Companies who have presented at our Host Sponsors' prior eight venture fairs
have received investment financing from venture capital funds, private investors and
corporate partnerships. Several companies have successfully raised equity capital through
IPOs.
AnswerLogic (formerly nQuest, Inc.) ". . . the term sheet was signed the first week of August, less than 3
months after ESE. We got our first choice VC, who decided to invest after seeing us
in action at Early Stage East. . . . a great opportunity to generate a lot of buzz in
a short time . . . ESE organizers do a great job of coaching presenters."
—Jamie Hamilton
Aatlas
Commerce "ESE was a great platform to develop contacts for when we were
ready to release the plan."—Dan Tiernan
Smart
Button Associates "We
were extremely pleased with the publicity we received as part of Early
Stage East. Not only did we speak with most of the top venture capitalists in
the area, but we also received national TV exposure after being chosen
to appear on the PBS show Money Hunt. It is the only show I know of that focuses on the early stage
segment.
I have been involved in technology startups for the last ten years and
have not been to a better venture fair." —Phil
Sugar
Blackboard Inc. "Early Stage East was monumental to Blackboard’s success in
getting Blackboard before a first-tier community and in raising our
first formal round of financing. We met two of our three current venture
partners at Early Stage East, all who provide unprecedented value over
and above the financial support and vote of confidence."
—Andrew H. Rosen
Customer Insites, Inc. "We just closed our seed funding
round with principals that we met
at Early Stage East . . . and we have been in discussions since. Early
Stage East was instrumental in launching our funding campaign."—Leslie
A. Williams
PurePower Company, Inc. ". . . we did exhibit and received interest
from Venture Capital and investment firms. Beyond our wildest expectations.
. . . we mailed out updated business plans to 11 firms . . . a VC
firm in Princeton agreed to take a secondary position for 25% of the
$1.6 million we seek." —Robert R. Radcliffe
Step 9 Software Corporation "This was an excellent
overall VC marketing tool."
—Mark R. Merrick
