Anticipating record attendance among the investment community at the upcoming Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, taking place May 10-11 at the Marriott Resort in Ypsilanti, Mich., event organizers today unveiled the complete list of companies that will vie for funding at this year’s event. The 41 presenting companies symbolize the “Best of the Midwest” businesses and were selected from a competitive pool of 85 applications. During the past 10 years, more than 300 companies have presented at the Symposium. Seventy-one percent have raised capital totaling $1.7 billion in investment dollars and of those, 20 percent have gone on to realize successful exits.
This year’s roster represents the Midwest industries that have emerged as having the greatest growth potential, including information technology, clean technology, medical devices and life science. Among them are seven University spinouts, including InPore Technologies and Life Magnetics, as well as companies traveling from as far as Kentucky and Massachusetts to participate. This year will mark an encore appearance for several companies, most notably Esperion Therapeutics. The Plymouth, Mich.-based biotech company presented in 1998, was bought out by Pfizer in 2004 for $1.3 billion and after divesting in 2008, is back to present at the Symposium in 2011.
Nextronex Energy Systems, a Toledo, OH-based solar component manufacturing company, will be presenting at the Symposium for the first time, in the highly anticipated clean tech track. Commenting on the value of the event, CEO Bruce Larsen said: “Many of the companies that have presented at The Michigan Growth Capital Symposium have gone on to great success, which makes me confident that it is going to be a great forum for Nextronex. It has the clout to attract the influential Midwest and coastal VCs that we’re eager to pitch, but it is still intimate enough that we’ll be able to make one-on-one connections and cultivate relationships with them.”
Hosted by the Zell Lurie Institute with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association, The Michigan Growth Capital Symposium has become the gold standard for start-up investment in the Midwest. It serves as a conduit for introducing regional and national investors to promising startups and established, high growth organizations seeking funding. This year a new format has been expanded to include companies seeking angel and seed funding, as well as companies seeking follow-on rounds of funding up to $20 million.
Here is the complete list of presenting companies (also available at www.michigangcs.com):