Keiretsu Forum Global

Randy Williams Interview regarding EXPO, November 17, 2011

2011-10-30T19:22:00.000-07:00

You are cordially invited to review this interview and to learn more about Keiretsu Forum.

http://www.dingding.tv/bencandy.php?fid=32&id=1475

For more information on global events, please contact judith@keiretsuforum.com

Jack and Shelley Bays lead International Investment Forum for Keiretsu Forum, Cisco and Birmingham Science Park (Aston)

2011-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

The International Investment Forum--a pioneering concept for 'innovation hubs without walls'

Connecting entrepreneurs with Global investors using the latest video communications platforms

London, 11 October 2011 - Three EU based partners, Keiretsu Forum, Cisco, and Birmingham Science Park Aston (BSPA) launched the International Investment Forum (IIF). For the first time, the IIF enables international investors to see, discuss and evaluate new companies with serious growth potential in multiple markets face-to-face, without the need to travel.

Jack and Shelley Bays, Co Presidents of Keiretsu Forum London and Paris led the meeting. Keiretsu Forum members from Chapters in San Francisco, Seatlle, Silicon Valley, East Bay, Paris, and London participated. Four companies were showcased, each with the potential for growth and to attract international investments. Each company was seeking between $750MM to $2.25 MM, well within Keiretsu Forum's sweet spot for syndicated investments.

Sixty members of the six participating Keiretsu Forum Chapters (out of 20 total worldwide) used Cisco's telepresence facilities to review the emerging companies.

The IIF is built on Cisco's Global Exchange for Growth (GXG) initiative, BSPA's iCentrumTM concept of the "Science Park Without Walls" and Keiretsu Forum's international network. It utilises the latest collaborative technologies, including video communications platforms such as Cisco's TelePresence.

The IIF has been developed to connect entrepreneurs looking for funds to a global network of investors – the model will help to pioneer cross-border and intercontinental investment opportunities.

Phil Smith, CEO Cisco UK&I, said "Location and travel budgets are no longer a barrier to companies getting in front of the best and most appropriate investors. Through advances in the Internet and ICT opportunities now exist to bring multiple parties together via different forms of video collaboration and enable them to engage and do business. Alongside our partners BSPA and KF, Cisco is pioneering a model of "innovation hubs without walls" that supports cities and regions as the nucleus for economic growth and impacts growth acceleration."

The IIF is closely aligned with the UK Government's innovation and growth agenda, and David Willets, Minister of State for Universities and Science, will open the first meeting with a keynote speech from Cisco's London City office. The IIF also integrates with Cisco's British Innovation Gateway (BIG) programme.

Smith continues, "Cisco is showing significant commitment to supporting the UK Government's hi-tech growth and innovation agenda, particularly through its Olympic partnership and BIG programme. Through these initiatives Cisco intends to increase the level of foreign direct investment in the digital sector of the UK economy and enable hi-tech entrepreneurs to gain greater access to venture capital. The IIF is a tremendous step forward in achieving these goals."

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, "The International Investment Forum is an exciting and innovative development. Linking up entrepreneurs and investors across the world will help to bring new products to market more quickly and efficiently than ever before."

David Hardman, CEO Birmingham Science Park Aston (BSPA), said "We believe that cooperation and collaboration across administrative and national boundaries promotes successful translation of technologies from concepts to commercial reality. By creating an offering that combines the virtual and the physical, we can bring this collaboration to a global level, so enhancing the chances of British entrepreneurs and innovators delivering their aspirations. Our fledgling start-up businesses need to connect with like-minded people, such thatany gaps in knowledge, talent, or funding can be filled through this global connectivity."

Randy Williams, Founder & CEO Keiretsu Forum (KF), concludes, "When I started Keiretsu Forum ten years ago, it was my dream to create a cross-border investment model to benefit entrepreneurs and investors. Today, with the creation of our partnership with Cisco and Birmingham, we can connect investors and entrepreneurs via the Internet accessing intellectual capital and financial capital in key markets bringing Keiretsu Forum to global leadership in a new investment paradigm. This is an exciting collaborative breakthrough for business angel organisations and science parks, and it has come to fruition through Cisco's leadership. We are honoured to be part of this initiative."

For more information on future IIF meetings, contact Jbays@keiretsuforum.com, Sbays@keiretsuforum.com or judith@keiretsuforum.com.

To follow the International Investment Forum on Twitter, use #IIF

Jack and Shelley Bays

Paris, London, Seattle

Max Shapiro, Anne Lange, Randy Williams

Keiretsu Forum Barcelona in Expansion

2011-06-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to inform you that today Keiretsu Forum is posted in Expansion, the leading business newspaper in Spain, because last year 2010 Keiretsu leaded the ranking on closed deals in Catalonia (Spain), with 1,55M Euros invested in 7 companies. Please see the image of the publication after the break.

Keiretsu Forum Mentioned In WSJ's Web Watch

2011-06-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

Today's Wall Street Journal featured a write-up of Keiretsu Forum in the section "Web Watch: Finding Financing." For more information and the full write up please visit The Wall Street Journal.

UN Foundation Partnership - Eliminating Measles in Mozambique

2011-06-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum is a proud partner with the United Nations Foundation as part of Keiretsu's efforts to promote international development through addressing energy & climate change, child health and sustainable development. Currently the UN Foundation is working on immunizing children in Mozambique against measles and is asking for contributions in order to help ensure a healthier future for these children. Please click here to donate. See below the break or visit the UN Foundation for more information.

Over the last five days, the country of Mozambique has accomplished something remarkable. They’ve helped ensure a healthier future for millions of children with a simple, cost-effective, and life-saving solution: the measles vaccine.

Each day, 450 people (mostly children) die from measles. But — for less than $1 — we can immunize a child against measles and help ensure a healthier, happier future.

I’m on the ground here in Mozambique, witnessing the launch of this nationwide campaign to immunize 3.6 million children against measles. Standing alongside health workers, I’ve seen the tears of children as they receive the vaccine — and I’ve also seen the smiles of mothers, who know that their child now has a chance at a healthier life.

"It’s astonishing how far mothers will walk to get their children protected against measles," recently retired Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) told me while at a health clinic in rural Mozambique. He and I have seen the need — and the potential — of these vaccines. Watch the video below and learn more:

Thanks to the life-saving power of vaccines and to the hard work of country governments, the United Nations and their partners, we have helped reduce measles mortality by more than 90% in Africa. Your support of The Measles Initiative — a partnership led by the United Nations Foundation, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the American Red Cross, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — helped achieve this tremendous progress and has saved millions of lives.

We’re committed to working with the United Nations and our partners to provide life-saving vaccines to children around the world. This fall, the UN Foundation will launch a new global vaccines campaign to ensure that every child has a shot at a happy, healthy life. Stay tuned for more details!

Together, we can make vaccine-preventable diseases — like measles — history.

Thank you,

Peg Willingham

Executive Director, Global Vaccines Campaign
United Nations Foundation

LLNL and Keiretsu Forum MOU Announcement

2011-04-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

We are excited to share with you that at the March 24th Angel Capital Expo Keiretsu Forum and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Industrial Partnerships Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the commercialization and deployment of LLNL inventions through new ventures.

For your information, below is the official press release issued prior to the agreement signing.

https://www.llnl.gov/news/newsreleases/2011/Mar/NR-11-03-07.html

For immediate release: 03/23/2011 | NR-11-03-07

LLNL to sign Memorandum of Understanding with world's largest angel investor network

Stephen P Wampler, LLNL, (925) 423-3107, wampler1@llnl.gov

Erik Stenehjem

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Industrial Partnerships Office and the chief executive officer of the world's largest angel investor network will unveil a collaboration agreement Thursday to aid technology commercialization.

"The purpose of the collaboration is to support the commercialization and deployment of LLNL inventions through new ventures and to provide enhanced deal flow to members of the angel investor network, the Keiretsu Forum," said Erik Stenehjem, the director of LLNL's Industrial Partnerships Office.

The memorandum of understanding will be presented Thursday afternoon by Stenehjem and Randy Williams, the founder and CEO of the Keiretsu Forum, at "Angel Capital Expo" on the Microsoft campus in Mountain View. (An angel investor is a private investor who invests in the funding of start-up companies.)

Both Williams and Stenehjem see a mutual benefit to the partnership. They believe that LLNL's mission of deploying its intellectual property in commercially valuable ways is advanced by the work of the Keiretsu Forum in structuring, investing in and implementing "go to market" strategies.

"At the Keiretsu Forum, we not only have capital, but critical resources and connections that can help these companies grow and mature to benefit the U.S. economy," Williams said. Under the MOU, LLNL and a group of Keiretsu members will develop a process under which Livermore technologies will be evaluated by Forum members as potentially valuable for commercialization and moved forward.

"The value proposition for us is the chance to showcase our technologies to the largest angel network in the world," Stenehjem said. "It is understood by both parties that the technologies made available are all publicly available, consistent with fairness of opportunity provisions."

The Keiretsu Forum is the world's largest angel investor network with 850 accredited investor members throughout 21 chapters on three continents.

Since the Keiretsu Forum's founding in 2000, its members have invested more than $260 million in technology companies, consumer products, healthcare/life sciences, real estate and other segments of the economy. In the Bay Area, the network has 365 members and four chapters (Silicon Valley, East Bay, North Bay and San Francisco).

The name of the Forum derives its name from the Japanese concept of members working together for the common good to help entrepreneurs grow to the next level.

Keiretsu Forum Northern California partner events

2011-04-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum members, sponsors and entrepreneurs can participate in events with our partner organizations across the region. In many of these events, Keiretsu Forum members participate as panelists and speakers. The following is a list of events organized by Keiretsu Forum partnering organizations. Please attend and enjoy as your schedule allows. More detailed event information is listed below and organized by region to assist you with finding events in your local areas. Keiretsu Forum encourages you to participate and to strengthen Northern California's robust community of investors.

OVERVIEW

• Monday, April 11, 2011 - Seed-Stage Angel Elevator Pitch

• Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - What it Means to be Board Qualified

• Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - OVERconnected: The Promise and Threat of the Internet with Bill Davidow

• Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - The Mobile Revolution: Quarterly Venture breakfast with Pillsbury Winthrop and PricewaterhouseCoopers

• Thursday, March 17, 2011 - Sustainable Business Leadership Forum: Best Practices in Sustainable Management

• Thursday, March 17, 2011- Angel Elevator Pitch

• Tuesday, April 21, 2011- ACG Lunch Event: Discovering the Family Jewels - How Galaxy Desserts Found its (not so) Hidden Treasure.

• Tuesday, April 21, 2011- VC Taskforce Angel Elevator Pitch

• Wednesday, April 27, 2011- ACG Global Opportunities Gathering: Are you Ready to do Business in China.

• Wednesday, April 27, 2011- VC Taskforce - Doing Business with Uncle Sam: Effective Startup Strategies for Selling to the Federal Government

• Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster presents: The 2011 Seed Round Business Competition - Entry period began: 1/31/2011, Last day to enter: 3/16/2011

San Francisco Events

VC Taskforce Seed-Stage Investor Elevator Pitch

Monday April 11th, 2011 from 6:00-8:30 PM

Event Sponsor: Hanson Bridgett LLP (425 Market Street 26th Floor, San Francisco)

The Seed Stage Angel Elevator Pitch is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to network with Seed Stage Angels and other CXOs, present their company and ideas, and learn first-hand how to raise early-stage capital in today's market.

Seed Stage Angel investors generally invest $100,000-$200,000 per person in early stage technology companies as compared to traditional Angels who may invest $25,000 to $50,000 in a deal.

If you are an entrepreneur in a startup who is currently seeking capital, and would like to present your best two minute elevator pitch to a panel of Seed Stage Angels, you must first send an email Request to Present in advance before you register to receive confirmation from the program manager space is available on the line up. The maximum number of presenters is limited to ten. Entrepreneurs not yet ready to present an angel pitch are encouraged to register and attend. By listening to the pitches, the Q&A, and the critiques you will learn key points to develop an effective pitch.

Our lively panel discussion and Q&A will also provide critical insight into what it takes to raise capital today.

Moderator: Max Shapiro, PeopleConnect

Panelists:

Kent Goldman, Principal, First Round Capital

Gady Nemirovsky, Inspiration VC

Andrea Zurek, XG Ventures

Paul Straub, Director, Claremont Creek Ventures

Jed Katz, Javelin Partners

Agenda:

Doors Open: 6 PM

Program: 6:30-8:30 PM

Hors d'oeuvres and soda included

Registration and more Information: CLICK HERE

$45 VC Taskforce Members

$55 Affiliate Organization Members

$75 Non VC Taskforce Members

(If space is available, door registration is an additional $10)

Watermark Presents: What it means to be Board Qualified

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 from 6:00 - 8:30 PM

Charles Schwab (211 Main Street, 9th Floor San Francisco, CA)

Ever ask yourself, "What specific steps can I take to become more board-qualified and board-savvy?" This Watermark event will provide detailed information about the qualifications needed for public and private Board service. Questions like these will be addressed:

* "Do I have the experience and competencies that are in demand for Board Directors?"

* "What level of P&L experience is really required?"

* "How do I turn my discipline expertise into an asset?"

This event will help you begin thinking about a career and networking plan on how to become better qualified and find ways to make yourself visible to those Boards actively seeking members.

Speakers:

Barb Stinnett, Co-Founder & CEO, Timmaron Partners, LLC

René Kim, Senior Vice President, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Pricing:

Concierge, Premier, and Sponsor Members: $70.00

Basic Members: $90.00

Non-Members: $125.00

Please note: You are invited to attend 2 events as a non-member before joining Watermark. All Watermark events are non-refundable.

RSVP and More Information: CLICK HERE

ACG Lunch Event: Discovering the Family Jewels - How Galaxy Desserts Found Its (not so) Hidden Treasure

Thursday, April 21st, 2011 from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

The City Club of San Francisco (155 Sansome Street, San Francisco)

Speaker(s):

APRIL 2011 LUNCH SERIES EVENT

TOPIC: "Discovering the Family Jewels:

How Galaxy Desserts Found Its (not so) Hidden Treasure"

and the presentation of the

2011 ACG SF COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

EVENT DETAILS:

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2011

Registration/Networking: 11:30am

Lunch/Panel Discussion: Noon

Closing Remarks/Q&A: 1:30pm

EVENT REGISTRATION:

ACG Members & Member Guests: $50

Non-Members: $70

RSVP by NOON, Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Onsite walk-ins: $10 additional

Galaxy Desserts had created a solid business making exquisite, French-inspired indulgences, such as its Dulce de Leche and Grand Teton Mousse Cakes, which were flown in for a Rolling Stones' concert at Madison Square Garden years ago. Little did they know that hidden in a side hallway, as almost an afterthought to their "core" business, laid a product that was to be a key to their future. Once they discovered this hidden jewel, their business prospered and continues to grow very quickly. They are currently the national leader in exquisite French-inspired desserts and pastries, such as all-butter Croissants, Mini-Morning Buns, Chocolate Truffle Marquise Mousse Cake, New York Cheesecake, Lemon Tarts, and Chocolate Lava Cake, with sales last year of just under $100MM (actually closer to $25MM!).

Join us to hear the Galaxy Dessert story and taste some of their indulgences and congratulate our winner of the 2011 San Francisco Chapter Community Service Award!

GUEST SPEAKER BIOS: Paul Levitan, President & CEO: Galaxy Desserts, Jean-Yves Charon, Co-Founder and Pastry Chef: GalaxyDeserts

RSVP and more Information: CLICK HERE

ACG Global Opportunities Gathering: Are you Ready to do Business in China..?

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

K&L GATES
4 Embarcadero Center, 12th Flr. Downtown San Francisco

5:30pm - 7:30pm
Hors D'oeuvres and Wine Bar

Guest Speakers:

Howard Chen, Partner: K&L Gates

Jim Sinclair, President: J. Sinclair and Associates - Chicago

Join the Global Opportunities group in a presentation and discussion on setting up and operating a business in China (service and manufacturing) as well as contract services (manufacturing, testing, R&D).

We have invited several service providers and operating companies to help facilitate discussions by providing examples of proven successful approaches, where there are potential problems now - traps to look out for, and possible legal and accounting changes in China that may change ways to operate in the future.

EVENT REGISTRATION:

ACG Members & Member Guests: $20

Non-Members: $30

RSVP by 5pm on Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A $5 fee will be added to all onsite walk-ins

RSVP and further Information: CLICK HERE

North Bay Events

Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster presents: The 2011 Seed Round Business Competition

The First Annual Seed Round business plan competition is the only event of its kind in the North Bay: a chance for local entrepreneurs to get their plans in front of investor judges, receive the exposure and recognition that can help their business get funded, and win prizes.

If you have a business idea, we want you to be a part of this inaugural event! By participating in the Seed Round, you will:

-Learn about creating a business plan - you will be invited to attend an exclusive Business Plan

Workshop and you will have access to a one-on-one mentor to review your plan

-Network with fellow entrepreneurs and investors - both the Business Plan Workshop and the Final will present opportunities to meet new and seasoned entrepreneurs, angel and VC investors

-Test your ideas - your business plan will be judged by actual investors; success in the 2011 Seed

Round is a good indicator of the plan's viability and a great way to get noticed

-Win - the 2011 Seed Round prize package is presently valued at nearly $34,000, with additional announcements coming soon

Key Dates for the 2011 Seed Round business plan competition are:

• Last day to enter: 3/16/2011

• Business Plan Workshop: 3/30/2011

• Last day to submit full plan: 5/4/2011

• Announcement of finalists: 5/16/2011

• 2011 Seed Round final: 6/1/2011

More information and Registration can be found here: 2011 Seed Round Website

Silicon Valley Events

OVERconnected: The Promise and Threat of the Internet with Bill Davidow

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 from 6:30 - 9:30pm

Bank Leumi (2000 University Ave, 1st Floor, East Palo Alto)

Agenda:

6:30 - 7:15: Networking, schmoozing and eating

7:15 - 7:30: Welcome, committee news and other group business

7:30 - 8:30: Presentation and Discussion with our featured guest(s)

8:30 - 9:30: Informal discussions and networking

About the Event:

In Overconnected, Bill Davidow, a former Silicon Valley executive, successful entrepreneur, scholar, historian, and bestselling author (The Virtual Corporation), explains how the almost miraculous success of the Internet has also engendered a unique set of hazards and challenges for government, social institutions, business, and economies.

The benefits of our highly-connected state have been myriad and dramatic, propelling economic growth and making the world more efficient. The practical applications of this new medium - the ability to manage our lives and businesses at anytime from anywhere, network and socialize with our friends, and create commercial enterprises that span the world - have made the Internet a force unequaled in scope or impact in our daily lives.

RSVP and More Information: CLICK HERE

Guest Admission: $15 (pay at http://jhtc.org); $20 at door

The Mobile Revolution: Quarterly Venture Breakfast with Pillsbury Winthrop and PricewaterhouseCoopers

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP (2475 Hanover Street, Palo Alto, CA 94304)

It was only a few years ago investors felt the US was lagging behind both Europe and Asia in mobile technology. The game changing introduction of iPhone by Apple and the emerging Android platform has catapulted the US into the leading mobile innovation market. Even the new Nokia CEO is thinking about relocating to the Bay Area! With over 5 Billion mobile subs globally, most people will be accessing the Internet by phone. What are the latest mobile trends getting the most investor money? How is the mobile world likely to be different in 12 months? Come hear the answers to those and other questions from our experts.

Confirmed Speakers:

John Balen, Canaan Partners

Steve Bengston, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Vispi Daver, Sierra Ventures

Lars Leckie, Hummer Winblad

Katie Rice, EPIC Ventures

Moderator: Stan Pierson, Pillsbury Winthrop

Registration Link: CLICK HERE

Discount code: QVB05 for $5 off regular registration price

VC Taskforce Angel Elevator Pitch

Thursday, April 21st, 2011 from 6:00-8:30 PM

Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP (Two Palo Alto Square)

Angel Elevator Pitch is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to network with Angels and other CXOs, present their company and ideas, and learn first-hand how to raise early-stage capital in today's market.

Entrepreneurs not yet ready to present an angel pitch are encouraged to register and attend. By listening to the pitches, the Q&A, and the critiques you will learn key points to develop an effective pitch.

If you are an investor, come and listen to entrepreneurs' pitches. You never know where you'll find your next deal. Find out how our panel of investors rate the entrepreneurs' pitches; which Angels pass and for what reasons; and which entrepreneurs other Angels want to talk to ASAP. Please contact us if you would like to participate on one of our Pitch or Workshop panels.

Moderator: Max Shapiro, PeopleConnect

Panelists:

Ed Esber, Angels Forum

JC Sarner, Harvard Angels

Dave Dembitz, Keiretsu Forum

Jim Connor, Sand Hill Angels

John Ryan, Band of Angels

Agenda:

Doors Open: 6 PM

Program: 6:30-8:30 PM

Hors d'oeuvres and soda included

Registration:

$45 VC Taskforce Members

$55 Affiliate Organization Members

$75 Non VC Taskforce Members

(If space is available, door registration is an additional $10)

RSVP and More Information: CLICK HERE

VC Taskforce - Doing Business with Uncle Sam: Effective Startup Strategies for Selling to the Federal Government

Wednesday April 27th, 2011 from 6:00-9:00 PM

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (650 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto)

VC Taskforce is pleased to host a seminar on best strategies for becoming a supplier to the US Government and for building your government marketshare. Learn from experienced CEOs who have cracked the code and a legendary Beltway matchmaker with decades of experience connecting federal customers and financial sponsors for the best early stage technologies.

Key topics include:

* Relevant federal initiatives for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and an overview of USG technology spending.

* The Federal procurement process and how to qualify.

* Other special funding initiatives including congressionally directed funding (earmarks)--and how to use them to benefit your company.

Moderator:

Ken Rosen, Managing Partner, Theory and Practice

Panelists:

Bill Simmons, Managing Director, Dutko Worldwide, a global leader in assisting companies with their government market initiatives. Jim Green, CEO, Composite Software, a leader in information integration with broad use in federal computing.

Craig Norris, CEO, Oughtobe Consulting LLC. Craig has two decades of developing federal markets for his Silicon Valley-based companies.

Agenda:

Registration, Networking 6:00 - 7:00

Panel Discussion 7:00 - 8:00

Q&A 8:00 - 8:30

Hors d'oeuvres, wine and soft drinks will be served.

Registration Fee:

VC Taskforce Member $45;

Affiliate Organization Member $55

General- $75

RSVP: CLICK HERE

EBC Cleantech Casino Night

Thursday, May 12th, 2011 from 6:00 - 10:00pm

San Jose City Hall Rotunda (200 East Santa Clara Street, 95113)

Environmental Business Cluster: Cleantech Casino Night!

