A weekly spotlight on VC - TechnionSeed‏

Posted by Liat on 10/04/2008

 

Contact person

  

 DR. NITZA KARDISH - VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

60 seconds on VC  

Technion Seed is a partnership between four top-tier Venture Capital funds - Vertex Venture Capital, Battery Ventures (based in Boston, USA), SCP-Vitalife and ProSeed - and the Technion Research & Development Foundation. Together, those funds manage almost $4 Billion.

 

Through Technion Seed (which operates as an "incubator"), those leading funds invest in technological ideas and ventures, which have a very large potential, but which are still at a stage that is too early for investments of millions of US$. In such ventures, we invest up to about $1,000,000, with the purpose of enabling the entrepreneurs to prove the viability of their idea. Success in the initial phase will then lead to a large round of financing in the venture, led by the above-mentioned VC funds, for continued growth of the venture.

 

It is important to note that already at the "incubation phase", the VC funds invest in each of our ventures directly, and the ventures become part of the portfolio of the VC funds, with all the benefits that this implies.

 

 

In what areas are you investing?
Our fields of interest are derived from those of the VC funds that own us - Battery Ventures, Vertex, SCP-Vitalife and ProSeed.

 

We invest is a variety of fields, all related to technology: Communications, IT, Internet, Life Sciences (focus on Medical Devices), CleanTech, and others.

 

 

At what stage of the company are you investing? Who should we contact?
Seed (including "2 persons with a PowerPoint presentation")

 

What should we bring for the first meeting?

 

Main thing is your ability to tell your story well. It can be done with a PowerPoint presentation or without - the important thing is that you will tell your story clearly and in a convincing manner. Before the meeting, we will usually ask for an Executive Summary, where you will tell about the idea, the problem you solve, your solution to it, what is unique about solution, and who you are.

 

 

What investments did you make 2006-2007, and what are you looking for in 2008?

 

See our Web site (www.TechnionSeed.co.il) for a list of our portfolio companies. We invested in a variety of fields, and will continue to do so in 2008. Ventures we look for are those which face a very large market; have a unique technology (which gives them superiority over competitors, or which allows them to open up new markets); and where the team members are experts in the relevant field.

 

How many of them were ventures entrepreneured by women?
Unfortunately - none, which is disappointing to us1

 

Your tip for an entrepreneur
Be open minded, listen and don't give up…

 

How many women work at your VC?

 

6 women (and only 1 man)

 

How to contact you?

 

www.TechnionSeed.co.il;

 

nitza@TechnionSeed.co.il or moshe@TechnionSeed.co.il;

 

+972-4-8546655