to be successful in raising the financing you need for your company.  You need to get “thick-skinned” when dealing with rejection because a low percentage of deals actually get funded with Venture Capital.  Following these steps will not guarantee you success but will greatly increase the chances of raising capital for your company when properly prepared.

For a free, no-obligation “To VC or Not To VC Consultation”, contact us and we’ll be happy to provide you the concrete feedback you need to increase your chances of success.

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CU-Boulder Students Invest $30,000 in Startup Through Real-life Venture Capital Program

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Boulder, CO (PRWEB) November 26, 2013

Elihuu, a startup company whose slogan is “meet your manufacturer,” has met an investor — a group of University of Colorado Boulder graduate students.

The students last week put $ 30,000 into Elihuu, an online software platform that connects product designers with manufacturers who can make their wares.

The students turned venture capitalists direct CU-Boulder’s Deming Center Venture Fund (DCVF), which was launched by a donor in 1997 and is a program of the Leeds School of Business.

Selected from across campus to be part of the fund, the students manage everything from scouting new companies to vetting business plans, negotiating the terms of agreements, making final decisions on investments and supporting investees with ongoing resources and advice.

“I think it’s brilliant and that they’re doing all the right things,” said Dorian Ferlauto, founder and CEO of Elihuu, which is based in Denver as well as Oakland, Calif. “I really didn’t know that there is a university fund like this run by students. It’s very unique and I think it’s a great thing in this area where there are a lot of startups.”

The $ 30,000 investment will go toward development and expansion of the Elihuu tool, which Ferlauto says is similar to a matchmaking website except it’s for designers and manufacturers working to line up with the right business partners.

One appeal to the students as they carried out their research on the company is that Elihuu supports the cutting-edge “makers movement.” The makers movement, which is growing in popularity, is comprised of people like artisans, techies and inventors who create small-scale products on their own.

While investee companies benefit from seed money from the DCVF, the student directors gain professional experience and unique insights that could give them an advantage as they pursue their own ventures.

“By going through the capital investment process and by being on the decision-making side, the students know what questions will be asked of them as entrepreneurs,” said Bret Fund, faculty director of the DCVF and assistant professor of management and entrepreneurism. “They themselves will build better companies or be better able to do whatever they want when they move forward.”

Nearly all DCVF alumni have landed employment in technology companies, venture capital firms or other professions related to entrepreneurship, according to the team.

About 10 to 12 CU-Boulder graduate students from business, law and engineering fields are part of the DCVF at a time. They apply for a position on the interdisciplinary team and serve for about 18 months.

“Students almost never get the opportunity, even through internships, to make venture capital decisions,” said Julie Simmons, director of legal management for the DCVF and a graduate student in both law and business administration. “The fund is completely ours to direct. We bring in the deals, we make the relationships and we make the decisions. The challenges are ours to figure out and the successes are ours to celebrate.”

Some of the student directors receive externship credit from the CU Law School for their DCVF participation; however, many students earn no credit from their respective degree programs.

Investments by the DCVF typically are in technology startups. In addition to Elihuu, the fund’s portfolio currently includes Birdbox, an online platform that organizes individuals’ social media content; Flixmaster, a cloud-based video editing and publishing tool; and SpyderLynx, a mobile marketing and technology company.

The student team works with five faculty directors and a board of professional advisers

Since 2009, the DCVF has deployed more than $ 200,000 in investments. Returns on DCVF investments typically come when bigger companies buy the startups. At that time, the DCVF’s ownership and the value of that percentage based on the acquisition is calculated. The acquiring company pays the DCVF its share.

One goal of the DCVF is to accrue enough in returns to put a percentage of profits back into the CU-Boulder campus and programs in addition to maintaining the fund.

“There are a lot of mock competitions out there that give students the chance to think through scenarios and put their skills to the test,” said Chris White, director of outreach for the DCVF and a graduate student in both law and business administration. “But I think this is the only situation where students are investing real money. The possibilities are incredibly real.”

For more information about the Deming Center Venture Fund visit http://cudcvf.org/.

-CU-