RSVP & More Information: http://ebccasinonight-partner.eventbrite.com/

Reminder: Upcoming Keiretsu Forum Investor Meetings!

Keiretsu Forum San Francisco

Wednesday, April 27, 2011: 7:30am - 11:30am

San Francisco City Club (155 Sansome St., 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA)

Keiretsu Forum North Bay

Wednesday, April 27, 2011: 2:30pm - 6:00pm (Please note 2:30pm start time)

Marin Art & Garden Center (30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross, CA)

Keiretsu Forum East Bay

Thursday, April 28, 2011: 7:30am - 11:30am

Lafayette Veterans Memorial (3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA)

Keiretsu Forum Silicon Valley

Friday, April 29, 2011: 8:00am - 11:30am

DLA Piper (2000 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA)

RSVP to Attend

If you would like to submit a partner event to be included in the next Keiretsu Forum Partner Event Calendar, or if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a partner of Keiretsu Forum, please contact:

Nina Quasebarth at nina@keiretsuforum.com

Partner Event submissions must be received by 3:00pm on the last Friday of each month.

First Meeting of the Keiretsu Forum Philadelphia Chapter a Success

2011-04-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

50 interested investors, entrepreneurs, guests, and sponsors joined Keiretsu Forum Philadelphia Chapter President Howard Lubert and Vice President Vincent Leusner at the first meeting of the 21st Keiretsu Forum chapter yesterday. Also in attendance were Keiretsu Founder/CEO Randy Williams, and representatives from the Mayor's Office and the Philadelphia media.

Dominic S. Liberi, a partner and member of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP's Business and Finance practice and David Reuter a Partner with the venture capital firm of LLR Partners, were panelists for a key discussion, “The State of Private Equity & Angel Investing Today." Obermayer recently joined the Philadelphia Chapter as Keiretsu Forum’s Host Sponsor.

Following the panel presentation, two emerging companies presented their business plans.

K4 Madrid in the News

2011-03-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

La nueva sede Keiretsu Forum Madrid permitirá a emprendedores madrileños obtener financiación

March 15th, 2011 | Europapress.es | Madrid

“La nueva sede de Keiretsu Forum situada en Madrid permitirá desarrollar un mercado de financiación de capital para los emprendedores madrileños en sus etapas iniciales, de fuerte impacto nacional y como puente a una red internacional de inversores, según ha informado la Comunidad de Madrid en un comunicado.

De esta forma, el Gobierno regional ha apoyado la creación y puesta en marcha de esta nueva sede en España de Keiretsu Forum Internacional, la red de inversores líder en los Estados Unidos en inversión, operaciones y número de miembros, y que cuenta con 20 sedes en el extranjero.

Junto a la Comunidad, participan como entidades promotoras 'laCaixa', Bufete Garrigues, EOI, Ametic, la Cámara de Comercio y Madrid Network…

… Keiretsu Forum International se organiza por sedes locales, como asociación de inversores que desean invertir capital en pequeñas y medianas empresas en crecimiento. No invierte directamente, sino que pone en contacto a sus miembros, potenciales inversores, con las empresas solicitantes de capital, seleccionadas tras un estricto proceso de evaluación…

… Las inversiones, a partir de un millón de euros, y hasta 100 millones, nunca comportan control de la mayoría accionarial...

… Todo este conjunto de relaciones facilitan el acceso al capital, al talento, a la tecnología y a cualquier otro recurso para hacer crecer una empresa.”

Para el artículo completa: http://www.europapress.es/madrid/noticia-nueva-sede-keiretsu-forum-madrid-permitira-emprendedores-madrilenos-obtener-financiacion-20110315190316.html

Keiretsu Forum Madrid signs new agreements with EOI Escuela de Organizacion Industrial

2011-03-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.eoi.es/portal/guest/noticia/947/eoi-y-keiretsu-forum-madrid-buscan-impulsar-la-inversion-privada-en-empresas-innovadoras

Expo 2011

2011-03-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum’s
ANGEL CAPITAL EXPO

Thursday, March 24, 2011

8:00am – 3:30pm

Microsoft Auditorium

1065 La Avenida St.

Mountain View, CA 94043

Keiretsu Forum is proud to announce our upcoming Angel Capital Expo!

Angel Capital Expo is the premier gathering of the angel capital community. Keiretsu Forum created this event in order to connect knowledgeable investors with captivating entrepreneurs. The Expo fosters collaboration amongst angel groups, while also incorporating the larger investment network.

The event will feature ten presenters from early stage companies. Companies selected are from a wide variety of industries ranging from technology, life sciences, consumer products, real estate, financial services, social ventures and other segments with high growth potential.

Agenda:

7:30AM - 8:30AM Test ride the TESLA ROADSTER (registered guests only)

8:00AM - 9:00AM Registration, Breakfast & Booth Exhibitors

9:00AM - 9:10AM Welcome, Opening Remarks & Overview

9:10AM - 10:00AM Panel

10:00AM - 11:45AM Presenting Companies - Block I

12:00PM - 1:00PM Lunch & Booth Exhibitors

1:00PM - 2:45PM Presenting Companies - Block II

2:45PM - 3:30PM Announcement of "Most Valued Company Competition",

Closing Remarks & Booth Exhibitors

3:30PM Adjourn

To Register:

For more detailed information and in order to register, visit the event site at: Eventbrite

______________________________________________________

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Keiretsu Forum Staff. Email us at info@keiretsuforum.com or call (925) 283-8829.

K4 Spain Update

2011-03-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Foro de Inversores- Madrid. 15 Marzo 2011!

CaixaForum Madrid. Paseo del Prado 36.

Es con gran placer que les extendemos una cordial invitación a nuestro próximo Foro de Inversión. Les pedimos que hagan espacio en sus ocupadas agendas para atender a esta cita el 15 Marzo 2011!

Agenda de Trabajo:

16:45h Acreditaciones, registro y acceso a la sala.

17:00h Bienvenida y presentacion del Foro.

17:45h Descanso o Coffe Break.

18:00h Presentación: Propuesta 1.

18:15h Presentación: Propuesta 2.

18:30h Presentación: Propuesta 3.

18:45h Valoración de los proyectos presentados.

19:00h Clausura.

Observaciones:

Como se ve, las intervenciones deberán ser milimétricas en cuanto al tiempo. (2-3 min. cada una, como máx.)

El Consejero y el Embajador disponen de un máximo de 10 minutos, cada uno.

La llegada de los representantes de la Entidades Promotoras debería ser sobre las 16:45h, para, a continuación, esperar al Consejero y al Embajador en una sala privada de CaixaForum.

El Acto se iniciará puntualmente, a las 17:05h (cinco minutos de cortesía).

Para otros próximos encuentros, ver la Agenda de Foros 2011 en www.keiretsuforum.es/agenda.php.

Un cordial saludo,

Keiretsu Forum Spain

www.keiretsuforum.es

K4 London Update

2011-03-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Cambridge Startup Weekend

From a recent article by Nick Flaherty, “Startups Gather in Cambridge”

March 7, 2011 | ElectronicsWeekly.com

UK startups are gathering this weekend, March 11^th-13^th, for The Cambridge Startup Weekend. The weekend is an intense 54 hour event which focuses on building a web or mobile application that could form the basis of a credible business over the course of three days. The new companies will compete in order to gain the opportunity to receive support through both funding and mentoring.

Keiretsu Forum London is offering a special jury prize that will give the winning team a chance to pitch at Keiretsu’s next Angel Investors’ Forum. The winners will also be rewarded with coaching from the K4 community.

Serial entrepreneur Dawson King, founder and CEO of Cambridge Healthcare, speaks about the tremendous value of this event: “The Cambridge Startup Weekend is the perfect opportunity to bring together these smart ideas with the mentoring and skills that can make them a reality. I'm looking forward to seeing the next generation of healthcare innovation in action at the event."

Later in the article, Mauro Ciaccio, co-organizer of the event, explains that, "The response to the Cambridge Startup Weekend has been phenomenal, … testament to the vibrancy of the Cambridge technology cluster and the proven track record of these events in driving learning and innovation.”

- - - - - - - - - -

To read the full article: http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/uk-technology-startups/2011/03/startups-gather-in-cambridge.html

For more information about The Cambridge Startup Weekend, visit: http://cambridge.startupweekend.org/

Bay Area Presenting Companies

2011-02-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

Keiretsu Forum’s Northern California Team is proud to announce the presenting companies for the month of February are the following: Digital Prunes; SingleTouch; and Oh! Shoes. Please read below for detailed summaries of the companies, as well as for the calendar of upcoming events.

FEBRUARY PRESENTING COMPANIES:

Digital Prunes

Digital Prunes develops and sells games for mobile devices such as iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android. Digital Prunes is building a high margin business based on recurring revenue from the loyal users playing Digital Prunes' games.

SingleTouch

Software that tracks Labor, Materials, Equipment and Services used on jobsites to provide real time data to the company's decision makers. The base principle is "Enter Data Once". Software provides automation and control for labor, materials, equipment and inventory for construction and maintenance in the Energy sector. Installed with customers up to $500m in revenues with 3000 field employees, this platform has proven so efficient it has saved clients millions of dollars on large projects by providing the only real time operations management in this sector.

Oh! Shoes

Oh! Shoes is changing the world of women's footwear with the creation of the first technology driven healthy and fashionable high heeled shoe. With trendy Italian designs, Oh Shoes is delivering innovative and attractive footwear to the millions of professional women between the ages of 30-55 demanding quality, high fashion and comfortable heeled shoe products. Oh! Shoes, LLC had revenues of over $2.0 million in 2010, was at breakeven in 2010 and is poised for growth in 2011.

FEBRUARY FORUMS:

Keiretsu Forum San Francisco
Wednesday, February 23, 2011: 7:30am - 11:00am
San Francisco City Club (155 Sansome St., 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA)

Keiretsu Forum North Bay
Wednesday, February 23, 2011: 2:15pm - 5:45pm
Marin Art & Garden Center (30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross, CA)

Keiretsu Forum East Bay
Thursday, February 24, 2011: 7:30am-11:30am
Lafayette Veterans Memorial (3780 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, CA 94549)

Keiretsu Forum Silicon Valley
Friday, February 25, 2011: 8:00am-11:30am
DLA Piper (2000 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA)

To RSVP To Attend Any Meetings/Events:

Please contact our staff at (RSVP@keiretsuforum.com).

Warmest Regards,

The Keiretsu Forum Northern California Team

2011-02-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

US Spurs Entrepreneurship--

Keiretsu Forum Private Sector Model Already At Work.

From a recent Kauffman Foundation press release: “White House Announces Startup America Partnership to Foster Innovative, High-Growth Firms in United States"

Startup America Partnership: As part of President Obama’s national strategy to stimulate economic growth and create quality jobs, the White House announced the launch of the Startup America Partnership. The Startup America Partnership will work closely with the White House to advance the goals of its Startup America initiative. They will bring together top entrepreneurs, start-up firm funders, CEOs, university presidents, foundations, and other leaders to help entrepreneurial companies start or grow.

The Partnership will act as an independent private-sector alliance intended to dramatically increase the development, prevalence and success of innovative, high-growth U.S. firms. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Case Foundation have provided launch funding. Entrepreneur Steve Case will chair the new alliance and Carl Schramm, Kauffman Foundation CEO, will serve as a founding board member.

“America's story has been forged in large part by entrepreneurs who have against great odds created innovative products and services that have changed the world - and created millions of jobs. Our nation once again looks to these creative risk-takers to unleash the next wave of American innovation” -Steve Case

Corporate Investment: To date, more than a dozen firms and organizations have joined the Startup America Partnership. Companies such as Intel, HP, IBM, and Facebook have provided corporate investment and support for many startups. See the full article for detailed descriptions of each company’s contribution.

Education: To foster entrepreneurship through higher education, as part of its overall $50 million commitment to entrepreneurship, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation has announced a $5 million expansion of the Blackstone LaunchPad program. Also, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship education for at-risk high school students from low-income communities, is launching new programs supporting young entrepreneurs and their teachers.

For the full article, visit: http://www.startupamericapartnership.org/news

Source: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation On Monday January 31, 2011, 6:30 am EST

Global Leadership: 10 Key Behaviors

2011-02-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Note: The content of this newsletter article is based on excerpts from a forthcoming book on global leadership authored by Ernest Gundling, Karen Cvitkovich, and Terry Hogan, and published by Nicholas Brealey: "What is Global Leadership?: 10 Key Behaviors that Define Great Global Leaders." The target release date is June 2011. If this topic is of interest to you, the book will contain a full chapter on "leading global teams" along with research-based recommendations on many other topics related to global leadership development. This information appeared in the Aperian Global Newsletter. Keiretsu Forum is pleased to share this information with our members, business angel investors, and emerging companies operating globally.

LEADING A GLOBAL TEAM: BUILDING ALIGNMENT

How can a global team leader create shared goals when heading up a team that spans boundaries of geography, culture, and function? In spite of long, successful track records in high-level domestic leadership positions, even the most senior executives struggle to create shared vision within their global teams, citing it as their key challenge.

Differences in market environments and commonsense assumptions about how to do business are more pronounced for members of global teams than for teams whose participants work in the same domestic environment. In our work with hundreds of global teams, a lack of knowledge-sharing systems has been cited as one of the key obstacles to creating a shared vision and common goals. Global team members typically lack sufficient insight into their colleagues’ skills and potential contributions. This fosters isolation and duplicate work, and sets up obstacles to the exchange of best practices, preventing team members from working in alignment toward a common purpose. Virtual communication challenges further contribute to the issues global leaders face when trying to create a shared vision and goals for their teams.

Global organizations also typically have a matrix structure in which it is quite common for individuals to belong to a number of teams simultaneously. This matrix dynamic means that team members are linked with a variety of “stakeholders,” each bearing competing priorities that reflect the needs of different functions, business units, and geographies. For all these reasons, it is more difficult for the individual members of a global team to consistently identify how their efforts fit into the “bigger picture,” and a shared vision becomes both more essential and more challenging to create and maintain.1

We recently conducted interviews with over seventy global business leaders from twenty-six countries of origin and experience on assignment in over thirty-two countries. Many interviewees acknowledged that establishing a shared vision along with clear goals and objectives is difficult even in a domestic team, but emphasized that global and virtual dynamics add significant complexity. Our interviewees indicated that a clear sense of direction, even in the midst of tremendous complexity, is a crucial factor in the success of globally dispersed teams. Their comments are supported by others with special expertise in this area:

"Successful leaders of virtual teams clearly articulate team goals and direction and continually revisit these over time so team members have a shared target. Although important to any kind of team, clear team goals are especially crucial for members of virtual teams because the members are given a sense of purpose and meaning that sustains them when they are working alone or without regular direct contact with the team leader or other team members. Clear goals also help to unify the actions of a globally dispersed team and keep the team members focused on execution."2

The more traditional literature on teams seldom addresses the distinct skills required to align team members toward shared goals in a global environment. The global team leaders in our study stressed the unique nature of their roles and the inadequacy of domestic leadership models to prepare them to be successful in a truly global environment.

Invite the Unexpected

What does a global team leader need to know to create a vision and goals that will resonate with team members from around the world? One of the greatest obstacles for leaders and team members working in a global environment may be not only what they do not know, but also what they think they already do know. Past successes have produced a level of confidence in certain approaches and the assumptions on which they are based. But if the practice of creating a shared vision, for example, involves unearthing shared 'pictures of the future' that foster genuine commitment and enrolment rather than compliance,"3 global team leaders need to take special care to elicit viewpoints that contradict their own or take a different tack entirely. They need to "create a climate that encourages others to participate in the envisioning by contributing ideas, including perspectives drawn by their diverse group cultures and experiences."4 In other words, global team members must learn how to engrain the custom of inviting the unexpected on a regular basis.

How can a team leader build a shared picture of the future when heading up a team that holds an enormous diversity of perspectives and will rarely meet in person? The team leaders we interviewed shared a rich array of methods. Here are some sample practices from successful global team leaders that are applicable for most teams:

• Kick off the team effort with a face-to-face meeting to build personal relationships.

• Make short-term site visits at an early stage to build an understanding of the business and organizational context in other locations.

• Solicit information and input from team members on a regular basis regarding distinctive characteristics of their local environment; make such exchanges a regular team “habit.”

• Rotate face-to-face team meetings or hosting of virtual meetings between different market locations to promote broader team member awareness.

• Involve team members in decision-making to a greater extent than usual in order to avoid “surprises” or resistance after a decision has been made.

• Wait until after team meetings to receive additional feedback from less vocal members before rolling out solutions.

• Invest in longer-term people exchange between key locations to promote the exchange of information and to provide a “window person” in each location who can support relations with his or her home site.

• Hire international employees into headquarters team member positions and leverage the existing multicultural workforce.

• Build a system for knowledge sharing between team leaders across teams with related tasks.

• Utilize training events for team members and team leaders to foster cross-functional knowledge exchange.

This kind of list might take on a different form for a particular industry or corporate culture, but what is striking is the sheer number of practices that successful team leaders integrate to ensure that team members are systematically learning from one another and from people in other parts of the organization. The road to global team alignment begins with team members who actively seek to learn what they don’t know, and who proactively invite the unexpected as a way of establishing a common purpose.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1See, for example, Marjorie Derven, "Managing the Matrix in the New Normal" in Training and Development Magazine, July 2010. She quotes a manager at Verizon Communications to make the connection between matrix work environments and the need for shared vision: “Creating a shared vision is a key factor. One of the best ways to break down silos in large organizations is to have a clear vision that gives context to everyone’s roles and responsibilities. Communicating frequently and consistently about goals and purpose is essential.”

2Darleen De Rosa, "Leadership in Action," InterScience, Volume 28, Issue 6.

3Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (New York: Currency/Doubleday, 1990), p. 9.

4Carlos Cortes and Louise Wilkinson, "Developing and Implementing a Multicultural Vision," in Contemporary Leadership and Intercultural Competence, edited by Michael Moodian (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2008), p. 28.

2011-01-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

Updates from our Keiretsu Paris/London Offices

Keiretsu Forum Paris is in its third year, while the London office is just four months into management. Both locations have exciting new developments and plans for the New Year.

Let us first provide a brief recap of 2010:

After personally screening 62 companies (54 in Paris and 8 in London), 30 applicants were selected. Members heard from a wide variety of presenters, who represented 16 different industries. 5 companies were funded and two additional 2010 companies should see support early this year.

We conducted 12 Entrepreneur Academies and provided start-up training to 91 individuals. We have also formed rewarding partnerships with the ESSEC Incubator and the Imperial College London Business School.

2011 Developments:

Our exclusive partnership with Cisco and the Birmingham (UK) Science Incubator will enable unique international investment opportunities. Cisco’s state of the art virtual meeting technology will provide a mode for both French and UK members to ‘attend’ the same meeting, along with the possibility of including other Keiretsu branches. In addition to regular meetings, there will be several virtual showcase meetings. The official launch is planned for this June!

The Paris office is compiling a performance scorecard for portfolio companies (presented from 2009-June 2010) and plans to include personal updates from 2011. As of now, 33 of the 36 companies presented during that timeframe have seen continued success and are meeting significant milestones. Keiretsu London is continuing to expand our series of Entrepreneur Academies to include modules on Intellectual Property Protection, Valuation, and Avoiding Common Start-up Mistakes, in addition to Presentation Skills.

Lastly, the new website will be up and running in the first quarter of 2011. The site will feature a Member-only section with access to information on meetings, portfolio companies, and membership.

All in all, we look forward to a dynamic year ahead and welcome your active participation with us at Keiretsu!

Foro de Inversores- Barcelona. 10 Febrero 2011!

2011-01-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

Bolsa de Barcelona. Passeig de Gràcia, 19. Barcelona.

Es con gran placer que les extendemos una cordial invitación a nuestro próximo Foro de Inversión. Les pedimos que hagan espacio en sus ocupadas agendas para atender a esta cita el 10 Febrero 2011.

Por favor confirmar su asistencia simplemente contestando este email con un “SI”.

Lo antes posible, ya que tenemos una capacidad limitada de cupos en el Foro!

Agenda:

15:45h Acreditación y acceso a la sala.

16:15h Bienvenida y presentación del encuentro.

16:30h Primera ronda de presentaciones.

17:15h Descanso para networking y contactos.

17:45h Segunda ronda de presentaciones.

18:30h Valoración compartida de los proyectos presentados.

18:45h Finalización del encuentro.

Las presentaciones ejecutivas de los proyectos estarán disponibles una semana antes del Foro en www.keiretsuforum.es. Para próximos encuentros, ver la Agenda de Foros 2011 en www.keiretsuforum.es/agenda.

Un cordial saludo,

Keiretsu Forum Spain

Email: barcelona@keiretsuforum.com

Email correction for Keiretsu Forum Philadelphia

2011-01-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

To reach out to Howard Lubert and Vincent Leusner, co-Presidents of Keiretsu Forum Philadelphia, please use the following emails: howard@keiretsuforum.com and vincent@keiretsuforum.com. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Keiretsu Forum Philadelphia opens March 2011

2011-01-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Expanding east, Keiretsu Forum opens in Philadelphia in March 2011.

Under the leadership of co-Presidents Howard Lubert and Vincent Leusner, the Philadelphia Chapter will present deal flow to investors in the region. The new Chapter, aligned with Keiretsu Forum New York/Tri Cities and the other 19 Keiretsu Chapters worldwide, will showcase vetted companies in their A and B rounds.

For more information about on-going activities in Philadelphia, or for an invitation to the inaugural meeting, please contact VLeusner@KeiretsuForum-PHL.com, or HLubert@KeiretsuForum-PHL.com.

Keiretsu Forum co-President London/Paris Jack Bays quoted

2010-12-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

12-14-2010 10:02 PM-- from the web:

Vivian Norris: Entrepreneurs and Investors Will Make a Better World for All of Us

Although small businesses in the US have suffered setbacks because of the financial crisis, they are starting to become more positive again as reported by the National Federation of Independent Business' index of small business optimism increased in November.

And that optimism is in itself what sets entrepreneurs apart from others. You have to have a lot of passion and a huge amount of focus to get a small business started. You also usually need a loan from a bank, investors, or for the poor, a microloan.Entrepreneurs, whether the poorest of the poor in the developing world, or those in the US and Europe who have more access to capital, are the engines which make our economies work, not only on an international or national level, but also on a very local level. Helping entrepreneurs around the world are business angels, such as those found at Keiretsu, which supports entrepreneurs in the US and internationally.

According to Jack Bays, co-president of Keiretsu Forum Paris and London:

The ongoing economic crisis has had wide-spread implications, but one group that has suffered severely has been small start-up companies who rely on investment by individual business angels to bring their ideas to reality. The founders of these new companies have worked long hours and invested their hearts and souls in their initiatives. These companies may be small today but they fuel economic growth for the future, improve lives with new products and services, and over time transform society in a positive way. Angel investing is a critical factor in the survival of these small companies, and therefore needs to be encouraged as a necessary part of the economic cycle.

I decided while attending LeWeb Technology conference 2010 outside Paris last week to focus purely on entrepreneurs whose work exemplified this passionate approach to business, as well as concrete ways to make our lives and our world a better place. I did not visit the PayPals or Microsofts or Googles but rather spoke with those smaller, web-related start-ups, which, whatever their size, however long they have been around, well-funded or newly created somehow made me feel my life and the lives of others would be richer, because of what they provided and because their founders were extremely passionate.

And that is the key to entrepreneurship, being passionate. Beyond that, one can never truly fail. The experience itself is worth it. One company I have been following for some time is "http://www.insurancemaking.com/www.tagattitude.fr" created by technology entrepreneur, Yves Eonnet, who, in addition to being a tech guy, likes to keep things simple. He is also a huge fan of Muhammad Yunus' social business ideas. Yves' company takes their technology, and a simple cell phone, and creates payment systems which are already at work in parts of Africa, as well as Pakistan. The phone itself becomes both the credit card and the cash register. I love this.

Why is his company different, beyond its simplicity? The payment mechanism is not tied to a telecom, and thus remains independent. As mobile phones become our bank accounts, content distributors and information sources, this is increasingly important. Furthermore he helps small businesses thrive and conduct their own business!

Two fantastic examples of companies started by entrepreneurs built on amateur passions: photography and sports. I always find it wonderful when people can take what they love most, their hobbies, and make them into a business, because you know they are going to work hard and remain passionate which is what is needed especially during tough times. It was obvious that Mike Kerns loves not only Fantasy Football but also amateur sports and communicated that during our interview. He is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen Sports, maker of social and sports-related applications found on the Facebook, Android and iPhone platforms, Kerns joined Yahoo! when Citizen Sports was acquired in 2010. Kerns obviously understands that the sports is better when you can interact, participate thus a natural for Social Media ... (heck, some guys can ONLY communicate when talking about, expressing themselves through sports!). And though Yahoo! has recently been through a rough patch, I think Citizen Sports is one area where they may have the competition beaten. His is one of the success stories many entrepreneurs like to hope for, if they do decide to one day sell their companies.

As for one of my own loves, photography, it kills me to see professional photographers and photojournalists unable to make a living anymore. And for all those amateurs who are now able to do more thanks to digital photography, this site is beyond inspiring: http://www.fotopedia.com. Their recent partnerships with UNESCO and US National Parks make you both want to visit the sites and become a photographer yourself if you are not already. What is remarkable is the detail and refining of perspective made possible by new cameras and digital technology thus lending itself to the internet experience. The Chinese photographer, Quang-Tuan Loung spent ten years photographing the National Parks and the result is a stunning collection of 3000 photographs.The company itself was started by a passionate amateur photographer, Jean-Marie Hullot along with another Microsoft alum, Christophe Daligault. In this case, the business model allows for the purchase of professionally made prints of the photographs, making sure the photographer retains rights and earns fairly from each work.

The National Parks series in particular harkens back to Ansel Adams and the documenting of what is so very precious, that pristine (for now) nature...almost a kind of visual John Muir.Another company I happened upon by chance at lunch when I sat down at a table with one of the founders of Rent2Buy, which started in the US, and which has a blog I like. The reason I liked this company and what I heard from its owner was that it seemed to be a win-win for both consumer/potential buyer and the seller. During the financial crisis there are indeed opportunities and one part of this company helps both those selling their homes, who are having a hard time finding buyers, and those who cannot yet buy, or who have gone through a tough time, to build up both a positive credit history as well as a down-payment as their rental payments go towards the purchase of the property they are renting. Worst case scenario, you rented it and lived in it. Best case, you are buying a home in an affordable way and not throwing away money on a rental, and are not going to become another subprime default tragedy. This company has been increasing listings around the world and creating strategic partnerships.

Perhaps my favorite entrepreneur at LeWeb was a young Frenchman from Toulouse, only 22, who is passionate about cooking which he learned from his mother and grandmother. His social network for food buffs is already thriving. His Facebook page jaimecuisiner (I love cooking) has over 22,000 friends and he recently purchased www.cuisiner.com. If I had to take a bet on a young entrepreneur who is willing to give it his all and absolutely loves what he does, while remaining 100% true to his French love of cooking roots, it would be Benjamin Moreau. I will be following him carefully ... he exemplifies both the hyper-local and international appeal of how the internet can be utilized to create a business model.

If there was one common thing linking the entrepreneurs I met, it was that uplifting, optimistic feeling of individuals taking their passions and turning them into realities. In each case, these entrepreneurs are making our world richer not only because of the new businesses being created, but because I was convinced that they each wanted to add something entirely new to human experience, be it through social media, increasing human transactions which lead to a better quality of life, or simply the beauty of nature brought to a huge audience or the pleasure of sharing a recipe for a well-made meal.In other words, entrepreneurship is about creativity, combined with a sense of endless possibilities. That in itself is why the future needs people and businesses like these.

Update from Keiretsu Forum London second meeting

2010-12-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

The Keiretsu Forum London had its second successful meeting on the 1st of December at the offices of Fasken Martineau. Three companies were selected for that meeting and they each did an excellent job at promoting their ideas. The companies are:

· Good Connection provides an ethical social and shopping network whereby a portion of revenues goes to charities designated by the user, whopays nothing for this contribution. Partnerships have already been agreed with key UK charities and Fox Networks.

· Embricon addresses the huge and growing market fortreatment of varicose veins. This company offers a breakthrough patented methodology, cost savings, and safety that can significantly change the preferred approach to this medical condition. Theyhave completed large animal tests and are ready to begin human trials for launch of the device in the EU..

· HiNet targets family offices and wealth managers, and has developed a unique software solution that provides consolidation and reporting capabilities to aggregate a customer’s total net worth, independent of the sources of investment.

They all received a very high interest from our investor community and we are hoping that each one of them will be going through through our due diligence process.

GenesisTech - the last company presented at the Keiretsu meeting - is currently undergoing the due diligence process and reports indicate that the technology is a real novelty that will be sure to become a major player in the market. We are delighted to have been able to present these companies here in London and hope to bring even more gems to our Angel community!

Holiday Spirit

2010-11-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Keiretsu Forum is having their annual Holiday Party on Monday Dec. 13th at Hanson Bridgette LLP. Join us for live entertainment, hor'dourves and great wine tasting. Make it an opportunity to share the holiday season with fellow K4 members and entrepreneurs. For more information click link below.
K4 Holiday Event

Celebrate this holiday season by giving back to the community. Invest yourself into the cause of helping others. The Glow Foundation is the perfect way to spread this Holiday Spirit. The Glow Foundation, www.glowfoundation.com, empowers college-ready students from under-resourced communities to proactively plan and seek their own funding for college by providing financial education training and college finance coaching coupled with unmet need scholarships and a matched college savings program. Glow not only helps low income students get access to a college education, but also provides students with the critical financial skills that will help them succeed beyond their schools years.

Next Keiretsu Forum London Entrepreneur Academy

2010-11-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

The next Entrepreneur Academy will be held on the 26/11/2010 from 9am to 1pm at the Fasken Martineau offices in London. This time, the session will be in two parts:

the first part will cover Patents and IP with two senior attorneys from Phillips & Leigh
the second part will cover "How to pitch your company to investors" and will be led by Jack Bays

We have received excellent feedback from the last Entrepreneur Academy and we have decided to start running two part sessions: one part covering core skills (led by someone from the Keiretsu London); and one part on a topical subject (led by industry experts).

The Entrepreneur Academy is still free and we still require a signup as places are limited - http://bit.ly/K-4Entrepreneur - spread the news!

Cars, Cabernet and Cash

2010-11-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum partners up with North Bay Angels and North Bay Investor Summit (NBIS) to host a premier angel community gathering. Join us for an exotic performance car expo with displays from Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and more, exquisite wine tasting and presentations from some of the most innovative technology start-ups. For more information and to register click link below:

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e2z3kmzv4d70616f

When: November 10th, 10:00am

Where:Sonoma Mountain Village Event Center
1100 Valley House Dr
Rohnert Park, CA 94928 US

2010 North Bay Investor Summit: Cars, Cabernet, and Cash

2010-10-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

The North Bay Investor Summit (NBIS) is a premier gathering of the angel and venture capital community. The goal of the NBIS is to bring together investors and entrepreneurs looking for funding, and was created to foster collaboration among angel groups, as well as reach out to the larger investment community. The NBIS is organized by the Sonoma Mountain Business Cluster (SMBCJ) in partnership with Keiretsu Forum and the North Bay Angels.

When: Wednesday November 10, 2010 10:00AM

Where: Sonoma Mountain Village Event Center
1100 Valley House Dr
Rohnert Park, CA 94928

The State of the Single Family Housing Market

2010-10-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Thursday, November 4^th, 2010 Keiretsu Forum will be holding a conference explaining the current ‘State of the Single Family Housing Market and How to Profit from It’. This event offers the unique chance to listen, question and learn from a distinguished panel of Real Estate experts/investors who will provide profitable information about today’s abundant Real Estate market. The event will provide the special opportunity to learn about how to find undervalued properties and how to decipher legitimate investment opportunities from them. Tickets are $35 per person, and they are selling fast, so sign up NOW!! To register and find more information about the event click the link below:

http://keiretsurealestateevent.eventbrite.com/

How to Meet Angel Investors

2010-10-18T00:05:00.001-07:00

Are you in dire need of seed funding for your new venture? Are you looking for expertise and management experience that will get your business off the ground? Then, angel investors are the source of funding you are looking for. There are approximately 250,000 total angel investors that handle about 90 percent of all seed and start-up capital compared to the meager two percent of venture capital funding. Angel investors invest anywhere from $150,000 to $1.5 million and seek a return between 15 and 20 percent. Angel investors represent a unique community that aid entrepreneurs and business growth.

Keiretsu Forum is a great approach to meet and build relationships with angel investors. It is the world’s larges angel community and provides a massive network with over 850 accredited investors. Additionally, it has chapters all over the world including cities such as Barcelona, Silicon Valley and London. Since 2000, Keiretsu Forum was responsible for over $200 million in deal flow and the funding for 260 successful start-ups. As an entrepreneur Keiretsu Forum is a valuable organization that could be the catalyst to get your business off the ground. Here are five steps on how to meet and win angel funding.

1. Join an Angel Network

2. Join TO Business Camp

3. Get on TV

4. Ask Around

5. Expect and be prepared to get scrutinized

Congratulations to Marta Carballo

2010-10-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Marta, Communications Director for Keiretsu Forum Barcelona and a key member of the international team. Marta is the featured member this month for the American Society of Barcelona.

Featured Member

Marta Carballo, native to Barcelona, is Founder and Director for Hello! Comunicación, a communications agency specialized in Social Media Strategies, Partnerships & Communications Director for the Spanish chapter of Keiretsu Forum, the world's largest network of "angels" (individual investors), as well as corporate trainer and conference speaker on entrepreneurship, fund raising, social media and marketing 2.0 strategies.

Keiretsu Forum is a global community of angel investors with 20 chapters on three continents. Members share deal flow and syndicate start-up funding among chapters. Marta joined the Barcelona team three years ago.

The Gaming Layer

2010-10-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

When thinking about the current trends of today’s technological world it is almost impossible to not immediately think about the wave of online social media. Large amounts of entrepreneurs are trying to get their piece of the Facebook, YouTube, and the Twitter social layer. These social platforms connect hundreds of millions of people all across the world and uniquely capture and share the social lives of its users. However, this layer has already been fully constructed and has been largely exploited. Therefore, where will the opportunity shift? One idea is described as the ‘gaming layer’. The gaming layer can be defined as concepts, tools or models that influence human behavior.

Already the gaming layer is under construction and can be seen in our daily lives. For example, take the idea of “Happy Hour”. If you show up between a given time frame, you win and are rewarded through discounts on your drink and food of choice. Therefore, your actions are directly influenced by the incentive of showing up at a certain time. A more specific example is the online game FarmVille. With over 62 million users, FarmVille is an application on Facebook that already has more users than Twitter. The game allows its users to harvest their virtual crops, livestock and natural resources. Through a point system users are rewarded for the virtual production of their crops, livestock and natural resources. The more time you spend managing your modes of production, the more productive your crops will be and the more points you receive. Consequently, FarmVille users spend numerous hours a day managing their crops and livestock. Although this example is a game in the literal sense, the same concept of being rewarded for altering your actions can be applied to consumer goods.

For example, this gaming model can be applied to brushing one’s teeth. Imagine a toothbrush that awarded the user points for how long he brushed his teeth; the longer one brushes the more points one receives. Consequently, it isn’t illogical to think that the user would brush his teeth for longer time period so that he could earn more points. Similar to the idea of “Happy Hour” the user playing the game is incentivized by a reward system and therefore alters his behavior. This incentive-reward relationship has the capability of attracting great amounts of people and inducing specific behavior. As a result, the gaming layer has the capability and potential of becoming the next social layer.

Announcing Keiretsu Global Launch

2010-10-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum is proud to announce a new program, Keiretsu Global Launch.

Currently, Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest angel investor group with more than 1000 accredited members and sponsor organizations spanning nineteen chapters on three continents. The network consists of private equity, venture capital, and corporate/institutional investors from around the world. Since its launch in 2000, members have invested over $200m in 260 companies in technology, consumer products, health care, life sciences, real estate, and other segments with high growth potential.

Each chapter uses a holistic approach of interlocking relationships with key partners and resources on both a local and global level. The result is a rapidly growing association with the highest quality deal-flow and investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum Chapters create deal flow and investment opportunities from local entrepreneurs and businesses. Each chapter focuses on identifying local companies with potential for angel investment to present to members. Members are from both local and global locations and from a variety of industries and perspectives. They can invest, provide contacts, serve on boards, and provide strategic alliances with entrepreneurs. Chapters also have relationships with VC firms, corporations, investment banks, universities, and government institutions. This allows angel investors and resources from around the world to systematically access each chapter’s deal flow and due diligence.

Current Chapters
North America
East Bay (Founding Chapter)
North Bay
San Francisco
Bellevue/Eastside
Silicon Valley
Los Angeles
San Diego
Orange County
Boise
New York/Tri State
Seattle/Northwest
Westlake Village
Portland

International
Barcelona
Beijing
Madrid
London
Paris
Shanghai

Depending on the type of deal flow a chapter sees, some chapters have an administrative fee for companies that pitch to the group. Locations with high volume deal flow charge to filter serious prospects and cover coaching, salaries, and administrative costs. Emerging chapters with less deal flow may not charge entrepreneurs to present.

With our global footprint we are actively working to target additional, non-resident, accredited members and sponsors to enjoy the benefits of Global membership and cross-border deal flow of vetted companies.

For additional information please call or email: Jennifer Langley or Jeet Chokshi at jennifer@keiretsuforum.com or jeet@keiretsuforum.com

Investor's Circle job postings

2010-09-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

Keiretsu Forum is pleased to post the following for Investor's Circle:

Job Openings

Investors' Circle is hiring for the following positions:
Director, Operations, Technology & Finance
Director, Investor Services & Strategic Alliances
Director of Investment & Entrepreneur Services

For information about Investors' Circle internship opportunities, please contact mlombardi@investorscircle.net. Include your resume and a cover letter that tells us about your background, educational experience, and why you care about social investing or mission-based companies.

Please contact Investor's Circle directly about the positions and internships available.

Keiretsu Forum London Management Changes

2010-09-17T10:46:00.001-07:00

September sees management changes at Keiretsu Forum London as Lord Beaverbrook moves on to focus on his personal financial and management activities. His leadership was instrumental in expanding Keiretsu Forum in the UK.

Keiretsu Forum is pleased to announce that Shelley and Jack Bays, co-Presidents of Keiretsu Forum Paris, have assumed the leadership of the London Chapter as well. They are joined by Emmanuel Moll; Daniel Borrero is assisting with the transition.

Emmanuel Moll brings a strong background in the the London markets to Keiretsu London.

Mr. Moll is a strategy consultant and investor with a background in engineering technology. He has worked in many industries and more particularly in financial services, technology and web marketing in France, the U.K. and Tunisia. Emmanuel began his career at Oliver Wyman Financial Services working for a variety of banks, private equity and insurance companies. This experience gave him a taste for entrepreneurship and he successfully set up his own operations consulting firm in Paris. He also invested in new start-ups in the technology field that are currently profitable. He successfully co-organised the first ever Paris Startup Weekend and took part in the Keiretsu Forum’s meetings in Paris. Upon moving to London, Emmanuel joined L.E.K. Consulting. Emmanuel holds a MEng in Electronic Engineering from Warwick University, a PhD in Optical Engineering from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the College des Ingenieurs.

His contact information is: emmanuel@keiretsuforum.com

Please reach out to Emmanuel for information about activities for entrepreneurs in London.

For information about Keiretsu Forum membership in the EU, please contact jbays@keiretsuforum.com or sbays@keiretsuforum.com.

Position open at Investor's Circle in San Francisco

2010-09-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum is pleased to share this announcement with our members.

Investors’ Circle Position Announcement
Director, Investment & Entrepreneur Services
San Francisco, California

About
Investors’Circle is a network of over 150 angel investors, professional venture
capitalists, foundations, family offices, and others who are using private capital
to promote the transition to a sustainable economy. Since 1992,Investors' Circle
has facilitated the flow of over $134 million into more than 200 companies and small
funds addressing social and environmental issues.

Investors’Circle is one of the leaders in the impact investing community, focusing
on exciting early stage ventures in:
• Energy & Environmental Solutions
• Sustainable Consumer Products
• Education & Media
• Health & Wellness
• Community & International Development

Position Overview:
Investing for social and environmental as well as financial impact requires specialized knowledge, tools and capacities and a vibrant, interactive community of
practitioners.

The Director,Investment and Entrepreneur Services, will oversee the organization’s
investment process from start to finish. This includes continually refining IC’s
investment criteria, growing a robust pipeline of high-‐impact deals in a variety
of sectors, facilitating investor committees to review and vet IC’s deal flow, and
tracking the organization’s investment activity. Maintaining strong relationships
with all portfolio companies is another key function of this role.

The Director will also develop internal programs and alliances with organizations
to support IC companies with educational opportunities, mentorship, and other
sources of funding. Director will also be the primary relationship manager of syndication partners, such as early-stage funds and IC's own affiliate fund, the Patient Capital Collaborative. The Director will brig experience and a proven track record in implementing successful services and support programs. The Director will be charged with co-‐creating (with the CEO) and implementing a strategic plan for this part of the business, including staffing and resource development objectives. The Director, Investment and Entrepreneur Services is a member of the senior management team with the Director of Finance and Technology, Director of Investor Services and Strategic Alliances, and the Director of Marketing,Sponsorship and Events, and reports directly to the CEO.

Major responsibilities include:
• Primary responsibility for deal flow management and outreach
• Provide coordination with seed and early stage investors who are the source of capital for the IC investments
• Primary relationship manager with syndication partners, including IC's affiliate fund
• Oversee deal research and screening
• Participate in the development and facilitation of due diligence and investment tools for use by the investors in their processes
• Increase the number of companies served either directly by IC or indirectly through
strategic alliances and affiliate networks
• Develop Measurement and Metrics on deals
• Develop new programs and vehicles for presenting IC companies (e.g. venture fairs and webinars)
• Managing deal execution– due diligence through completion
• Tracking investments
• Establishing and managing external relationships for entrepreneur support
• Public speaking as an ambassador for IC, in a variety of venues
• Department-?‐level P&L responsibility (manage project budgets, achieve revenue goals)

For Qualifications:
CONTACT:
Gianna Goulding ggoulding@investorscircle.net email only,
no phone calls
Include a cover letter explaining why you should be considered for candidacy and a resume. Send Salary history and requirements on a separate page.

French American Chamber of San Francisco

2010-09-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to share information from our colleagues at the French American Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco. Under the leadership of Carole Granade, the French Chamber works hard to facilitate business issues of interest to French companies and to showcase events of potential interest to businesses in northern California. Below is an editorial from the September issue of their on-line newsletter.

Editorial
By Carole Granade

This is back to school, back to work season. Over the summer, the FACCSF has gone through some great changes:

After three and a half years supporting every effort of the Chamber, it was with great sadness that we saw Marie Brun moving to France for personal reasons. We have been and will be missing her deep knowledge of our activities, her energy and her efforts. Please join me in welcoming Pashû Dewailly Christensen who joined us last week. Her email: pashu@faccsf.com
We transitioned to a new website focused on serving your businesses. The website is now organized around ‘Start your business’, ‘Develop your business’ and ‘Network’. Many thanks to our members, interns and volunteers help. Please come and visit and send your comments to me.
We added a new suite for business hosting purposes to our centrally located offices

We are very excited with a full program ahead of us including networking meetings, La Soiree, happening on a Friday this year with a lot of “Nouveautes”!
And several conference in the making and look forward seeing you all at one event or the other.

Best regards,

Carole Granade, carole@faccsf.com
Executive Director, French-American Chamber of Commerce Northern California
________________________________________
NEWS FROM THE US & THE BAY AREA

No end in sight to state budget deadlock
By Wyatt Buchanan, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

California's budget impasse moves into record-breaking territory, and as the consequences of inaction multiply, people around the state and at the Capitol say it's anyone's guess as to when a spending plan will be passed.
The Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are facing increasing criticism from the public and each other that they lack a sense of urgency to pass a budget that solves the state's $19 billion deficit.
In past years, the state's top five political leaders would be negotiating behind closed doors, working nights and weekends to pass a late spending plan. Not this year.
Although the budget is 61 days late today, the governor did not call for a "Big Five" meeting all summer until Thursday. The meeting, which included the governor and the four top Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate and Assembly, didn't even last an hour. The leaders agreed to schedule a vote on the budget for Tuesday - even though they don't yet have a compromise plan.
Instead, the Legislature will vote on competing budget proposals, the Democratic plan and the Republican plan. Neither is expected to win the two-thirds majority necessary to pass the 2010-11 budget.
Thus, by week's end, the deadlock will be the second-longest in California history. The longest delay was 85 days, in 2008. The governor has even raised the specter of his leaving office in January, six months into the fiscal year, without a budget in place.
Jack Pitney, a professor of political science at Claremont McKenna College, said that although the numbers were bigger last year when lawmakers faced more than $60 billion in deficits, "I think there is a sense of being at wit's end."
Read More: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/30/MNVM1F55JC.DTL

California offers help for startups and business relocations

Whether you're starting a business, looking to expand, or wondering about a particular policy or procedure, the Governor's Office of Economic Development provides resources and answers.
The California Business Investment Services (CalBIS) Unit provides no-fee, tailored site selection services to employers, corporate real estate executives, and site location consultants who are considering California for relocation and/or expansion.
Staff is available to help you identify the business advantages of considering California locations for business relocation and expansion. We offer a network of regional and local resources to gather essential information and discover which locations offer the most value for your project.
For general information call (877) 345-GOED or (916) 322-0694 or visit the Web site at www.business.ca.gov/StartaBusiness.aspx.

FRANCE 24 available in the United States

France 24 is the first international news channel that offers a French perspective and sensibility on world events.
FRANCE 24 is available in the United States:
• On the Galaxy 23 satellite all over the US (free to non subscribers)
• On live via MHz Networks 7 in Washington D.C. to over 2 million subscribers. MHz is repeated on the digital networks of Comcast Channel 277, Cox Channel 476, RCN Channel 36, Verizon Channel 453 and on TNT airwave 30.7
• FRANCE 24’s daily news bulletin is now accessible to New Yorkers from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM on NYC Life (channel number 25)
• FRANCE 24 is also partially available in English on MHz Worldwide via its affiliates in 14 American states representing a total of 28 million subscribers.
About FRANCE 24 www.france24.com

News from the ICDP department at the French-American Chamber of Commerce in New York
• U.S. CUSTOMS & BORDER PROTECTION (CBP) INTRODUCING ESTA FEE
Since January 2009, all nationals or citizens of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) traveling to the United States for temporary business or tourism under the VWP have been required to receive an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding a U.S.-bound airplane or ship.
Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) registration must be completed no later than 72 hours before departure for an American port of entry. Travelers with visas (such as our J-1 participants) do not need to register through ESTA, though it is important for them to know about it for family and friends who may be visiting the United States. Starting on September 8, 2010, Department of Homeland Security regulations will require all ESTA registrants to pay a $14 fee for this procedure. All ESTA payments must be made by credit card or debit card when applying for or renewing an ESTA authorization. More information is available on the CBP website, by clicking here.

For additional information about the French Chamber, please visit their website.

United Nations Foundation and Keiretsu Forum sign an MOU

2010-09-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum is pleased to announce a new partnership with the United Nations Foundation (UNF). Additional information about this partnership is forthcoming. In the meantime, we are pleased to post the following announcement for UNF regarding events in New York City.

The United Nations Foundation is on the big screen in Times Square. Throughout September, as world leaders gather in New York for the UN's high-level summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a brand-new MDGs video is airing eight times every hour on the Toshiba Vision screen in the heart of the city.

The MDG Review Summit will mark the 10th anniversary of all 192 UN member-states adopting the eight MDGs. From September 20-24, President Barack Obama and other world leaders will deliver their plans to tackle preventable disease, gender inequity, climate change, and more of the biggest problems facing the world today.
Thanks to Toshiba, GOOD magazine, and Millennium Promise, one of the world's most important stages now carries this message: everyone can help the UN achieve the MDGs and create a better world.
We're hoping to reach the world leaders attending the summit, but to really have an impact, we need everyone who supports the United Nations to share this urgent call to action in their respective town squares across the country and the world.
"This is about what we can do and will do," United Nations Associate Administrator, Sigrid Kaag, said at our special launch event in Times Square on Wednesday. "The moment is now. Toshiba has given us the platform to come together to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."
Now, it's up to us. This month, all eyes will be on New York -- and all eyes in Times Square are going to be on our message. Help us magnify our impact by watching and sharing the new PSA now.
Thank you,
Rick Parnell
Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff, UN Foundation

Q4 Events in Barcelona

2010-09-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum is pleased to announce the fall schedule of events for Barcelona, Spain.

• September 20-21st -- an Academy for business angels with EADA Business School. (http://www.keiretsuforum.es/agenda.php)

• October 6-7th -- participation in the congress of Total Media, where Keiretsu Barcelona will collaborate with a forum meeting for digital signage and mobile marketing projects powered by Keiretsu Forum (Over 6.000 people will be attending). http://www.total-media.es/feria2010/keiretsu.html

• November 4th -- a Forum Meeting for health and biotech projects, in collaboration with “Colegio official de Médicos de Barcelona” (the most recognised official Association of Medical Sector and Doctors) - http://www.comb.cat/. In November 19th , Keiretsu Madrid will organize a forum meeting for Energy and renewable projects.

• December 2nd , the fórum meeting will be focused on seed capital projects, all sectors.

Other meetings and collaborations are also in the planning stages. For more information contact xcasares@keiretsuforum.com or marta@keiretsuforum.com.

Mechanic's Bank and "The Tale of Two Economies"

2010-09-08T09:27:00.001-07:00

The material below is the synopsis of a longer presentation made at the Keiretsu Forum East Bay/Silicon Valley Summit by Brian Pretti of Mechanic's Bank.

"There exist two very important themes in the current economic recovery environment that are different than anything experienced in the post war environment. First, we have simply never seen such a massive chasm between large and small company business optimism and outlook. Large companies have been the primary beneficiary of generational lows in the cost of debt capital, have achieved record productivity gains due to the shedding of labor costs (although this may now be peaking), and have access to the foreign economies that have also seen extraordinary stimulus benefits. CEO and CFO survey confidence readings appear “typical” against historical context.

Alternatively, small business confidence, hiring and capital spending plans reflect deep recession levels, never having risen meaningfully as the US economy has produced positive GDP. Unlike their large company brethren, small businesses are very dependent on domestic final demand (which is driven by US consumer spending), banking system credit access and are less able to pass on the costs of higher taxes, increased regulation, etc.

Why is this important? Small businesses create 70% of the new jobs in the US. As of now, there has been no headline job recovery for this cycle. Moreover, absent government transfer payments, growth in personal income has been non-existent. Is this why housing and auto sales, traditional economic recovery beneficiaries, have been so sluggish? Small business recovery = jobs recovery = income acceleration = consumption growth.

The important thematic question becomes, can the US experience a true economic recovery cycle absent a recovery in small business fundamentals? In an ever globalizing economy/world, has the character of what we have come to know as economic recovery now being redefined?"

If you have questions about this article, please contact me and I will put you in touch with Brian. Thanks to Mechanic's Bank, a valued sponsor of the Keiretsu Forum.

Keiretsu Founder asks Senator Feinstein to vote no on Dodd's bill on financial reform

2010-04-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

April6,2010

Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.20510

SUBJECT: OPPOSITION TO THREE KEY PROVISIONS IN SENATOR DODD'S RESTORING AMERICAN FINANCIAL STABILITY ACT THAT WILL ELIMINATE MOST BUSINESS ANGEL FUNDING

Dear Senator Feinstein,

On behalLf of the Keiretsu Forum, a global network of 850+ business angel investors
headquartered in Lafayette, CA, I am writing to state our opposition to three provisions in the Dodd legislation.

By way of background, I started the Keiretsu Forum in California in early 2000 during
the dot.com bust as a way for individual business angel investors in northern California to study early stage companies seeking angel funding (amounts from $500K-$3M).

During the past decade, Keiretsu Forum has grown to 19 chapters worldwide with
members on three continents. We are the largest and fastest growing private business
angel network in the world. We have eight chapters in California, four in the Pacific
Northwest, one in New York City, Paris, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Beijing and
Singapore. Our members have invested $250M in 245 companies that would not have found
financial support in either the Venture Capital (VC) or debt markets. Across the US,
business angels provide the same amount of funding to emerging companies as do VC
firms but at the ratio of27:1. In short, business angels fund the majority of small
companies seeking to expand into larger markets. These are the emerging businesses that provide almost all the new, high-value jobs in California and nationally.

All Keiretsu Forum members are "accredited" under the current SEC requirements (at
least $1M in net worth, annual family income of $300K or individual income of $250K).
Senator Dodd's bill would more than double those financial requirements. We believe
two-thirds of America's current business angel investors will disappear overnight if the legislation passes as written. Their disappearance will eliminate a key financial source of job creation at a time when new jobs are vital to re-invigorate the American economy.

The key provisions of the Dodd bill that affect business angel investing are:
o Sec 412 (page 380) Adjusting the Accredited Investor Standard for Inflation
o Sec 413 (page 381) GAO A Study and Report on Accredited Investors
. Sec 926 (pages 816{19) Authority of State Regulators Over Regulation D Offerings

I encourage you to contact Senator Dodd and advise him that those three sections of his legislation must be changed to reflect the current SEC regulations or angel funding will all but disappear in the US. On behalf of the Keiretsu Forum, I urge you to vote no on Senator Dodd's bill until the provisions above are removed.
Thank you very much for your help in this matter.

Sincerely,

(signed)
/Randall B. Williams
Founder/CEO

Cc: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Senator Chris Dodd (D{T)
Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)
California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr.

Senator Dodd wants to clip business "angels" wings

2010-04-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

In a bill before the Senate banking committee, Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn) proposes to drastically increase financial requirements to accredit business angel investors.

The proposals would increase from $1MM to $2.5MM the minimum amount needed to claim angel status. Annual salary requirements, another method of determining accreditation, would also double.

Senator Dodd’s legislation, aimed at new regulations for the banking industry, will not only clip the wings of current angels, but also cause thousands of angels to disappear. Who would benefit from the proposed changes? Federal regulators with an increased workload and job justification. Who loses? Small investors interested in identifying, mentoring, and helping new businesses to succeed.

Today business angels invest in 27 times more new companies than VCs. In the case of federal business angel oversight, Senator Dodd’s committee should leave well enough alone.
To see more comments, go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-e-litan/proposed-protections-for_b_511284.html?dbk

Keiretsu Forum New York City EXPO

2010-03-27T15:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday, May 13, 2010
Keiretsu Forum- NY Angel Capital Expo

Sponsors
ReedSmith, Citrin & Cooperman, Levin Institute

Time
8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Venue
Levin InstituteAddress
116 E. 55th St.Info

Fee: $125 by April 15th; $150 thereafterContact
Jandi Lewandowski
jandi@keiretsuforum.com
(212) 933-5026

Keiretsu Forum/QuickStart Global's new program, Enterprise LaunchPad

2010-03-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- 03/25/10 -- Keiretsu Forum and Quickstart Global today announced a joint program, Enterprise LaunchPad, to benefit companies operating globally. Using the power of Keiretsu Forum's global deal screenings to evaluate companies ready for global expansion and Quickstart Global's next generation model for establishing and managing direct subsidiaries in foreign countries, Enterprise LaunchPad provides all the tools companies need to succeed in the US and other locations.

"Our familiarity with a proven start-up model and 19 chapters allows Keiretsu Forum to identify companies ready to set up businesses beyond their home country borders," said Randy Williams, Keiretsu Forum Founder and CEO. "Our partner, Quickstart Global, has a proven track record in establishing legal entities in the US including location analysis, type of subsidiary (Corporation or LLC), staffing, corporate structure, legal and tax planning, personal finance options, immigration and Visa issues, residence locations, and dealing with Federal and local incentives. Enterprise LaunchPad provides a great value add to companies interested in building global businesses."

"Enterprise LaunchPad is part of our global network of businesses," says Kaushal Chokshi, Chairman of Quickstart Global and a Keiretsu Forum member in northern California. "Through our service offerings, companies can quickly and seamlessly establish an in-house workforce in another country, or multiple countries, with incredible speed, virtually no investment, and minimal risk. Our partnership with Keiretsu Forum blends the Keiretsu Forum global community of investors and portfolio companies with an established and successful model to foster businesses in larger markets and give them a greater chance of success."

To learn more, go to EnterpriseLaunchPad@keiretsuforum.com or enterpriselaunchpad@quickstartglobal.com

About Keiretsu Forum: Founded in 2000, Keiretsu Forum (www.keiretsuforum.com) is the world's largest angel investment network with 19 chapters and over 850 accredited investor members on three continents. Keiretsu Forum members provide early-stage capital in the range of $250k-$2 million to high quality, diverse investment opportunities and collaborate in the due diligence, but make their own individual investment decisions.

About Quickstart Global: Quickstart Global (www.quickstartglobal.com) is a leading provider of multinational business services to establish direct offices and employees around the world. Numerous small-to-medium sized businesses use Quickstart Global's In-House Anywhere™ offering to expand their in-house capabilities worldwide, without the risk, investment, and complexity conventionally involved with a setting up and sustaining a direct presence in another country. With client centers spread out over four continents, and a proven model for numerous industries, Quickstart Global is committed to enabling global growth for organizations of all sizes.

CHINA EXPO in northern CA

2010-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

Hosted by Keiretsu Forum NorCal, Beijing, and Singapore

Presentations by Emerging Growth-Oriented Chinese Companies

Networking with Chinese and American Business Leaders

Panel Discussions on Angel Investment Topics

----------------------------

March 18: Dinner Reception and Kickoff

March 19: General Session - Presentations, Exhibits, and Panels

March 20: Open Post-Presentation Demonstrations and Due Diligence Appointments

Building on the success of the Keiretsu Forum annual Angel Capital Expo, the China Business Angel Expo will bring to California Chinese entrepreneurs eager to showcase their new companies to California angel investors and entrepreneurs. In addition to Keiretsu Forum's Bay Area members, members from Keiretsu Forum Beijing, Seattle/Northwest, and Southern California will attend the full-day event.

China Angel Capital Expo will feature booths and presentations from early stage growth companies in China in technology, life sciences, consumer products, clean tech, real estate, financial services, social ventures, and other business sectors with high growth potential. Each entrepreneur will make a 5-minute presentation and will be available for additional discussion and due diligence at an executive booth throughout the day. Following the presentations, the attendees will vote and award the top three presenting companies the "Most Valued Company" award. All presenters will be pre-screened by a select committee of Keiretsu Forum members.

"Keiretsu Forum's China Angel Capital Expo will showcase emerging companies in Beijing by bringing a dynamic group of companies to California," said Randy Williams, Keiretsu Forum Founder and CEO. "This will be an opportunity for extensive networking between the Chinese companies and investors here. We look forward to awarding the first 'Most Valued China Company' award."

PRESS RELEASE: Please find a copy of the event's press release at (http://keiretsuforum.com/frontend/NewsDetails.aspx?id=100&Front=m)

INTERESTED IN PRESENTING: Companies interested in learning more about application process to present should email Keiretsu Forum Vice President, International Judith Iglehart at ChinaExpo@KeiretsuForum.com. Deadline for China submissions is March 5, 2010. Deadline for US attendees is March 12, 2010.

Trends in northern CA angel investing

2010-01-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

From the SF Business Times
Friday, January 29, 2010

Angel investors seeing attractive deals
Venture capitalist reticence aids smaller investors
San Francisco Business Times - by Patrick Hoge

It’s a good time to be an angel: With venture capital in the dumps, Bay Area angel investing groups say the quantity and quality of potential deals coming through the door is up as entrepreneurs are forced to look for alternatives.

“We’re getting some very interesting deal flow that would have gone to traditional venture capitalists in the past,” said Randy Williams, founder and CEO of the Keiretsu Forum, which has 350 members in Northern California. “What’s happening is the venture capitalists are focused on existing companies and the limited partners are not giving them additional capital.”

Ian Sobieski, a founder and managing director of Menlo Park-based Band of Angels Fund, L.P., which has 125 members, sees a similar trend.
“There’s less money available for startups, so the ones we are seeing are high quality,” he said.

Molly Deringer, entrepreneur services manager at Investors’ Circle in San Francisco, which has a membership that is two-thirds angel investors, said her organization saw “a substantial increase in the number of companies applying to present at our events as well as the overall quality of deal flow in 2009.”
“Companies were generally better prepared and a bit more mature than we’d seen in previous years,” she said.

To be sure, angel investing — which traditionally serves up financing in smaller slices than venture capitalists would consider — has not been immune from the financing downdraft. In the Bay Area, Keiretsu Forum funded fewer companies for less money in 2009 than 2008, while Band of Angels locally did more deals but for a smaller total outlay. What has the “archangels” excited, though, is the improved deal flow and interest among individual investors, evidenced by the nearly 400 people attending Keiretsu’s annual Angel Capital Expo in Mountain View this month, about 100 people more than the prior year.

And as the angels grow in prominence, they are able to call on greater resources. Williams said his organization added 51 members to its Northern California chapters in 2009 — and 80 percent had a net worth of $10 million or more, where the average for the previous eight years was $8 million. Founded in Lafayette in 2000, Keiretsu now has 18 chapters, including four in the Bay Area and one in Madrid, Spain, that opened this week.

That includes Barry Nelson, who founded a high-tech workplace safety monitoring company in San Carlos called DBO2 Inc. in 2001 and sold it in early 2008 to Industrial Scientific Corp.
Nelson was focusing on golf and not looking to become an angel, but joined Keiretsu in September upon the recommendation of a friend. Nelson is still “seriously considering” investing in a venture capital fund, although he says he has been concerned about trends in the venture industry.

“I am looking for opportunities to make investments very early in the process, contribute more than money and get them liquid quickly. This might mean smaller deals and more hands on work for me and my network,” Nelson said.

phoge@bizjournals.com / (415) 288-4949

Keiretsu Forum EU portfolio companies are invited to present in July in Sun Valley

2010-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

European and international companies are invited to present in Sun Valley, Idaho. Famous as the home of the late Ernest Hemingway, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sen. John Kerry and scores of celebrities, athletes, hunters, and fishermen Sun Valley is the locale for the 4th annual Keiretsu Forum Pacific/Northwest Forum. In addition to the Forum meeting and business presentations, there is ample time for white water rafting, skeet shooting, golf, swimming, rock climbing, and mountain biking. This year the emphasis is on European companies planning to expand to the US. Please contact todd@keiretsuforum.com for more information and to reserve a slot either as a Keiretsu Forum member attendee or as a presenting company.

Keiretsu Forum meets in Madrid and Barcelona in 2010

2010-01-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome Keiretsu Forum Madrid to our community of investors. Please join our members in Spain for meetings in 2010. The dates of the meetings, which are by invitation only, are:

AGENDA PROXIMOS FOROS
1er Foro de Inversores - Madrid.
2 de Febrero 2010. 16:00h.- Bolsa de Madrid

XV Foro de inversores - Barcelona.
18 de Febrero 2010. 16:00h.- Bolsa de Barcelona

II Foro de Inversores - Madrid.
23 de Marzo 2010. 16:00h.- Bolsa de Madrid

XVI Foro de Inversores - Barcelona (Internet).
15 de Abril 2010. 16:00h.- Fira de Barcelona - Salon e-Commerce

III Foro de Inversores - Madrid.
8 de Junio 2010. 16h.-

XVII Foro de inversores - Barcelona.
17 de Junio 2010. 16:00h.- Bolsa de Barcelona

XVIII Foro de inversores - Barcelona.
7 de Octubre 2010. 16:00h.- Bolsa de Barcelona

XIX Foro de inversores (Sector salud).
4 de Noviembre 2010. 16:00h.- Colegio Oficial de Medicos de Barcelona

IV Foro de inversores - Madrid (Energia).
19 de Noviembre 2010. 10:00h.- Parque de InnovaciÃ³n La Salle

XX Foro de inversores - Barcelona.
2 de Diciembre 2010. 16:00h.- Bolsa de Barcelona

For additional information, contact xcasares@keiretsuforum.com or bcalzado@keiretsuforum.com.

Save the date: January 22, 2010--Keiretsu Forum EXPO at Microsoft

2010-01-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

Angel Capital Expo is the premier gathering of angel investors and entrepreneurs seeking funding capital to grow their businesses. Expo conferences provide a unique opportunity for open access and collective collaboration to the world of angel investing.

"The Angel Capital Expo offers a great opportunity to connect great start ups with motivated investors and provides a perfect platform to jumpstart a start up company's fundraising efforts," said Sam Reich-Dagnen, CEO of Braincandy, who presented at the April 2007 inaugural Angel Capital Expo in San Francisco. "Participating in the Keiretsu Forum's Angel Capital Expo was a fantastic experience for Braincandy. We had the opportunity to tell our story to over 400 qualified, savvy investors in an environment that was designed to offer the best chance for success -- both for us and the investors."

"Angel Capital Expo surpassed our expectations and provided us with unprecedented access to hundreds of investors in our target range all at once. It would have taken months of travel and tens of thousands of dollars to meet with that many high-quality investors individually. There's nothing else like it in the country or even in the world," said Victor Kucek, CEO of TIXEM, Inc., who presented at the November 2007 Angel Capital Expo in Silicon Valley.

REGISTER TO JOIN US ON JANUARY 22, 2010 in SILICON VALLEY, CA by contacting info@keiretsuforum.com or contact gene@keiretsuforum.com

Register to Attend
ANGEL CAPITAL EXPO - SILICON VALLEY

Date: January 22, 2010

Time: 7:30am-2:00pm

Location: Microsoft Auditorium, Mountain View, CA

300 ANGEL INVESTORS
10 PRESENTATIONS
EXHIBITION BOOTHS FOR DISCUSSION AND DUE DILIGENCE

Attendees
Attendees will include over 300 private equity (angel) investors. Invitation to the Angel Capital EXPOs is extended to accredited investors only. See definition.

REGISTER TO JOIN US ON JANUARY 22, 2010 in SILICON VALLEY, CA

Presenters
The Expo will feature twelve high-quality, diverse investment opportunities in technology, healthcare/life sciences, consumer products, real estate, and funds. Companies that apply to Keiretsu Forum are typically in their A or B rounds having already secured initial funding of $250k to $1.5 million from founders, friends, family, and individual angels.

Agenda
07:30am-08:30am Registration, Breakfast & Booth Exhibitors
08:30am-08:45am Welcome & Opening Remarks
08:45am-09:00am Guest Speaker
09:00am-10:20am Presenters - Block I
10:20am-11:00am Break & Booth Exhibitors
11:00am-12:20pm Presenters - Block II
12:20pm-01:30pm Lunch & Most Valued Company Competition

Keiretsu Forum plans new Chapters in Madrid and Singapore

2009-12-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

Keiretsu Forum, the world’s largest and fastest growing business angel network announced today the establishment of new chapters in Spain and the Republic of Singapore. Working with the Keiretsu Forum in Barcelona, now in its third year of operation, Madrid investors will open the 19th Chapter of the Keiretsu Forum in January 2010. Also in Q2 10, Keiretsu Forum will open a Chapter in Singapore.

“We are pleased that our model of bringing together experienced and trustworthy investors to review quality business plans and share investment information continues to resonate worldwide,” said Randy Williams, Founder/CEO of the Keiretsu Forum.

“During the past nine years we have seen our membership grow from a group of 20 in the San Francisco East Bay to 860 members worldwide,” said Williams. “We know the private equity markets are changing worldwide. It is gratifying to know that off-shore investors want to affiliate with Keiretsu Forum.”

Keiretsu Forum members belong to chapters in the East Bay (Founding Chapter), San Francisco, Silicon Valley, North Bay, Seattle, Bellevue, Portland, Boise, Sun Valley, Denver, Los Angeles, Westlake Village, Orange County, San Diego, New York/Tri Cities, London, Paris, Barcelona and Beijing.

The new Madrid and Singapore Chapters bring the total of cities where meetings are held to 20. Plans are underway to start new chapters in Latin America, other cities in China, and the EU.

Keiretsu Forum Barcelona aids young entrepreneurs

2009-10-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Xavier Casares, presidente de Keiretsu BCN, durante un reciente foro. Foto: ÁLVARO MONGE

ANDREU FARRÀS
BARCELONA

Tarde de lluvia en el paseo de Gràcia. Mientras los turistas buscan refugio junto a los escaparates de las tiendas de marca, un centenar de personas escuchan en los sótanos de la Bolsa de Barcelona a cinco jóvenes que les están pidiendo dinero para «un gestor de proyectos profesionales open-source con doble licencia», «un sistema que reserva mesas en restaurantes en tiempo real», «un identificador de productos por radiofrecuencia», «una cartelería digital interactiva low cost para pequeños comercios» y «un motor gráfico que desarrolla videojuegos de alta calidad».

Las detalladas presentaciones de los cinco emprendedores ayudan al auditorio a comprender lo que en una primera impresión resulta ininteligible para el común de los mortales. El público está compuesto por personas de más edad, experiencia y capital que los presentadores, algunos de ellos veinteañeros. Unos y otros han sido convocados por Keiretsu Forum, la red de inversores privados más importante del mundo, que este mes celebra el segundo aniversario de su desembarco en Barcelona.

Por eso, entre los oyentes hay bastantes business angels dispuestos a echar una mano a los emprendedores si les gusta lo que les proponen. Lo pueden hacer abriéndoles puertas, aportando su tiempo, invirtiendo dinero o todo a la vez. Carlos Blanco, presidente de ITnet, especializado en software e internet, es uno de estos ángeles. En la reunión en la bolsa, Blanco vio algunos proyectos interesantes y observó un detalle inédito: «Por vez primera he visto muchos representantes de grandes fondos de capital y de familias adineradas de Catalunya».

Decepcionados con el ladrillo, parece que los grandes patrimonios catalanes empiezan a explorar otros territorios.

Sin embargo, aún falta algún tiempo para que decidan plantar sus tiendas en esta tierra ignota, donde se vislumbran muchas potencialidades, pero riesgos considerables. Como recordó durante la sesión Xavier Casares, presidente de Keiretsu Barcelona, después de 11 foros de inversión y 400 proyectos analizados, sus miembros han inyectado capital en tres empresas por un volumen total de 1,2 millones de euros. «Pero lo importante es el cambio de tendencia. Si queremos cambiar de modelo productivo se debe apostar por estas empresas», insiste Blanco. «Representamos la nueva economía real, basada en crecimiento sostenible e innovación», remata Casares.

La inversión que solicitaron los emprendedores en su presentación no era exorbitada. Una de las empresas que se postularon, Teambox, pidió 150.000 euros. Tres de ellas, entre 300.000 y 600.000 euros. Y Revistronic, un millón. Uno de los asistentes veteranos comentó que para bastantes de los inversores presentes aquellas cifras eran muy bajas. «Pero aunque para ellos sea una propina, a nosotros puede abrirnos todo un mundo nuevo», respondió un emprendedor.

Al final de todas las exposiciones, Xavier Casares pidió a los postulantes que salieran de la sala, para que los inversores pudieran criticarlos. La mayoría de los comentarios fueron elogiosos –por algo es de lo poco que no pasa factura–; se puso en duda la viabilidad del proyecto sobre videojuegos –«son como las películas: o se ven mucho o no las ve nadie»–, y más de uno criticó el nombre de una de las compañías, Revistronic.

Unos días después de la presentación, el presidente de Teambox, Pablo Villalba, de 23 años, ya tiene comprometida la inversión de un tercio de los 150.000 euros que había pedido en aquella comparecencia para su proyecto de gestor open-source.

Keiretsu Forum Northwest Angel Capital EXPO 2009

2009-09-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

Contact Person: Todd Dean, President
Keiretsu Forum Pacific Northwest
todd@keiretsuforum.com

Angel Capital Expo 2009
Hosted by Keiretsu Forum Northwest

Microsoft Conference Center
October 20, 2009, 7:30am – 4:00pm

Please join us for the First Annual Northwest Angel Capital Expo, hosted by Keiretsu Forum Northwest, on Tuesday, October 20, 7:30am - 4:00pm, at the Microsoft Conference Center.

Angel Capital Expo is a premier gathering of the Northwest investment and angel capital community. Expo was created to foster collaboration among angel groups and to reach out to the larger investment community.

This event is open to Keiretsu Forum members and accredited non-members alike and is expected to attract more than 200 angel investors.

Angel Capital Expo will feature 10 companies presenting diverse investment opportunities in technology, healthcare/life sciences, consumer products and real estate. It will also include keynote speakers Tom Huseby, managing partner of SeaPoint Ventures; Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari; and Leo Grohowski, CIO of BNY Mellon Wealth Advisory.

This first annual Angel Capital Expo in the Seattle area follows successful Angel Capital Expos held in the Bay Area by Keiretsu Forum chapters in northern California. The cost for non-Keiretsu Forum members to attend the event is $179 until October 9, and $229 after that date.

To make reservations to attend, please email Carissa Harrison at carissa@keiretsuforum.com or call 206-529-3687.

Dream team again!

2009-08-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

From Top:

Greg

Josh

Ankur

Hope,

Amy

Lauren and Brendan

Kristi (K4 EB/SV Membership Director), Jake, Jessica

The 2009 "Dream Team" at Keiretsu Forum

2009-08-20T14:24:00.001-07:00

From the left, top down:

Greg

Josh

Ankur

Hope

Amy

Lauren and Brad,

Kristi (Keiretsu Forum Membership Director, East Bay/ Silicon Valley) Jake, and Jessica.

Keiretsu Forum 2009 Dream Team

2009-08-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum Salutes our 2009 Interns

We are proud to honor our current Keiretsu Forum northern California interns for their outstanding help and support. They are the “Dream Team.” They work as Angel Capital Fellows or as Business Development Associates. They come from a cross section of colleges and universities and from graduate schools across the United States. Some joined Keiretsu Forum after completing their educations to gain hands on experience with business angel investing and entrepreneurship. Here are their pictures and brief bios.

Jessica Hitchens is a 2009 Keiretsu Forum Angel Capital Fellow. Jessica is an integral part of the corporate team at Keiretsu Forum where she provides data base and administrative support in the office at Forum meetings in the East Bay and Silicon Valley. She is also working on the ALLIANCE program. Jessica is a graduating senior at Saint Mary’s College of California, where she majors in Economics and minors in Mathematics. While maintaining a 3.94 GPA, she participates in the Academic Honor Council, tutors economics and mathematics, and welcomes incoming freshmen to the resident halls as a Resident Advisor. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and learning how to knit.

Hope Thurman joined the Keiretsu Angel Capital Fellows program in June 2009. Native to the Bay Area, she will be finishing her undergraduate studies within the School of Arts and Architecture at UCLA this coming fall. Hope strives to be team oriented with specific goals to encompass everyone’s ideas. Hope works in the Lafayette Office providing data base and administrative support to Keiretsu Forum meetings and marketing events, and promoting corporate team building.

Ankur Shah hails from Gujarat, India. During his undergraduate studies he managed a gold jewelry manufacturing firm (Labhlaxmi) for 2 years; he was responsible for finance and managerial activities. At Labhlaxmi, he introduced new products, designed customer acquisition plan and articulated operation optimization strategies. Ankur recently received his MBA in Int’l finance & Globalization/Localization from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA. Ankur has 2 years of experience as a consultant working with start-ups & SMEs providing strategic planning, finance and business development solutions. He is also a Level 2 candidate for Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program. Ankur’s career goal is to be a “T” personality: in-depth knowledge of finance and broader knowledge of different industry models to guide entrepreneurs to success. Ankur’s primary assignment is working with the Keiretsu Forum India Advisory Team.

Jacob Zitter graduated last May from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration. He concentrated in Finance while completing a Minor in Mathematics, earning Highest Distinction honors. Always fascinated with the Venture Capital industry, Jacob left the Midwest thrilled to join Keiretsu Forum. Before relocating, he gained experience working for the Duman Microenterprise Center, a non-profit micro-lending fund in his hometown of Chicago. In his free time, Jacob enjoys playing basketball, following his favorite sports teams, and exploring the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lauren West was raised in Martinez, CA and left home to receive her B.S. in Business Administration-Finance at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She believes personal growth arises from taking risks and hard work. Her future aspiration is a career in financial services for that is where her passion lies. Hobbies include spending time with family and friends, painting, and working toward strengthening the community. At Keiretsu Forum, Lauren reaches out to potential members and sponsors to increase the equity investing environment.

Greg Palm is a senior economics major attending Gustavus Adolphus College in southern Minnesota. He has a passion for the stock market and co-manages the scholarship fund as part of his duties as co-president of the Gustavus Adolphus Investment Club. Along with his passion for investing, Greg also is an avid sports fan. He plays golf for Gustavus and enjoys basketball, hockey, and fishing. Greg plans to attend graduate school for a Masters in Finance after he graduates next spring and hopes to be working on Wall Street someday.

Tom Shanahan studies economics at UC Berkeley. He decided to intern at Keiretsu because of his interest in venture capital and entrepreneurship. Tom says Keiretsu has provided him with exposure to both fields. His passions include running, skiing, and CAL football.

Rasiaut Suebwongpat received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. After graduation, he was an Analyst at Bangkok Bank PLC, where he gained experience in financing medium-size engineering companies. He came to the US for his masters’ degree and for exposure to the world’s largest financial market. Rasiaut attended the University of San Francisco and received his masters’ degree in finance. He is looking forward to a career path in international investment, especially in Private Equity. He believes the internship at Keiretsu Forum is definitely a precious experience.

Special Keiretsu Forum Invitation to the European Tech Transfer Summit

2009-08-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

The 3rd annual European Tech Transfer Summit – Getting Science off the Bench – and to the market.

24-25 September 2009, Lille, France www.techtransfersummit.com

The European Tech Transfer Summit is ideal for angels, serial entrepreneurs, and anyone working with early stage biotech start-ups or licensing deals and intellectual property. It is designed to capture value from world-class life sciences research, through licensing or through the formation of companies that understand the science and business, and that have an understanding of their market and their potential clients as well as strong IP positions. The European Tech Transfer Summit is a unique initiative for which Keiretsu Forum has arranged for a special 25% discount for our members by selecting Keiretsu Forum from the list of partners. Keiretsu Forum members worldwide should contact Judith@keiretsuforum.com for the code.

Reserve your place, click here to
REGISTER NOW
http://www.eurobio-event.com/program_European_Tech_Transfer_Summit.php

The European Tech Transfer Summit is the pioneering initiative bringing together leading thinkers, innovators, practitioners and decision-makers from big industry, university and institute tech transfer offices, serial entrepreneurs, and the leading VCs and IP and legal experts in a unique, exclusive and high level interactive Summit for discussion, debate, exchange of best practices, and focused relationship building and partnering for the real world of biotech business.

Participation is limited to just 250 participants to ensure the right format and the ideal conditions. Real discussion, real interaction, real business.

Keiretsu Forum New York President Larry Chaityn quoted in the WSJ

2009-07-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

By TY MCMAHAN <http://online.wsj.com/search/search_center.html?KEYWORDS=TY+MCMAHAN&ARTICLESEARCHQUERY_PARSER=bylineAND>

Early in his career as a venture capitalist, Steve Brotman received a knock on his office door and in walked a woman dressed from head to toe in an outrageous green costume. She reached in her bag and served Mr. Brotman a business plan for a company that had “avocado” in its name.

“Regardless of whether I was interested, you lost me at hello,” Mr. Brotman, now the managing director of venture-capital fund Greenhill SAVP in New York, says he told her. “I’m not about to do a deal with a lady dressed like an avocado.”

It takes much more than a gimmick to get the attention of venture capitalists. As a growing number of entrepreneurs compete for a shrinking pool of capital, it’s more important than ever to make a good first impression with an airtight pitch.

Daniel Baxter
Venture-capital investment fell about 50% in the first quarter to $3.9 billion from $7.78 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to VentureSource, an industry tracker owned by News <http://online.wsj.com/public/quotes/main.html?type=djn&symbol=NWS> Corp., which also owns Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal. That was the lowest quarterly total since 1998 and significantly below the $5.95 billion invested in the fourth quarter of last year.

Even so, investors say capital remains available for promising start-ups. With that in mind, here is a look at what venture capitalists say are the common mistakes made by entrepreneurs making presentations:

Modesty Doesn’t Pay
Venture capitalists say that they invest in people, not just ideas. Yet the most common mistake entrepreneurs make when pitching to venture capitalists is failing to present themselves well, says Mr. Brotman. “A pitch is like going on a date,” he says. “A lot of entrepreneurs don’t introduce themselves. They might give you a name and a business card; other times they’ll go straight into the pitch. That’s like going on a first date and saying, ‘Let’s get it on.’ ”

If an entrepreneur has been successful in the past, they need to say so, says Mr. Brotman, pointing out that modesty could equal a missed opportunity. “Seasoned entrepreneurs often downplay their experience and stuff it in the back of the pitch, and they shouldn’t,” he says. “People buy into other people. They buy their story.”

In addition to introducing themselves, entrepreneurs should introduce the other members of their team and allow them to talk. Venture capitalists say they want to know that they can trust the other people involved in the business.

‘Tell It to Mom’
Canaan Partners, a Menlo Park, Calif., firm that invests in technology and health-care companies, says it has endured many bad pitches over the years, including one in which the vice president of sales for a start-up fell asleep just as the chief executive was hitting his stride during a presentation. “The CEO kept blazing through his pitch, acting like it wasn’t happening,” says Gina Vakili, Canaan’s director of marketing.

The firm passed on that deal, but its experience with bad pitches led to the creation of the Entrepreneur Pitch Workbook, essentially a “Dummies” guide to pitching venture capitalists. Among the book’s suggestions: Practice so that a pitch will last one hour, including time for questions; prepare a 12- to 20-page slide presentation and bring hard copies; arrive 10 minutes early to set up; and dress business casual, unless you’re more comfortable in a suit.

When it comes to the presentation itself, venture capitalists say it should be coherent and focused. Don’t dance around questions, especially if they are asked multiple times in different ways. Be thoughtful and willing to explain concerns with the business.

“What’s most important is to adequately explain all the assumptions on which the plan [is] based,” says Larry Chaityn, New York chapter president of Keiretsu Forum, a global network of accredited angel investors. “Less is more. We want them to present a wealth of information in very few words.”

Presentations should also avoid jargon. “I always say, ‘Tell it to your mom,’ ” says Kylie Sachs, a partner at Ascend Venture Group LLC, a private investment-management firm based in New York. “Explain it like you would explain it to your mother.”

Entrepreneurs should assume the investor believes the technology works, venture capitalists say. The presentation should focus on how a solution to a problem makes money, rather than explaining how the science works. “I want to know about the business of the business, not a tech demo for the first hour of the discussion,” says Jeanne Sullivan, a general partner at New York-based venture-capital firm StarVest Partners LLC.

Don’t Play With the Numbers
ntrepreneurs could hurt their credibility if they overstate the revenue opportunity for their product or service. That is why it is important that entrepreneurs be able to differentiate between market size and the addressable market for their idea. Take a food maker. The firm’s addressable market isn’t everyone who eats, but rather the people who eat the specific thing it makes. Saying, “We just need 0.1% of the population of China to be a success” ignores the importance of identifying and describing the target customer, says Ms. Sachs. “That’s just math that tells me nothing,” she says. “Also, if you tell me your financial projections are conservative, I’ll look for a way to prove you wrong. I need you to show me how it scales and becomes profitable.”

Ms. Sachs advises against revealing a valuation during the initial pitch. For example, don’t tell an investor you are selling 25% of the company for $4 million, she says. Similarly, avoid negotiating too early. Ms. Vakili, of Canaan Partners, says entrepreneurs who come in and say, “Before we get started, I’d like you to know that we have multiple term sheets on the table” make the firm wonder, “Then why are we meeting? Why are you here having a first meeting if you’re at the term-sheet stage with other firms?”

Stay on the Radar
The chance to make an impression doesn’t end when you walk out of an investor’s office. Mr. Brotman says he is often surprised at how many entrepreneurs disappear from his radar screen after the initial presentation. With the number of requests for meetings that investors receive, just getting an invitation to present your idea means there’s genuine interest. Even if they receive a “no” in the first meeting, entrepreneurs should stay in touch with investors. While the investors may not be interested in backing the start-up, they may share it with others who are.

Addressing concerns brought up during an initial meeting is a good way to reconnect with an investor, venture capitalists say, so promptly answer any outstanding questions that came up during the presentation.

Finally, when evaluating offers, entrepreneurs should think beyond who will write them a check. “Take a look at who can give you the best acceleration for your business,” says Mr. Chaityn. “Not just money, but industry contacts and high-level connections.”

--Mr. McMahan is a reporter for Dow Jones VentureWire in New York. He can be reached atty.mcmahan@dowjones.com <mailto:ty.mcmahan@dowjones.com> .

4th Annual Keiretsu Forum Sun Valley, July 14-16

2009-06-12T16:11:00.001-07:00

Keiretsu Forum members and guests are cordially invited to attend the Fourth Annual Keiretsu Forum Sun Valley Gathering, taking place on July 14th-16th in beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho. The investment forum portion will be on Wednesday, July 15th, starting at 8:00 a.m.

In addition to taking part in our investment forum featuring four elite portfolio companies, Keiretsu Forum members and their guests will enjoy many opportunities to socialize and get to know one another at various events, including a very special “walk around” feast at Sun Valley member Pawan Mehra’s home.

For those who want to be updated on critical new research data on angel investment returns in this economy, we will also have a special keynote by Dr. Rob Wiltbank <http://www.willamette.edu/agsm/faculty/wiltbank.htm> , Associate Professor of Strategic Management at Willamette University and foremost authority on growth stage venture capital. Dr. Wiltbank’s research on angel investing performance is the first large empirical examination of the outcomes achieved by angel investors in the U.S.

There will also be numerous outdoor activities including river rafting, skeet shooting, golf (at the scenic Sun Valley and Elkhorn golf courses) and guided fly fishing with fellow investors from around the country. Members and guests are encouraged to bring friends and family to join in the social activities.

If you would like to attend, please:
· RSVP by Wednesday, June 24th to nelson@keiretsuforum.com <mailto:nelson@keiretsuforum.com> or call (206) 529-3687. Upon receipt of your reservation you will be sent your registration forms and pricing information for all activities, as well as a detailed schedule for the week.

· Please call the Sun Valley Lodge directly at (800) 786-8259 to make your hotel reservations and to ensure that you receive the Keiretsu Forum group rate. Reservations will be accepted on a space available basis and should be made at your earliest convenience to ensure availability.

Hotel Information:
The Sun Valley Lodge located at 1 Sun Valley Road Sun Valley, Idaho 83353. Please select from one of the following links for additional information about this property and the surrounding area.

www.sunvalley.com <http://www.sunvalley.com> Resort Map <http://www.sunvalley.com/SunValley/info/rst.map.aspx> Directions <http://www.sunvalley.com/SunValley/info/sp.tran.aspx>

Keiretsu Forum Northwest welcomes new members from the Seattle area

2009-06-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Keiretsu Forum Northwest Welcomes Several New Angel Investor Members

New Members Include Many Well-known Business Leaders in Seattle Area

SEATTLE, WA—June 11, 2009 — Keiretsu Forum, the largest global network of accredited angel investors, today announced that several new members from the Northwest have joined the organization in the past few months. The new members include:

* David Anastasi, former President and CEO of Captaris (which sold to OpenText for $131M on October 31, 2008). David, who is a former board member of both the WTIA and Tech America, is currently working with early stage companies on strategic planning and their go-to-market strategies. (Bellevue/Eastside)

* Bryce Fisher, a former-NFL player (including playing defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks from 2005-2007) and currently a commercial real estate developer with AGM Incorporated. Bryce has a B.S. in Management from the US Air Force Academy. (Bellevue/Eastside)

* Steve Gahler, a Vice President / Station Manager and Direct Sales at KSTW-TV. Steve has held various executive roles at television stations and has a track record of building and leading world-class business divisions within media companies. (Seattle)

* Paul Kollar¸ Vice President of Sales and Marketing and board member at CPDI, Vancouver, WA; Venture Partner at Cross Technology Venture Partners, Tokyo, Japan; and active angel investor. Paul has more than 40 years of experience in the semiconductor and software industries. (Portland)

* Russ Riggins, a former consulting partner at KPMG Peat Marwick, where he worked for
21 years. Russ has experience with large multinational firms as well as early-stage companies and has strong skills in finance, merger/acquisitions and company growth strategies. (Bellevue/Eastside)

* W.R. "Ford" Smith II, founding Chairman and CEO of Petsmart (1986-1990), past chairman of three other companies and board member of a number of others. Ford holds a B.S. in Marketing from Berkeley and a M.B.A. from Harvard, and he has 16 years of angel investing experience. (Seattle)

Keiretsu Forum currently has 18 chapters and more than 750 accredited investor members on three continents, including North America, Europe and Asia. More than 225 of these members are in the Northwest which encompasses Seattle, Bellevue, Portland and Boise. “Keiretsu” stands for collaboration, the culture in which the forum thrives.

“I joined Keiretsu Forum for the quality and depth of the members in the room,” said new member Bryce Fisher. “As an investor, I feel more comfortable in an environment where I know the caliber of my fellow potential investors.”

"I decided to join Keiretsu Forum because I believe the current economic conditions are actually providing unique potential for involvement with true growth businesses and few organizations offer the depth of knowledge and opportunities as Keiretsu,” stated new member Steve Gahler.

“Keiretsu Forum Northwest continues to attract business leaders with lengthy track records of success,” said M.Todd Dean, president of Keiretsu Forum Northwest. “These and other new members have joined an already strong Keiretsu Forum membership that collaborates to evaluate companies in order to make better investment decisions.”

Members of Keiretsu Forum provide early-stage capital in the range of $250k-$3m to high-quality, diverse investment opportunities, including emerging technologies, healthcare/life sciences, real estate, consumer products and other industries with high growth opportunity. Members collaborate in the due diligence, but make their own individual investment decisions.

Membership in Keiretsu Forum is by invitation only and is extended to individuals who share the vision and will actively contribute to their community.

Keiretsu Forum members possess and share diverse industry expertise, from software, telecom and life sciences to retail and information technology. Presenting entrepreneurs have the opportunity to enjoy exposure to the investors, access to a wealth of feedback and insights, and a portal into the markets, relationships and executive talent found within the Keiretsu Forum network.

Only Norway shows progress in putting women on Boards

2009-06-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

from the Euorpean Professional Women's Network blog site: www.EuropeanPWN.net

Third Bi-annual EuropeanPWN BoardWomen Monitor 2008 (in partnership with Egon Zehnder International)

Overall progress remains glacially slow
Norway by far Europe’s champion
Companies score better on international diversity than gender diversity
One out of ten board members is female

The top 300 European companies now have 9.7% of women on their boards, up from 8.5% in 2006 and 8% in 2004. Of a total 5,146 board seats, women occupy 501. European champion Norway jumped to having 44.2% women on boards as a result of quota legislation . Without Norway, the European growth rate falls back to 9.1% confirming the average growth rate of around 0.5 percentage points over each two year period from 2004 onwards. This development clearly demonstrates that quotas are an effective way to accelerate growth of female representation on boards.

Movement is glacially slow
Apart from The Netherlands, the rest of Europe is moving glacially slow. The Netherlands has taken over the lead position in the first group of followers from the United Kingdom. With 12.3%, almost double the percentage of 2006 (6.5%), this country clearly benefits from the many private initiatives and press attention for the issue of women’s underrepresentation on boards in the past few years. The UK at 11.5% seems to have reached a standstill since the percentage has hardly moved since two years ago (11.4%) after an initial encouraging growth rate of 1.4 percentage points from 10% in 2004. Growth in France is below average, resulting in 7.6% women on boards from 7.3% in 2006. Germany recorded an average growth of women on boards, from 7.2% in 2006 to 7.8%.

The Front Runners in Scandinavia are accelerating
Norway’s impressive growth path to 44.2% women on boards (from 28.8% in 2006 and 22% in 2004) is followed at a lesser but still impressive pace by the other Scandinavian countries. Sweden posted 26.9%, up from 22.8% in 2006, whereas Finland and Denmark recorded 25.7% and 18.1% respectively (up from 20% and 17.9%). All Scandinavian countries continue to outperform the rest of Europe.

Increasing divide in Europe
Italy and Portugal remain Europe’s laggards, with Greece, Spain and Switzerland a little ahead. Marked by stagnation, the divide between these countries and the rest is increasing quickly. However, we expect to see some impact of Spain’s very recently introduced quota legislation in the next survey in 2010.

Operating Globally from the Start

2009-06-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 10th, 5:30pm to 8:00pm

5:30-6:15pm reception
6:15-6:30pm Welcome and Keiretsu Forum overview
6:30-7:45pm Panel Discussion and Q&A
7:45-8:00pm Adjourn

Location:
Law Offices of Hanson Bridgett 425 Market Street, 26th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105

“Micro Multi-Nationals: A New Global Start-Up”

What could your startup achieve if it could leverage global resources like a Fortune 500 multinational? We'll be discussing how this is no longer wishful thinking on the part of entrepreneurs, but a very possible reality being implemented more and more.

How can companies go global from launch, picking and choosing the best resources in the world, rather than restricting themselves to their local surroundings? This trend of operating as a ‘micro-multinational' has powerful implications on how startups or already established companies acquire talent, markets, and capital.

If entrepreneurs could hire employees from a global talent pool, enter hot emerging markets, and leverage international cost structures, how will it change the game for how companies can become viable, profitable, and scale?

Featured Panelists:

Kaushal Chokshi is serial entrepreneur. He has been involved in various technology licensing projects in Europe, Middle East and India. Kaushal is an Electrical Engineer Graduate with studies in Business Management. Currently, Kaushal is the co-founder of Quickstart Global, which is a platform to establish in-house capabilities, open doors for startup, small & medium-sized businesses for exponential growth. In addition to the roles he plays with Quickstart Global, Kaushal is also the Chairman of Scaale, Inc. which provides startup ventures and small-to-medium enterprises with a micro-multinational engine that increases the scope of their business to a global level.

Stephen Belomy has spent the last 15 years helping early stage software and internet infrastructure companies develop and prosper; with an emphasis on software-as-a-service business models. Mr. Belomy currently serves as CEO of Kailea Networks, Inc., a software-as-a-service single-vendor alternative to multi-vendor point solutions or expensive enterprise solutions in the IT Systems Management space. Prior to Kailea, Mr. Belomy served as President and COO of Mobile Greetings, Inc., CEO of SPB Consulting, LLC, COO of Message Hero, Inc., and Executive VP of AboveNet Communications, Inc. Mr. Belomy graduated with a BA Mechanical Engineering degree from UCLA.

Alfonso Perez joined Solbright in 2008 as VP of Development, and is currently acting as chief technology officer. Over the past few years, Alfonso’s strong and innovative leadership, along with his deep understanding of globalization, has reflected on the turning-around and optimization of several technology organizations at both small and fortune ranked companies with large global delivery components.His experience, of more than fifteen years, in technology leadership includes senior and mid-level management positions at Fidelity National Information Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield, ReClaim, Fair Isaac, Wonderware, and Canon. Alfonso’s experience also includes conceiving and developing two technologies awarded patents.

Scott C. Smith' is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP. Scott’s practice emphasizes corporate, tax and real estate law. He works with private and public companies on equity financings, debt transactions, securities matters, mergers and acquisitions and general business matters. Scott also represents emerging companies in connection with entity formation issues, licensing and other technology related matters. He works with venture capital firms in connection with fund formations and equity investments, as well as large institutional investors in connection with their investment activities.

Les Berkes leads the design and development of leadership and management programs for HP’s population of 29,000 managers. Before coming to HP, Berkes served as Deputy Director of the Center for Executive Education at the Naval Postgraduate School , Vice President of Strategy for Xoriant Corporation, Director at the Delta Consulting Group, Managing Director for Nolan, Norton & Co., and CTO and COO of Netmap International, Inc. He has consulted to over 100 companies in communications, manufacturing and construction, service and retail, government, education and institutions, and professional services and has been recognized by Who's Who in the West, Who’s Who in California, and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America. He holds a doctorate from the University of California, Irvine, masters from the Naval Postgraduate School and bachelors from the University of Southern California.

Moderator

Colin Wiel, President Keiretsu Forum
San Francisco and North Bay

Please register at
http://micromults.eventbrite.com

Please email Kelly Kimbrough
kelly@keiretsuforum.com with any questions or visit www.keiretsuforum.com for more information.

4th Annual Summer Solstice Event for Keiretsu Forum Women and guests

2009-06-03T13:17:00.001-07:00

4th Annual Summer Solstice

Tuesday, June 30, 2009; 5:30pm-8:00pm

PG&E Auditorium

77 Beale St., San Francisco, CA

The purpose of the Keiretsu Forum Summer Solstice is to educate and inform leading Bay Area business women about how they can support entrepreneurial efforts on a local, national, and global level. In addition to a networking reception, attendees will hear brief presentations and a panel discussion regarding the larger role women investors and entrepreneurs need to play in the California economy. More than ever, the angel community is eager to attract women investors. Women investors are considered a largely untapped market that is critical to "financial and mentoring support for new companies."

Hundreds of the Bay Area’s most successful and respected business women are expected to attend.

Please register at http://summersolstice.eventbrite.com For further questions please contact Entrepreneur Director, Maggie Jacobberger at maggie@keiretsuforum.com or Director of Member Services, Kelly Kimbrough at kelly@keiretsuforum.com

Kudos to Keiretsu Forum northern CA from a presenting company

2009-06-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

June 2, 2009. Keiretsu is pleased to share this note from a company that presented in northern CA last week:

" Thanks for all your help, coaching, good thoughts, pleasant demeanor, coordination, follow-up, and just about everything else you did for Steve and I.

This is truly the most professionally run angel group I’ve ever experienced! Your commitment and dedication to present “presenting companies” in the most professional manner possible is unparalleled... We can’t thank you enough for your efforts!

With Warmest Regards,
Rob "

Denver News from Rocky Radar http://www.rockyradar.com

2009-05-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

RockyRadar Begins Coverage of the Angel Network Keiretsu Forum, Six Firms Present
May 28, 2009

In the hunt for startup capital, angel investors oftentimes get overlooked in the race to pitch to venture capitalists and corporate investment funds. Yet according to the University of New Hampshire Center for Venture Research, angels invested a similar amount of money to VCs in 2007 (~$30B), while spreading it over ten times as many companies.

The Keiretsu Forum, founded in 2000, is the world’s largest angel investor network with eighteen chapters on three continents. The name, which in Japanese translates into ‘a set of companies with interlocking business relationships,’ describes the organization insofar as members make individual investment decisions yet benefit from the group’s insights, due diligence, and professional networks. Membership in Keiretsu is limited to Accredited Investors, defined as individuals with income over $200k a year or a net worth in excess of $1 million. The Denver chapter, founded in 2007 by Steve Murchie, hosted its May Forum meeting on Wednesday where four companies presented for the first time in Colorado and two firms offered updates to earlier appearances.

Osmosis Pur Medical Skin Care: Presented by founder Dr. Ben Johnson, Osmosis produces a line of over thirty skin care products which are sold to the professional market of dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and spas at price points between $10 and $150. With eight patents pending, the Osmosis line boasts ingredients that boost penetration into the critical layers of the skin by 1000% over conventional products. In two years of business Osmosis has banked over $2.1M in revenue, and proceeds from an angel investment would be used to triple its sales force and expand the company’s trade show presence. Before founding Osmosis, Johnson previously founded Cosmedix skin care, which he built to $10M in sales before selling to partners.

Ontier: Presented by CEO Sebastian Rapport, Ontier has developed the Pixetell software platform, an on-demand SaaS product that allows users to communicate a combination of voice, webcam video, screen shots, text, images and presentations by way of a link sent over email. The product, which effectively mimics the functionality of web conferencing, was developed to address the problems of time zone and availability: If a colleague cannot connect in person, how does he communicate complex ideas that involve multiple media formats? The Portland based firm, which employs twelve full time, has completed the product and plans to roll it out in July. The marketing strategy, described as “the Adobe model on steroids,” will allow recipients of a Pixetell message to respond free of charge to the sender in order to create product awareness.

PowerMand: Introduced by President and CEO Dan Russell, PowerMand offers to reduce energy consumption in light commercial buildings (< 100,000 sq feet) through its Dreamwatts solution, a monitoring and control system that promises to trim energy use by 10-25%. The internet based service effectively provides a dashboard of building electricity load and consumption, and allows users to program and control thermostats and outlets via a clean online interface. The company’s primary customers are heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractors who would become PowerMand resellers, offering the solution to established clientele as a new product. The Portland based company forecasts revenue from initial installations as well as an ongoing service charge.

RIVWorks, the last new presentation of the day, was explained by VP Ty Ricker and CFO Doug Will. RIVWorks, based in Fort Collins, offers a product the company describes as Rich Interactive Video to ecommerce vendors, an offering the company first provided for high traffic Ebay sellers. The firm has a library of thousands of videos – all shot in front a green screen – that can be coupled with a professionally designed background to welcome visitors to a website. The value proposition to customers hinges on a belief that video improves conversion metrics, transforming a casual site visitor into a paying customer. While offering to produce customized videos, the firm believes its core product line is highly scalable because its content is by and large a generic welcome, easily applied to any number of different websites. The company has a CPM sales model, generating an ongoing revenue stream determined by the number of eyeballs viewing its videos.

The two companies offering updates to previous appearances:

Green House Data: Presented by President Shawn Mills, Green House Data is a Wyoming-based collocation and managed services data center entirely powered by on-site wind turbines. Mills reports that the firm’s servers and storage equipment receive the geographic benefit of “240 days of free cooling,” one of several efficiencies that allow the company to offer prices 10% below competitors. Within the $12B market for managed services, applications and storage, the company has targeted the $2B segment of small to mid-size enterprises and socially responsible clientele. Green House Data broke even last year and has applied for a $2.2M incentive grant from the Wyoming Business Council.

Wellworks Communique: Presented by CEO Justin White, Wellworks provides an e-newsletter SaaS platform to clients seeking to professionally communicate news and product information. Wellworks has designed its product to compete favorably on features with industry leader Constant Contact, a half billion dollar company that demonstrates the market potential for the Boulder based company.

The Keiretsu Forum is a facilitator bringing together investors and early stage companies offering generally high risk investments. The next event for members will be a Deal Screening on June 10th, followed by a Forum meeting on June 24th. For information on joining the Denver Chapter please visit the Forum’s website.

HIT Barcelona and the Global Entrepreneurship Competition

2009-05-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

For the past year, our partners in Barcelona and at UC Berkeley have been working on an important event—the first worldwide business plan competition, “The Global Entrepreneurship Competition.” The site for the event is www.HITBarcelona.com.

HiT Barcelona is a unique event that will bring together leading international innovation gurus along with entrepreneurs and investors. The event is unique in that it will focus on three of the sectors with enormous future growth potential: Telecom, Cleantech and Healthcare.

The event program will feature high level keynote speeches and stimulating round table debates, along with an innovation tournament where 15 of the most innovative projects in each of these sectors will be presented to the attending investors and companies.

In addition, HiT Barcelona will feature the final of the first ever worldwide business plan competition, the Global Entrepreneurship Competition. This final will feature 28 of the most innovative projects, nominated by over 20 leading entrepreneurship centers including Berkeley, MIT, INSEAD, Cambridge University, Hong Kong Science & Technology Park …, who will compete to win prizes totaling €90,000.

Due to the enormous potential interest we believe this event will have for your members, the opportunity to see first hand over 70 high potential projects in one single event, we have arranged a collaboration between KEIRETSU FORUM and HiT Barcelona.

Keiretsu Forum Chapter Presidents and Committee Chairs will receive complimentary full passes to the event. In addition, there is a 20 percent discount for all KEIRETSU members, and an exclusive welcome cocktail for all attending members of KEIRETSU at the Barcelona Stock Exchange, hosted by a senior representative of the Barcelona City Council/

For additional information, please contact Keiretsu Barcelona President Xavier Casares (xcasares@keiretsuforum.com). Xavier can supply additional information to you and your members.

Keiretsu Paris wins prize as best new foreign company 2008

2009-05-10T09:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on the first year of operations in France!

2008 Prix de l'Investisseur goes to the Keiretsu Paris team (2nd on left) Jack Bays, Shelley Bays (Co-Presidents) and (center) Jacques Sciammas (Managing Director).

Keiretsu Program announces international program

2009-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

If your business is ready to compete and succeed in Silicon Valley, you are invited to participate in Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE.

Keiretsu Forum knows from experience that offshore partners want exposure to the Silicon Valley because companies here take the initiative to create business opportunities. As a proven and established community of global investors, the Keiretsu Forum can help you develop valuable relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, media and others involved in Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE. ALLIANCE identifies, mentors, promotes, and showcases top international partners as they move from their local markets to the global stage.

Benefits of ALLIANCE:

Scheduled meetings with major corporations and companies in Silicon Valley like Microsoft, Intel, Facebook, Oracle, Google, ATT, and PGE
Outstanding access to investors, VCs, strategic partners, and service providers
Exposure to leading business clusters and incubators in Silicon Valley
Transportation to scheduled meetings
Meals and refreshments on each of the 4 days in the program
Attendance at EXPO, Keiretsu Forum’s highly regarded quarterly business angel meeting that attracts 300+ accredited investors
Introductions to Keiretsu Forum accredited investors and VCs
Targeted business introductions
Media exposure
Participation in the Keiretsu Forum global enterprise
Exposure to accredited business angels and VCs from throughout the world during 4
days of targeted activities
Keiretsu Forum resources and business contacts in the Silicon Valley
Meetings with potential partners for your US presence
Meetings with other Keiretsu Forum funded company CEOs
Keiretsu Forum web presence and media partnerships

ALLIANCE is a reverse trade mission to the California high-tech, clean-tech, and innovation economy. Trade missions normally involve sending US business representatives abroad. This program reverses the model bringing global partners to the Silicon Valley for immersion in the innovation culture in California.

ALLIANCE participants develop relationships within the Keiretsu Forum community of investors, partners, and sponsors. They benefit from the nine year Keiretsu Forum track record of successful investments, shared member resources, and key partnerships in the Silicon Valley, California and the Western United States, New York City, London, Paris, Barcelona, and Beijing. ALLIANCE also helps locate US businesses interested in partnering/ collaborating with offshore companies.

ALLIANCE partner visits provide the knowledge to expand into global markets and/or focus on specific economic sectors such as IT, software, real estate, commercial products, or medical equipment. Some visits will focus on the economic development needs of specific countries to take advantage of the innovative markets in the Silicon Valley.

ALLIANCE nominations are accepted from Keiretsu Forum Chapters and members worldwide and from participating business angel groups and economic development officials in the EU, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, India, the Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, Malaysia, and China.
2009 ALLIANCE program schedule:
* San Francisco/Silicon Valley from April 27-20, 2009 with participation in the SF EXPO, Thursday, April 30, 2009.
* San Francisco/Silicon Valley from August 24-26, 2009 with participation in the East Bay/Silicon Valley EXPO on Thursday, August 27, 2009.
* Silicon Valley/San Francisco November 17-19 with participation in the Silicon Valley EXPO Friday, November 20, 2009.

During a four day period in California companies selected for ALLIANCE meet Keiretsu Forum partner organizations, interact with selected angel investors and VCs affiliated with Keiretsu Forum, and are introduced to potential partners. * All participating ALLIANCE companies are featured at the Keiretsu Forum EXPO, which brings together more than 300 accredited investors and VCs at each event. At EXPO, the participating ALLIANCE companies are introduced and benefit from targeted business media coverage. All participating companies benefit from access to Silicon Valley mentors, corporations, partnerships, and investors affiliated with the Keiretsu Forum community worldwide.

Other 2009 dates for ALLIANCE
Customized programs are also available through ALLIANCE in 2009 to meet your needs to bring innovation to market.

To learn more about ALLIANCE or to ask for an application, please contact:
Judith Iglehart, Ed.D
Keiretsu Forum
Vice President, International judith@keiretsuforum.com

Keiretsu Forum Disclaimer
KEIRETSU FORUM IS A FACILITATOR BRINGING TOGETHER INVESTORS AND EARLY STAGE COMPANIES OFFERING GENERALLY HIGH-RISK INVESTMENTS. KEIRETSU FORUM IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE PRESENTING COMPANIES AND DOES NOT ENDORSE, INVEST IN, ASSIST WITH INVESTMENT IN OR RECOMMEND ANY OF THE COMPANIES (OR THE SECURITIES OF SUCH COMPANIES) THAT MAY SEEK FUNDING THROUGH KEIRETSU FORUM MEMBERS, AND RECEIVES NO SUCCESS FEES OR OTHER COMPENSATION FOR ANY FUNDING THAT MAY OCCUR (ALTHOUGH KEIRETSU MEMBERS AND/OR VOLUNTEERS MAY HAVE AN ECONOMIC INTEREST OR AFFILIATION WITH PRESENTING COMPANIES WHICH KEIRETSU REQUIRES THEY DISCLOSE). ACCORDINGLY, ANY INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS GIVEN OR MADE BY ANY PRESENTING COMPANIES MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN REVIEWED FOR ACCURACY OR AUTHORIZED BY KEIRETSU FORUM. ANY OFFERS TO, OR INVESTMENTS MADE, BY A MEMBER OF KEIRETSU FORUM WILL BE TO OR IN HIS, HER OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT ON BEHALF OF KEIRETSU FORUM. CONSEQUENTLY, INVESTORS MUST CONDUCT THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY INVESTMENT IN COMPANIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LEGAL, TAX AND INVESTMENT ADVICE.

*

2009 Welcome from Randy Williams

2009-02-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Keiretsu Forum!

2009 brings hope and continued nervous reactions to the daily onslaught of news from Wall Street and beyond. I believe information is power, and how you use this information is even more important. As such, our focus in the past eight years is to provide stimuli and diversity in early stage technology investing mixed with “brick and mortar investments” i.e. consumer and real estate opportunities.

Nothing has changed since the start of Keiretsu Forum in 2000 and our mantra of delivering “Quality Deal Flow’ is still our guiding principle. I sincerely believe this is a critical time to GATHER and discuss all issues that are on our minds. Please seek out the “mind share and the swarm intelligence” of our vibrant community of Keiretsu Forum members.

I sincerely hope you participate in this on-going dialog even more so in 2009. Please be part of the solution by offering your sage advice while also listening to our esteemed community of Keiretsu Forum members. Some of the touch points to enjoy your community are through the Forum and screening days.

Additionally, come enjoy your fellow members through the due-diligence process, academies, pre-screening committees, the social events and charitable functions……Please participate, engage, and enjoy the benefits and fellowship of membership.
I hope to see you all more in 2009!

Regards,

Randy Williams
Founder & CEO

2009-01-27T11:00:00.000-08:00

US Policy on Technology--January 2009 (from the White House website)

Ensure the Full and Free Exchange of Ideas through an Open Internet and Diverse Media Outlets

Protect the Openness of the Internet: Support the principle of network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.

Encourage Diversity in Media Ownership: Encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation's spectrum.

Protect Our Children While Preserving the First Amendment: Give parents the tools and information they need to control what their children see on television and the Internet in ways fully consistent with the First Amendment. Support tough penalties, increase enforcement resources and forensic tools for law enforcement, and encourage collaboration between law enforcement and the private sector to identify and prosecute people who try to exploit children online.

Safeguard our Right to Privacy: Strengthen privacy protections for the digital age and harness the power of technology to hold government and business accountable for violations of personal privacy.

Create a Transparent and Connected Democracy

Open Up Government to its Citizens: Use cutting-edge technologies to create a new level of transparency, accountability, and participation for America's citizens.

Bring Government into the 21st Century: Use technology to reform government and improve the exchange of information between the federal government and citizens while ensuring the security of our networks. Appoint the nation's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to ensure the safety of our networks and lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices.

Deploy a Modern Communications Infrastructure

Deploy Next-Generation Broadband: Work towards true broadband in every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation's wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives. America should lead the world in broadband penetration and Internet access.

Improve America's Competitiveness

Promote American Businesses Abroad: Support a trade policy that ensures our goods and services are treated fairly in foreign markets. Fight for fair treatment of our companies abroad.
Invest in the Sciences: Double federal funding for basic research over ten years, changing the posture of our federal government to one that embraces science and technology.
Invest in University-Based Research: Expand research initiatives at American colleges and universities. Provide new research grants to the most outstanding early-career researchers in the country.

Make the R&D Tax Credit Permanent: Invest in a skilled research and development workforce and technology infrastructure. Make the Research and Development tax credit permanent so that firms can rely on it when making decisions to invest in domestic R&D over multi-year timeframes.

Ensure Competitive Markets: Foster a business and regulatory landscape in which entrepreneurs and small businesses can thrive, start-ups can launch, and all enterprises can compete effectively while investors and consumers are protected against bad actors that cross the line. Reinvigorate antitrust enforcement to ensure that capitalism works for consumers.
Protect American Intellectual Property Abroad: Work to ensure intellectual property is protected in foreign markets, and promote greater cooperation on international standards that allow our technologies to compete everywhere.

Protect American Intellectual Property at Home: Update and reform our copyright and patent systems to promote civic discourse, innovation, and investment while ensuring that intellectual property owners are fairly treated.

Reform the Patent System: Ensure that our patent laws protect legitimate rights while not stifling innovation and collaboration. Give the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) the resources to improve patent quality and open up the patent process to citizen review to help foster an environment that encourages innovation. Reduce uncertainty and wasteful litigation that is currently a significant drag on innovation.

Restore Scientific Integrity to the White House: Restore the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically-valid evidence and not on ideological predispositions.

Prepare All our Children for the 21st Century Economy

Make Math and Science Education a National Priority: Recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. Work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.

Improve and Prioritize Science Assessments: Work with governors and educators to ensure that state assessments measure higher order thinking skills including inference, logic and data analysis, not just rote memorization of facts.

Address the Dropout Crisis: Provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school -- strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time.
Pinpoint College Aid for Math and Science Students: Launch an online database to give potential future scientists access to information about financial aid opportunities available in science and technology fields through the federal government and public or private resources.
Increase Science and Math Graduates: Improve science and math education in K through 12 to prepare more students for these studies in college. Work to increase our number of science and engineering graduates and encourage undergraduates studying math and science to pursue graduate studies. Increase the representation of minorities and women in the science and technology pipeline, tapping the diversity of America to meet the increasing demand for a skilled workforce.

Prepare Adults for a Changing Economy

Lifelong Retraining: Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act, and increase resources for community colleges and lifelong learning initiatives to ensure our citizens can continue to gain new skills throughout their lifetimes. Modernize and expand the existing system of trade adjustment assistance to include service sector workers hurt by changing trade patterns. Create flexible education accounts that workers can use to retrain.

Build a Reliable Safety Net: Through their proposals on portable health care and retirement savings accounts and expanding unemployment insurance, Obama and Biden will work for programs that will help Americans facing job transitions in a fierce global economy.

Employ Science, Technology and Innovation to Solve Our Nation's Most Pressing Problems

21st-century technology and telecommunications have flattened communications and labor markets and have contributed to a period of unprecedented innovation, making us more productive, connected global citizens. By maximizing the power of technology, we can strengthen the quality and affordability of our health care, advance climate-friendly energy development and deployment, improve education throughout the country, and ensure that America remains the world's leader in technology.

Lower Health Care Costs by Investing in Electronic Information Technology Systems: Use health information technology to lower the cost of health care. Invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records.

Invest in Climate-Friendly Energy Development and Deployment: Invest $150 billion over the next ten years to enable American engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. This investment will transform the economy and create 5 million new jobs.

Modernize Public Safety Networks: Spur the development and deployment of new technologies to promote interoperability, broadband access, and more effective communications among first responders and emergency response systems.

Advance the Biomedical Research Field: Support investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields. Fund biomedical research, and make it more efficient by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships.

Advance Stem Cell Research: Support increased stem cell research. Allow greater federal government funding on a wider array of stem cell lines.

2009-01-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

Keiretsu Forum Alliance

Dear Global Partners,

In 2009, Keiretsu Forum offers a new program, ALLIANCE, for emerging companies worldwide. We invite you to spread the word about this entry to business opportunities in the Silicon Valley.

If you know organizations, tech professionals, economic development agencies, or emerging startups that could benefit from the Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE program, please share the following invitation with them. More details are available at judith@keiretsuforum.com .

Sincerely,

Randy Williams

Keiretsu Forum Founder/CEO
www.keiretsuforum.com

What is Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE?

If your business is ready to compete and succeed in Silicon Valley, you are invited to participate in Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE, a new program that identifies, mentors and showcases top international companies as they move from their local markets to the global stage. As a proven and established community of investors, the Keiretsu Forum can help you develop valuable relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, media, and others involved in Silicon Valley's business community.

The Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE program is a reverse trade mission to the California high-tech, clean-tech, and innovation economy. ALLIANCE reverses the traditional model to bring global partners to the Silicon Valley for immersion in the innovation culture in California. ALLIANCE also helps you locate US businesses interested in partnering/collaborating with offshore companies.

ALLIANCE participants develop partnerships within the Keiretsu Forum community of investors, partners, and sponsors, benefitting from the nine year Keiretsu Forum track record of successful investments, member resources, and key partnerships in the Silicon Valley, throughout California and the Western United States, and in London, Paris, Barcelona, and Beijing.

Companies in other nations often lack the knowledge and resources to expand into global markets. Therefore, some ALLIANCE partner visits will be specialized to focus on specific economic sectors such as IT, software, or medical equipment. Other visits will have a specific country focus. Still others will have broader focus to take advantage of the innovative markets in the Silicon Valley. Keiretsu Forum knows from experience that offshore partners want exposure to the Silicon Valley because companies here take the initiative to create business opportunities.

How does ALLIANCE work?

ALLIANCE arranges targeted meetings and discussions, and schedules roundtables with partners such as Microsoft, Google, and Intel, and with leading Silicon Valley Venture Capital firms. ALLIANCE companies are looking to the Keiretsu Forum to help with introductions and guidance regarding their firm or industry.

How does a company participate in ALLIANCE?

ALLIANCE nominations are accepted from Keiretsu Forum Chapters and members worldwide and from participating business angel groups and economic development officials in the EU, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, India, the Middle East, Australia/New Zealand, Malaysia, and China.

When are the 2009 ALLIANCE programs?

· San Francisco/Silicon Valley from April 27-20, 2009 with participation in the SF EXPO, Thursday, April 30, 2009.
· San Francisco/Silicon Valley from August 24-26, 2009 with participation in the East Bay /Silicon Valley EXPO on Thursday, August 27, 2009.
· Silicon Valley/San Francisco November 17-19 with participation in the Silicon Valley EXPO Friday, November 20, 2009.

During a four day period in California companies selected for ALLIANCE will meet Keiretsu Forum partner organizations, interact with a selected angel investors and VCs affiliated with Keiretsu Forum and Keiretsu and Keiretsu Capital, and be introduced to potential partners. *

All participating ALLIANCE companies will be featured at the EXPO, which brings together more than 300 accredited investors and VCs at each event. At EXPO, the participating ALLIANCE companies will be introduced and all participants will benefit from targeted business media coverage.

All participating companies will benefit from access to Silicon Valley mentors, corporations, partnerships, and investors affiliated with the Keiretsu Forum community worldwide.

Customized programs are also available through ALLIANCE in 2009 to meet your needs to bring innovation to market.

What does ALLIANCE cost?

The cost per member is $14,000 (US) which includes:
· Scheduled meetings (either targeted or general) with major corporations and companies in Silicon Valley like Microsoft, Intel, Google, ATT, and PGE
· Outstanding access to investors, VCs, strategic partners, and service providers
· Exposure to leading business clusters and incubators in Silicon Valley
· Emphasis on proven entrepreneurial processes
· Transportation to scheduled meetings
· Meals and refreshments on each of the 4 days in the program
· Keiretsu Forum EXPO attendance
· Introductions to Keiretsu Forum accredited investors and VCs
· Targeted business introductions
· Media exposure
· Continued participation in the Keiretsu Forum global enterprise

Benefits of ALLIANCE:

· Exposure to 300+ accredited business angels and VCs from throughout the world during 4 days of targeted activities
· Keiretsu Forum resources and business contacts
· Meet potential partners for your US presence
· Meet other Keiretsu Forum funded company CEOs
· Focused a broad spectrum of business sectors: high tech, IT, software, medical devices, clean tech, green products, consumer products, Video games, wineries, financial products
· Keiretsu Forum web presence and media partnerships

To learn more about ALLIANCE please contact:
Judith Iglehart
Keiretsu Forum
Vice President, International

http://www.keiretsuforum.com
Judith@keiretsuforum.com

*Keiretsu Forum Disclaimer

KEIRETSU FORUM IS A FACILITATOR BRINGING TOGETHER INVESTORS AND EARLY STAGE COMPANIES OFFERING GENERALLY HIGH-RISK INVESTMENTS. KEIRETSU FORUM IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE PRESENTING COMPANIES AND DOES NOT ENDORSE, INVEST IN, ASSIST WITH INVESTMENT IN OR RECOMMEND ANY OF THE COMPANIES (OR THE SECURITIES OF SUCH COMPANIES) THAT MAY SEEK FUNDING THROUGH KEIRETSU FORUM MEMBERS, AND RECEIVES NO SUCCESS FEES OR OTHER COMPENSATION FOR ANY FUNDING THAT MAY OCCUR (ALTHOUGH KEIRETSU MEMBERS AND/OR VOLUNTEERS MAY HAVE AN ECONOMIC INTEREST OR AFFILIATION WITH PRESENTING COMPANIES WHICH KEIRETSU REQUIRES THEY DISCLOSE). ACCORDINGLY, ANY INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS GIVEN OR MADE BY ANY PRESENTING COMPANIES MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN REVIEWED FOR ACCURACY OR AUTHORIZED BY KEIRETSU FORUM. ANY OFFERS TO, OR INVESTMENTS MADE, BY A MEMBER OF KEIRETSU FORUM WILL BE TO OR IN HIS, HER OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT ON BEHALF OF KEIRETSU FORUM. CONSEQUENTLY, INVESTORS MUST CONDUCT THEIR OWN DUE DILIGENCE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY INVESTMENT IN COMPANIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LEGAL, TAX AND INVESTMENT ADVICE.

Keiretsu Forum Global 2009 events and news

2009-01-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

In the midst of a worldwide economic slowdown, 2009 should be another positive year for Keiretsu Forum and its global chapters. Four offshore locations--Beijing, Barcelona, Paris, London-- are growing and will benefit from the continued growth of the US chapters and deal flow. Deal flow in the US is strong, and companies that in the past would have engaged in conversations with VCs are looking to accredited business angel investors for funding.

A new program, Keiretsu Forum ALLIANCE, will roll-out as a reverse trade mission to the Silicon Valley. Participants will either attend 4 day programs culminating with the 2009 northern CA EXPO events, or will participate in targeted programs in Silicon Valley to expose the CEOs and their companies to Keiretsu Forum strategic partners and accredited investors. The program is for individuals, companies, for economic development officials in regions not currently served by Keiretsu Forum, for regions where business angel investing is not well-known, and for regions that want to add to their knowledge of key players in Silicon Valley where Keiretsu Forum is already well-established. Watch for more information on ALLIANCE or contact judith@keiretsuforum.com for additional information, dates, costs, programs, etc.

Starting in January 2009, Silicon Valley Keiretsu Forum meetings will be web-streamed to off-shore locations. More on this new application for global members will roll-out in the next two weeks.

Keiretsu Forum global sponsors and partner organizations are encouraged to send articles for posting on this blog. Of particular interest are pieces dealing with economic issues, with new technologies or with completed fundings. If you are working internationally, please let us know.

K4 Members Travel to the EU in October 2008

2008-08-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Join Keiretsu Forum Members in Europe for the October 2008

Keiretsu Forum Paris Launch

and one-year anniversary celebration of the

Keiretsu Forum Barcelona and London Chapters

You are cordially invited to join Keiretsu Forum Founder & CEO Randy Williams,

the worldwide Keiretsu Forum Chapter Presidents,

and K4 Members who will travel to the EU

for the launch of Keiretsu Forum Paris

and one-year celebration of K4 Barcelona and London.

Oct 5
9:00 pm K4 Barcelona no-host dinner for members and guests

Oct 6
5- 8 pm Barcelona Chapter 1st Anniversary meeting

Oct 7
a.m. Fly to Paris
6-8 pm Paris Chapter Launch

Oct 8
9-5 pm K4 Chapter Presidents meeting
and
8:30 pm K4 Paris no-host dinner for members and guests

Oct 9
a.m. Eurostar train to London

5-7:30 pm London Forum
and
8:30 pm K4 London no-host dinner for members

Travel arrangements (airline, hotels, rental cars, Eurostar tickets, etc.) contact

Peggy Carpenter at peggy@berkeley4travel.com (510.599.7411).

For information about this trip, please contact

Judith Iglehart, Keiretsu Forum VP, International

Judith@keiretsuforum.com.

For more information on Keiretsu Forum, please visit www.keiretsuforum.com.

News from Barcelona re: Renewable Energy Conference

2008-06-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to inform you about the conference that Keiretsu Forum Barcelona organized last Fridayabout the present and future of renewable energy. We want to thank Jon Bonanno and Anna Weinstein for their wonderfull speech in front of our members and friends (about 30 attendance).

The speaker, Jon Bonanno <http://www.powerbyprinciple.com/about/management.php?id=jon> , is a very active member of Keiretsu Forum San Francisco and the leader of the Keiretsu Forum CleanTech Committee. He is responsible for analyzing and selecting CleanTech Companies in San Francisco.

Bonanno stressed the importance of the future of renewables, not only for the obvious fact that there is a problem with the environment and shortages of traditional resources, but also for the many business opportunities that may arise from renewables, because as noted Bonanno, it is estimated that in 12-15 years time, the consumption of this type of energy will increase to 50%.

In 2007 he founded Principle Power <http://www.powerbyprinciple.com/> , with Alla Weinstein <http://www.powerbyprinciple.com/about/management.php?id=alla> , who also participated in the conference. They have begun working on identifying projects in the United States and Europe. A couple of weeks ago, Principle Power closed $2,3M <http://www.powerbyprinciple.com/press/releases_convertibleNoteClose.php> seed funding convertible note round. The round included 8 Keiretsu Forum investors.

See a brief extract of the conference <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5n5j2_conferencia-keiretsu-el-futuro-de-l_news>

For more information, please contact:
Marta Carballo
Membership and Operations Director
Keirestu Forum Barcelona

2008-05-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Los ‘business angels’ de Keiretsu cierran su primera operación
Publicado el 12/04/2008, por Noemí Gómez. Barcelona

La sociedad inversora Edap 2007, que entró en contacto con la empresa granadina 3DVista a través del fondo, le ha inyectado 300.000 euros.
La mayor red de inversores privados de EEUU, Keiretsu Forum, aterrizó en Barcelona el pasado octubre de la mano de La Caixa, el bufete Roca Junyent, la Cámara de Comercio de Barcelona y el Parque de Innovación de La Salle.

Desde eLCntonces ya se han celebrado en la capital catalana cuatro foros, que son un punto de encuentro entre inversores y emprendedores. En cada uno de estos foros se presentan cinco proyectos –seleccionados de un total de 40– ante los miembros inversores de Keiretsu. A partir de entonces, si a algún business angel le interesa el proyecto de algún emprendedor, empiezan las tomas de contacto.

El primer fruto de la labor de celestina de Keiretsu en España ya se ha producido. La sociedad de inversores privados Edap 2007, que crearon hace un año ocho directivos que se conocieron en un programa del IESE, invertirá 300.000 euros en la empresa granadina de software para la creación de visitas virtuales 3DVista y tomará una participación del 25%. El resto se repartirá entre el fundador José Luis Ruiz (70%) y un empleado (5%). Costa, que está convencido de que acudirán a más ampliaciones de capital porque 3DVista está en pleno crecimiento, asegura que “hemos invertido en ella porque tiene un producto innovador y único, que permite cosas como ver la visita a pantalla completa o hacer unos retoques de fotos sensacionales”.

El directivo quiere dejar claro que su participación en el proyecto no se limita a poner el dinero: “Aportamos contactos, experiencia empresarial y capacidad de planificación estratégica”. Es precisamente ese plus estratégico lo que ha animado al emprendedor José Luis Ruiz a dar entrada por primera vez a un socio inversor en la compañía que fundó en 2000. “Nuestro software permite convertir varias fotos en un panorama inmersivo o visita virtual que hace que otro lo vea como si estuviera allí”, dice Ruiz. Hasta ahora sus clientes eran empresas de los sectores turístico e inmobiliario, que pagaban entre 200 euros y 800 euros por el software. Ahora quiere abrirse al gran público con una aplicación más sencilla y gratuita que se podrá utilizar desde el PC y desde el móvil. Más del 90% de sus 3.000 clientes, como Intel y Microsoft, se encuentran en EEUU. Por eso, la inversión de Edap les va a servir para reforzar allí su red comercial, donde abrirán una oficina en Filadelfia, y para crecer en España. 3DVista facturó 300.000 euros en 2007 y en 2008 espera llegar a los 2 millones.

Keiretsu Forum and the State of California

2008-04-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

The California Small Business Board advises the Governor, the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, and Marty Keller, the state's Small Business Advocate, regarding issues and programs affecting California's small business community, including business innovation and expansion, export financing, state procurement, management and technical assistance, venture capital, and financial assistance. Judith Iglehart, Keiretsu Forum Vice President, International, serves on the 11 member Board.

The Board is charged with holding public hearings to carry out the objectives of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency with regard to its responsibilities as a legislative advocate and ombudsman for the state's small business community. In addition, the Board approves the establishment of new financial development corporations.

Board membership includes the California Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, six members appointed by the Governor from the California small business community, two persons from the business or agricultural communities, one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and two Members of the Legislature or their designees, one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly and one appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. Iglehart is the Senate Rules Committee appointee.

Her goal as a Board member is to keep Sacramento informed as to equity gap funding issues and issues that affect California companies moving into international markets. In February, Marty Keller, Governor Schwarzenegger's Small Business Advocate and his Deputy, Michael Gonzalez visited the Keiretsu Forum East Bay to meet K4 Founder/CEO Randy Williams and participate in the K4 process.

California small businesses interested in learning more about state efforts to foster economic development and assist small businesses should visit: http://www.sba.ca.gov/index.php?a=smallbusiness/index.html or contact judith@keiretsuforum.com.

London Chapter Opens at Home House

2008-04-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

Under the leadership of Lord Beaverbrook, Keiretsu Forum London met at Home House yesterday to review companies seeking business angel funding in the UK. Prospective members and sponsors reviewed business plans and shared their expertise with the emerging companies. For more information about the companies presented and to request information about Keiretsu Forum London, please contact mbeaverbrook@keiretsuforum.com or log on to www.keiretsuforum.com/London.

Keiretsu Forum London

2008-03-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Keiretsu Forum London team led by Lord Beaverbrook hosts the first full meeting April 2, 2008. To apply to present your business, or to inquire about attending the meeting, which is by invitation only, please contact dborrero@keiretsuforum.com. Please check the K4 London calendar at www.keiretsuforum.com/london.

Keiretsu Forum London members join 750 K4 members worldwide with access to business flow generated in Barcelona, London, Beijing, Paris, East Bay (Founding Chapter in California), San Francisco, Silicon Valley, North Bay, Westlake Village, Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, Bellevue, Boise/Sun Valley, Portland, and Denver.

In 2005, 2006, and 2007 the Keiretsu Forum was a business angel leader in providing equity gap funding for emerging companies. Today, emerging businesses who receive Keiretsu funding are eligible to participate in our global financial syndication process.

K4 Founder/CEO Randy Williams interview on Bloomberg Asia

2008-02-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Please take a few moments to watch a recent interview with Randy Williams, K4 Founder, that was recorded while he was in Malaysia at the invitation of the government to discuss business angel investing. The link is http://instantdailypro.com/blogs/angel-investors/13128/bloomberg-interview-with-randy-williams/

New Team for K4 Paris

2008-02-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Shelley and Jack Bays, esteemed members of the Keiretsu Forum East Bay Chapter, were recently appointed co-Presidents of Keiretsu Forum Paris by K4 Founder/CEO Randy Williams. Both Shelley and Jack have extensive experience working internationally, and they have a home in Paris. Shelley was with Charles Schwab in London for many years, and Jack owned and operated an international beverage company. They will be joined at K4 Paris by another Schwab alumni with extensive EU experience.

The Paris Chapter will open in Q3 08, and more information will be available about the opening soon. Please reach out to sbays@keiretsuforum.com and jbays@keiretsuforum.com for more information about the Paris Chapter, to refer potential members, or to discuss potential sponsors.

Earthclass Mail featured on Start-up Junkies, a new reality show in the US

2008-01-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

Earthclass Mail, a Keiretsu Forum portfolio company that has raised several million dollars for its international expansion, is the featured company on Start Up Junkies, a new reality tv show.

Click here for the link to the first episode featuring Ron Wiener and his team. http://www.mojohd.com/mojoseries/startupjunkies/about.jsf

The show illustrates the problems faced by entrepreneurs, and explains the growth process they face as they seek funding to grow their new businesses. Keiretsu Forum northern California members were invited to the initial screening of the show last week.

Ron Wiener's company, which started in the Pacific Northwest, also presented in California and Colorado and traveled to Spain to present in Barcelona to off-shore members of the K4 investment community. Let us know what you think of the show.

Keiretsu Forum Barcelona Chapter meeting January 29, 2008

2008-01-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

If you are in Spain next week, consider attending the Keiretsu Forum Barcelona Chapter meeting that will be held at the Barcelona Stock Exchange on January 29 from 8 am to Noon. One company from the US, EvoOrganic, that presented in northern California will present to Spanish investors. This will be the third K4 US portfolio company traveling to the EU to meet our worldwide investors. EvoOrganic joins Earthclass Mail and Les Concierges as companies to watch in the EU as well as the US.

Keiretsu Forum Pacific Northwest creates blog for members

2008-01-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

Please venture to the new blog created by the Pacific Northwest Chapters (Seattle, Bellevue, Portland, Boise) to share information about activities. Chapter President Todd Dean edits the blog and provides information about the community of investors in his region. You can find the blog at http://toddk4seattle.blogspot.com/. On January 12, Todd posted an article of interest to all business angel investors:

5 Key questions for Angels by Todd Dean

"I get asked a fair amount what does Keiretsu Forum and our K4 members look for in companies when be consider for investing. I've narrowed it down to 5 questions that allow me to cut the chase to if I want to learn more about a company or not.

An entrepreneur will always start to share about their company to the ninth degree because it is their passion and dream which can take a fair amount of time. So I try to always keep this in mind when I'm speaking with an entrepreneur as to not rain on there parade no matter where the company is at in the growth cycle.

When I encounter an entrepreneur I ask them if they mind if I ask a few questions first before I hear about them and there company. 1) I ask if the company has any revenues? This will let me know quickly as to where the company is at from a life cycle and growth stand point. If it's pre revenue the the caution flag goes up for me but again every company starts pre revenue. With this question I ask what is their valuation? If they say pre 10 million pre revenues I wish them luck with their venture. I could spend a great amount of time on this one but I'll leave at I look for valuations between 1-10 million. 2) I ask the question do you have any IP (intellectual property), any patents, and patents filed? 3)What is the CEO/Founders back ground. I was in a wine bar one night last year having a glass of wine before heading home and I'm sitting next a gentleman. He had a fedex jacket I said oh you work for fedex and he yes but that's not really what I'm doing. We are working on a bio diesel play. My reply was oh really? He said yes we are planning on building our bio diesel plant and really building this thing out which it's going to be huge! I said we? He said yes me an my buddy that works with me at Fedex. I said well what's your back ground? He said we've been reading up on this and worked out our plan to build this. I said do you have anyone with this expertise or background in clean tech or energy space working with you? He said no. I said have you built a company like this? His answer was no. I said how do you plan to finance this and how much. He said we plan to go after private investors and he rattled off a big number and that's when my eyes rolled back in my head. The guy asks me what I do? I really didn't have the heart to tell him so I lied I said I'm a garbage man. 4) I'll ask who else is out there in the market place doing anything close to what they are doing and if they are the first market mover. If they say there is no competition again another caution flag goes up. If they explain where they are at with the competition or where they see the market going then I'll listen. 5) I ask what does their board of directors and advisory board look like? A smart entrepreneur is going to surround themselves with the best people possible that have industry expertise and something to contribute to the growth of there company. So when an entrepreneur says let me share more about my company. I literally know whether I want to listen to more or not at this moment. If its a company I feel Keiretsu Forum would consider I then will give them a business card, direct them to our website to apply online, or send them to Paul Luce our Keiretsu Forum NW entrepreneur director".

If you have questions for Todd, please contact him at todd@keiretsuforum.com.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-20T07:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to our colleagues across the world, and best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2008 as the Keiretsu Forum continues to expand globally thanks to you, our Members and Team, and particularly our EU Sponsors: La Salle University, Roca Junyent, La Caixa, and the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

With all best wishes from Randy Williams and Judi Iglehart.

Keiretsu Forum Global will expand in 2008

2007-12-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

The Keiretsu Forum is the fastest growing business angel investment group in the world with chapters on three continents. We look forward to additional off-shore expansion in 2008 and plans are underway to develop new chapters in regions of interest to our members.

That being said, we are also moving very slowly with off-shore expansion plans to make sure that the key ingredients are in place in interested cities, including the selection of the Chapter President(s), the economic infrastructure, local and international sponsorship, a thriving entrepreneurial community, and the support and interest of government.

Please join us as we map out this new territory for the Keiretsu Forum. We are looking for interns to train in the K4 process who are interested in working with us to set up the emerging Chapters. We are actively seeking K4 members and their associates to be part of our US advisory teams to the off-shore chapters. We are interested in knowing if our members are interested in learning more about the process of becoming a Chapter President. Finally, we are interested in business and member referrals to our existing chapters in Beijing, London, and Barcelona.

To become involved in the Keiretsu Forum Global Program please contact randy@keiretsuforum.com or judith@keiretsuforum.com. We welcome your advice and suggestions.

Keiretsu Forum Women meet in San Francisco

2007-12-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

Following the San Francisco Keiretsu Forum Chapter meeting yesterday, Bay Area women investors met to discuss issues of interest to them. Included in the discussion were topics for future Keiretsu Forum academies, including the fun of K4 Golf 101.

There was additional discussion about how best to serve women entrepreneurs who present at the northern California K4 Chapter meetings, including early intercession by women members interested in mentoring the emerging women owned businesses.

One suggestion was to reach out to other K4 women investors throughout the K4 community of investors by holding an event in conjunction with an event scheduled in southern California. You will receive more information as these plans develop.

Please contact Maggie Jacobberger at maggie@keiretsuforum.com to learn more about the exciting events and action items planed for the women of Keiretsu Forum.

Barcelona December Chapter meeting results

2007-12-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, 74 people atttended the December Barcelona Chapter meeting held at the Barcelona Stock Exchange. In addition to the Barcelona members (now numbering 33), invited guests came from Zaragoza, Madrid, Bilbao and Andorra to participate.

Chapter President Xavier Casares, Xavier did a great job encouraging participation among attendees. Members and guests asked questions and shared their points of view about the investment opportunities that were presented. The K4 model is taking hold as 13 members indicated their interest in participating at the upcoming deal screening. At that time, the members will select emerging companies to be presented at the Barcelona Keiretsu Forum meeting scheduled for January, 24, 2008.

Attendance at all Keiretsu Forum events is by invitation only. For inquiries about Keiretsu Forum Barcelona or more information about the Chapter meetings, please contact President Casares at xcasares@keiretsuforum.com, or marta@keiretsuforum.com. Information about the Barcelona Chapter can also be found at www.keiretsuforum.com.

December 11 K4 Meeting in Barcelona

2007-12-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

By invitation only, the Keiretsu Forum Barcelona meets the afternoon of December 11, 2007 at the Barcelona Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Barcelona). For more information about the meeting, please contact Chapter President Xavier Casares at xcasares@keiretsuforum.com.

Here is the summary of six very exciting new companies that will present at the December 11 meeting:

Company 1.- A free monthly magazine for immigrants that combines the interests and concerns of the Latin, Arabian and European communities. This company has great market penetration and audited circulation numbers, and is already recognized by major media agencies and the advertisers that want to reach immigrant audiences.

Company 2.- Develops and manufactures medical equipment in the respiratory area. In the medical sector there is a general consensus that spirometry is essential for the detection and control of diseases, but the current spirometry has several major drawbacks that makes mass distribution difficult. The company has a novel product that allows interpretation of test results to be easy and safe. All rights are protected.

Company 3.- The company operates and is part of the composites industry (a composite is a carbon fiber and resin material). Until now, composites materials have been used for industries where technological requirements are very high (for example: aviation industry, aerospace). The company wants to move into other land based sectors -- Nautical, rail, construction, etc. -- where there are fewer companies that develop and produce components based on the carbon fiber technology.

Company 4 .- The company has developed a vertical Internet search model specialized for the German and Spanish real estate markets. The size of the market for on-line search in the four major European markets (United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain) is growing very quickly as is the volume of its advertising contracts.

Company 5.- This software enterprise has more than 10 years of experience in digital communications, focused on content management and its distribution in digital channels such as Digital Earth Television and TvInternet, consolidated products on the market and customers that are leading the industry, such us CCRTV , Tele5, TVE, Grupo Planeta, Vocento and others. The company collaborates with Abertis, Telefonica, etc.. and partnerships with ATOS Origin, T-Systems, Iecisa, Adobe, etc.. The company already has 14 employees.

Company 6.- This company is dedicated to the manufacture of tools that optimize the energy of semiconductor chips. Their business objective is to reduce energy needs by about 50%, particularly in cell telephony where there is a clear need to reduce energy consumption. All the other recognized solutions that exist in the market (i.e., Cadence, Synopsys and Magma), are complementary to the industrial focus of this company. The founder and CEO of this company is based in California.

Keiretsu Forum Events for Women

2007-10-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

Dear K4 Women,

Our October events were well attended, especially the "Meet and Greet" Happy Hour hosted at Jackie Kleinman's home and the lunch following the October 18 Deal Screening on the USS Hornet.

Our next K4 WISE get-together will be next Tuesday, November 6 from 10:30am until 11:30am at the Hanson Bridgett law offices in San Francisco at 425 Market St, 26th floor. We will meet immediately following the "Angel Investing 101" Investor Academy at the same location. Please let me know if you plan to attend.

We hope to build upon the momentum we've generated thus far, and also encourage you to attend the following events:

"Angel Investing 101" Investor Academy
Speakers: Steve Kam and Annika Reinemann, Cogent Valuation
Tuesday, November 6 from 8am until 10:30am at Law Offices of Hanson Bridgett, San Francisco
425 Market St., 26th floor

This academy will focus on the ins and outs of making a sound angel investment and will be taught by valuation expert and K4 member Steve Kam. Topics will include: valuation, due diligence, and an overview of the term sheet.

K4 WISE Academy Follow-up
Tuesday, November 6 from 10:30am until 11:30am at Law Offices of Hanson Bridgett, San Francisco
425 Market St., 26th floor

Immediately following "Angel Investing 101," we will debrief about the academy and follow up on our discussion from the October 15 Happy Hour (see below). In addition, we will discuss topics for future academies, upcoming K4 WISE events, and additional updates.

Silicon Valley Dinner
Tuesday, Nov. 6 from 6pm-8:30pm: Hosted by Dana Kleiman at her Los Altos home

ASTIA Angel Dinner
Monday, Nov. 12 from 6pm-9pm at Nixon Peabody, San Francisco
One Embarcadero, 18th floor

We have a limited number of complimentary investor's passes to attend the ASTIA Angel Dinner and hear presentations from 10 VC screened and selected women-led companies. ASTIA's mission is to foster the full participation and leadership of women in entrepreneurship.

ExpandingYourHorizons. org Benefit Dinner at Google
Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 5:30pm until 9pm
Google Headquarters, Charlie's Cafe, Building 40, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway,
Mountain View, CA

K4 WISE Member Rachel Sheinbein would like to make the SF/Bay Area chapter(s) aware of the non-profit group, Expanding Your Horizons, which encourages young women in math, science, engineering and technology. She is on the board of this incredible organization, which holds conferences around the US and recently expanded into Asia and Europe.

On Nov 14th, there is an Expanding Your Horizons showcase: an evening benefit for the EYH network at the Googleplex. (Here's the link to the event: http://www.expandingyourhorizons.org/tickets.htm)

For more information about Expanding Your Horizons, please visit http://www.expandingyourhorizons.org/ and email Rachel at rachelsheinbein@yahoo.com with any questions. She would love to have you join her at her table at the event.

Angel Capital Expo
Friday, November Nov. 16 from 7:30am until 3:30pm
Please RSVP maggie@keiretsuforum.com for any of these events.

News from K4 Southern California

2007-10-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

News from Connie Koch, Co-President K4 Southern California:

Our three days of events, ending with the Expo, proved to be very good. We strategically planned the three days of events in Westlake Village, at Sherwood Country Club.

The reception on Sunday evening at the Westlake Village Yacht Club drew 75+ individuals for boating in Lear Boats. Everyone loved the cruise and it appears we might have positioned K4 member, Shanda Lear, for the sale of two Lear boats in the area.

We ended up with 100+ golfers for the tournament and everyone had great fun. We teamed Randy in a foursome with Bob Robotti, Founder of one of the nation’s largest sources for 1031 Exchange co-ownership properties. We may welcome Bob and his wife Marilyn as new members soon.

This is the beginning of what will come from these three days of events in Westlake Village.
We expected 105 individuals for the dinner following the golf , and ended the evening with more than 150 guests. Bob Robotti and his wife also purchased one of the cruises on a yacht donated by another K4 member. Randy, auctioneer that he is, split the auction on the cruise between two bidders, and actually sold two yacht cruises. The donator of the cruise(s) was elated and to this date loves that Randy pulled that one off.

Randy served as auctioneer, with the support of Chip, for the items that were donated by K4 members and was able to raise $7,000 + for the baby cancer foundation, just from K4 member donations. The balance raised for this charity was close to $20,000.

The Expo brought in 105+ attendees, with 10 presenting companies, 15+ TableTop displays and 12 Fast Pitches. Costs ranged from $1500 to $5000 per entrepreneur, according to their level of participation.

We have one new sponsor, 4 new members, 50+ prospects for membership from the golf tournament in the Westlake/LA area, and 2 new partnerships.

Presenting Companies at the Southern California Expo:

Alpha Omega Winery – Eric Sklar, is CEO of Napa Valley's newest boutique winery. Alpha/Omega is unique for selling the vast majority of wine directly to customers. The company's stated goal is to make some of the world's best wines.

ISIS – Robert Zwerling, CEO. He created a proprietary Probabilistic Reasoning engine (EPR), which provides an industry-leading solution in artificial intelligence for a compact, efficient, and effective security solution. The end result is that it secures the email gateway, eliminates spam, and frees up IT resources.

Aweli – Josh Paul, CEO, Co-Founder and Managing Partner. This is an interactive video marketing firm that creates marketing videos and places product in videos. The company can track exactly who watches each video in what form. In September 2007, this company was selected as “Best Investment Opportunity of 2007” at the Tech Coast Venture Network’s annual Survivor event.

Leading Ventures – John Rodenrys, CEO. Leading Ventures is a seed round venture fund that invests in early stage technologies that can be developed quickly and offer early exit strategies. The fund anticipates exit through early out licenses, acquisition by established companies in need of the technology or in-house commercialization of the technology. The fund seeks to acquire 10 – 15 technologies primarily in the Life Sciences and Homeland Security/Military spaces, maintain controlling interest in the technology through the mentoring process by the Fund’s advisory team and prepare the technology for commercialization by established companies.

Hidden Water Pools – Stefan Kanetis, Inventor, President, CEO. A revolutionary company that will dramatically reinvent outdoor living. Hidden Water Pools has created a multi-functional outdoor patio that transforms itself into a multi depth in-ground pool.

EtchStar – Ben Katz, Founder and CEO.
Etchstar is a Los Angeles-based on-demand laser customization company that offers online shoppers the ability to personalize electronic devices such as MP3 players, laptops, and mobile phones with nearly any digital image and/or text. The Company sells new products, including Apple’s line of computers and iPods, and allows customers to mail their current device to the Company for customization. They host the largest user-generated library of vector art, and allow artists to make royalties by selling their art on the various products they customize.

Rotec Designs – Robert Rutherford, CEO. Rotec developed a revolutionary diesel engine technology called REDD. When incorporated into a wide range of diesel engines (either via retrofit or at original manufacture), REDD offers the unique ability to generate significant reductions in BOTH harmful Particulate Matter (soot) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) emissions (of up to 70%); OR considerable increases in power (of up to 93%); OR a combination of both emission reductions and power increases; AND increases in engine efficiency and improvements in fuel consumption in some applications. Emissions are reduced "at source," rather than the traditional approach of treating them at the tailpipe.

Quantum Solar – James DeOlden, Founder. Quantum Solar proposes a manufacturable concept for dramatically increasing the efficiency of terrestrial silicon solar cells from the current 10-15% to the range from 60-80% or greater. The approach uses a nanotechnological effect that has been overlooked in the history of solar cell development and is supported by a U.S. patent application.

New Media Broadcasting Company – Scott Paige, Founder/CEO. This company works directly to consumer network providers for brands, content producers and affinity groups.

Waterfall Music – Arion Jay Goodwin/CEO. This is a therapeutic music collection.

For more information about the So Cal Expo and the presenting companies, or to inquire about Keiretsu Forum membership, please contact chip@keiretsuforum.com or connie@keiretsuforum.com. Connie Koch and Chip Parker are the co-Presidents of Keiretsu Forum Southern California with Chapters in Westwood Village, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.

For more information on the EU Chapters

2007-10-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Please contact Sr. Xavier Casares at xcasares@keiretsuforum.com, and Lord Beaverbrook at mbeaverbrook@keiretsuforum.com. They would be pleased to assist you or to answer questions about the Keiretsu Forum process in their respective cities--Barcelona and London.

K4 EU expansion--new Chapters in Barcelona and London

2007-10-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

The two newest K4 Chapters opened the first week of October. Twenty plus K4 members and Chapter Presidents from the United States traveled to Barcelona and London for the openings.

Highlights of the Barcelona trip included: an invitation to visit to the Barcelona Stock Exchange; more than 350 interested persons at a morning meeting at which Randy presented K4 at a panel with La Caixa Bank, the Roca Junyent legal firm, and the Chamber of Commerce of Barcelona followed by lunch and a later meeting for 80 potential members; a presentation by Ron Wiener of K4 portfolio company Earth Class Mail for the potential Spanish investors; outstanding media coverage in the Spanish Financial Times; introductions to interested business angel investors from throughout Spain and aspiring entrepreneurs from Spain and Germany; a soccer game at Olympic Stadium (Espanyol 1--opponent 0); one broken hand; one towed but recovered rental car; great weather, and a wonderful welcome for the US members by our new colleagues and partners in Barcelona and throughout Spain.

Highlights of the London trip included: an invitation to dine at Cherkley Court, the ancestral home of K4 London President Lord Beaverbrook at which Winston Churchill and other dignitaries were frequent guests; a meeting at Price Waterhouse Coopers arranged by Seattle K4 member Pascal Stolz; an introductory reception at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel for 80+ potential London members with company presentations including K4 San Francisco member Linda Jenkinson, CEO of K4 portfolio company Les Concierges and companies operating in London; sightseeing and shopping; Randy's visit to Cambridge to hear the Cambridge Union debate and tour the college; my night at the Old Vic seeing Diana Rigg in All About My Mother, and sitting next to Stephen Fry, who played Jeeves to Hugh Laurie's Bertie Wooster in the tv show, Jeeves & Wooster; and a wonderful welcome from our new colleagues and partners in London.

The members who accompanied us on these visits were from all of the K4 US Chapters: Pacific Northwest, East Bay, San Francisco/North Bay, Silicon Valley, Southern California, and Denver. Their participation, enthusiasm, and support for Keiretsu Forum activities worldwide added greatly to the successful launch of the new chapters.

All K4 members are encouraged to reach out to our newest Chapters. Many of you have already brought your European colleagues into the K4 network, and we would like to thank you for the introductions. Please reach out to Chapter Presidents Sr. Xavier Casares and Lord Maxwell Beaverbrook. You may reach them via the K4 webpage where their Chapters are listed.

More than 400 investors and guests and Keynote by ATT CEO Tim Harden

2007-08-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

Eight companies presented at the Northern California Summit and two portfolio companies gave updates of their success to date yesterday. Sectors included real estate, consumer products, finance, and IT. Each company addressed the investors and answered questions at individual booths and at hosted tables during the lunch following the meeting.

Following the presentations, guest speaker Tim Harden, CEO, AT&T West spoke about long-range planning in the communications industry.

For a list of the presenting companies, please see www.keiretsuforum.com.

Keiretsu Forum Seattle September focus on Clean Tech

2007-08-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

The article below was originally posted at http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/energy/archives/119545.asp sponsored by the Seattle Post Intelligencer through their on-line blog, seattlepi.com. The blog was posted by
Denis DuBois at August 7, 2007 at 7:37 a.m.

Clean Tech Companies Invited To Apply for Keiretsu Forum Consideration

The Keiretsu Forum NW on September 20, 2007, will feature clean technology companies.

Keiretsu Forum members provide early-stage capital in the range of $500K-$3 million. The process at Keiretsu (K4) is very structured and has resulted in over $17 million invested in 34 companies by Pacific Northwest members since the Seattle Chapter began in late 2005.

"This is our first forum featuring all clean tech companies," says K4/Seattle president Todd Dean. "We're looking for four or five companies whose business focus is directed toward clean technologies like biodiesel, wind technology and water purification. We feel it's important to support companies that reflect our Northwest culture."

Here's how to apply...
The first step is to complete a Fact Sheet document and submit it to Paul Luce, Entrepreneur Director, Keiretsu Forum Seattle/Northwest, and mention in the email that you read about it here.

Applicants could be invited to present to a screening committee of 25 members which meets typically the first Thursday of each month to review the top 8-10 submitted companies. K4/Seattle will contact applicants when they complete the pre-screening review. The web site provides an overview of the K4 process.

K4 is not a fund and does not invest as a LLC. Members collaborate on screening, due diligence and providing resource, but make individual investment decisions.

Contact:Paul LuceEntrepreneur Director - Keiretsu Forum Seattle/Northwest
(206) 529-3687 ext. 3
(206) 600-7849 Fax
www.k4seattle.com
Keiretsu Forum Seattle/Northwest
1325 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1840Seattle, WA 98101

Thanks to Scott Milburn of SGB Ventures and Todd Dean of K4 Seattle for the advance information.

Travelling to the Barcelona and London Chapter Openings

2007-08-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

All Keiretsu Forum Members and guests are cordially invited to join us for the launch of the Keiretsu Forum Barcelona Chapter on Monday, October 1, 2007 and Keiretsu Forum London on Wednesday, October 3, 2007. Please hold the date(s).

Following activities earlier in the day, the inaugural Barcelona meeting for K4 members and invited guests will be from 4-6:30 pm. The inaugural London meeting for K4 members and invited guests will be from 6-8:30 pm.

The location of each meeting will be provided closer to the dates.

The Keiretsu Forum is the largest and fastest growing North American/International angel network with more than 500 accredited business investor members. Since September 2000, Keiretsu Forum members have invested over $130 mm in 145 companies in technology, healthcare/life sciences, consumer products, real estate and other segments with high growth potential. Our community of investor members is strengthened through education on angel investing, as well as charitable and social activities.

These inaugural sessions will present opportunities to meet and hear from Keiretsu Forum US Chapter Presidents including Founder and CEO Randy Williams, and from K4 members from our soon to be 14 Chapter organization. In addition, we will have presentations from four companies who have passed screening in other regions and are undergoing the due diligence and/or funding process in Barcelona and London. There will be time to explore both cities and to meet our partners and sponsors.

The inaugural session agenda(s) will include:
* Welcome and Introductory Remarks by the Chapter President
* Discussion of the Keiretsu Forum model by K4 Founder/CEO Randy Williams and US Chapter Presidents
* Company presentations
* Mind share, Discussion, and Recap

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to judith@keiretsuforum.com. Guests and family members are always welcome at Keiretsu Forum meetings. We prefer that guests be either prospective investor members or future presenting companies. The Keiretsu Forum has a strict non-solicitation policy.

Travel and hotel reservations are being coordinated by Berkeley Northside Travel. Please contact Peggy Carpenter if you need help with hotel, airline, or other arrangements. There are several travel options, and Peggy will discuss dates with you and provide further information about scheduling and side trips in the host countries. Her email is: Email: peggy@berkeley4travel.com.

Berkeley Northside Travel
1824 Euclid Avenue
Berkeley CA 94709
Peggy Valim Carpenter
Phone: 510-225-0350
Fax: 510-843-7537
Cell: 510-599-7411

We look forward to seeing you in Spain and England the first week of October.

Correction Regarding London Chapter posting

2007-07-28T11:07:00.001-07:00

Thanks to San Francisco/North Bay Co-President, Matthew Le Merle, our gracious K4 resource on all things British, I would like to correct my note about the site of the London Chapter opening. Matthew tells me:

"The Financial District of London is called the City of London. The West End is on the other side of the central London area. So either the meeting is in the West End or it is in the City of London (Financial District), but they are different."

The correct site will soon be posted. Stay tuned.