From Biz.yahoo.com

Formative Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm launched by partners with firsthand operating experience in growing start-ups into successful companies, has closed its first institutional fund at $77.5 million. Harvard Management Company, which manages the University’s endowment, serves as the anchor limited partner for the Formative Ventures Emerging Technology Fund.

In addition to Harvard, Formative Ventures received investment commitments from groups such as the University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO), the University of Pittsburgh, and GKM Newport Generation Funds. In all, 13 institutional investors contributed to the Formative Ventures Emerging Technology Fund, with almost 90 percent of the commitments coming from foundations and endowments. The balance came from contributions from fund-of-funds, private investment groups and individuals.

From Prnewswire

Paul Capital Partners is pleased to announce the final closing of its third Top Tier venture capital fund-of-funds, Paul Capital Top Tier Investments III, L.P. ("Top Tier III" or the "Fund").  Top Tier III closed today with $620 million in commitments from a diverse group of institutional investors.  The fundraising exceeded the initial target of $500 million.

    Top Tier III will make both primary and secondary investments in venture capital funds sponsored by top quartile performing managers and select emerging managers with the potential to perform in the top quartile.  Paul Capital will continue its strategy of emphasizing investments in venture
capital funds focused on growth industries such as healthcare and technology as well as investments in venture capital groups that have a more sector specific strategy.

BY JIM WYSS | From miami.com

Florida’s premier venture capital event is looking for a few solid companies to woo investors during its 2006 conference. This year’s participants have received $67 million so far.

In the battle to find business financing, there is perhaps no more important arena than the annual Florida Venture Capital Conference.

Although the event, which will be held at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, isn’t scheduled until next year, the closing dates for submitting applications to present a business plan are fast approaching.

Almost 200 venture capitalists and investment bankers from across the nation will be attending the conference from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4, 2006. Since its inception 14 years ago, the event has helped local companies raise almost $800 million in financing.

STILL LOOKING

Now, organizers are scouting for 20 to 25 businesses to present at the conference.

It’s a lucrative proposition.

”Of the 19 companies that [presented last time], 13 have been funded to the tune of $67 million,” said Robin Kovaleski, the executive director of the Florida Venture Forum, which organizes the event. “That’s a record for us.”

One of the big winners from the last round was Boca Raton-based NovaVision. The company is pioneering a software system that helps stroke and brain-injury victims regain their vision.

This year alone, NovaVision has raised $12 million — but the company wouldn’t discuss how much of that came from its participation at the event.

”The [Florida Venture Capital] Forum plays a very important role and the companies that do present there get a very powerful and wide audience,” said NovaVision CEO Navroze Mehta. “[We used the financing] to deploy NovaVision across the country, and clearly we have invested in research, too.”

NovaVision is now working with 18 medical centers, including the University of Miami and Johns Hopkins University.

What conference organizers are looking for, said Kovaleski, are high-growth entrepreneurial companies with talented management teams and proprietary technology. During the last event, organizers received more than 300 applications and whittled them down to just 19 presenters.

POLISH YOUR MESSAGE

Mehta — whose company will not be presenting at the 2006 event — recommends that interested businesses hone and polish their message to maximize their chances with the selection committee.

”What are the key differentiators that make your company unique? What is your marketable technology? Who are the key players of the management team? Those [points] need to be succinctly and crisply presented so it doesn’t get lost in the details,” he said. “Investors tend to have very short attention spans.”

The conference couldn’t come soon enough for Florida’s venture capital industry. In the second quarter of this year, VC funding dropped to just $29 million — its poorest showing since 2002. During the first six months of the year, the industry pumped about $140 million into 22 companies — less than half of last year’s modest figure of $318 million.

The conference has rolling deadlines for businesses interested in presenting. The early deadline is this Friday, and the final deadline will be in November, said Kovaleski.

From Ots.eurodhoc.com

Swissfirst AG, Zug, listed on the Swiss SWX exchange, and Bellevue Holding AG,
K�snacht, will merge.  Bellevue Holding AG, i.e. its current shareholders, will
acquire a stake of up to 50% in swissfirst AG, with swissfirst AG acquiring
Bellevue Holding�s operating business. The aim of the merger is to bundle the
know-how of the two groups and strengthen the new merged group�s position as an
innovative niche financial service provider in the Swiss capital market. The
combined earnings set a sound basis for profitable growth in the future. The new
group will manage client funds of CHF 10 billion.

Bellevue Holding AG and swissfirst AG will merge their business activities on
January 1, 2006 to create a financial institution with the business segments
Investment Banking, Asset Management and Private Banking. The aim of the merger
is to bundle core competencies and thus successfully address the issue of
consolidation in the banking industry.  Both companies have already established
themselves as niche players through professionalism, independence, discretion
and innovative strength. This recipe for success will form the basis for the new
group. An excellent fit in terms of culture and vision, and complementary in
terms of the services and products, the Boards of Directors of the two companies
have decided to face the future together.

Growth through common values, services and products
The focus of the transaction is to grow complimentary businesses with common
values. Swissfirst will merge their Investment Banking business, consisting of
Swiss brokerage, Derivative and Structured products as well as Corporate Finance
into Bank am Bellevue. The Bellevue Group adds a strong brokerage franchise with
both Swiss domestic and foreign institutional clients as well as specialized
financial research. The merger will create a powerhouse in Swiss brokerage.  The
two companies will also complement each other in the Asset Management segment.
While swissfirst offers both segregated mandates generating absolute returns as
well as  comprehensive solutions for pension funds in the small and medium-sized
company segment, Bellevue Asset Management products,  BB Biotech, BB Medtech and
BB Biotech Ventures II, are focused on the healthcare sector.

Given the highly complementary nature of the two company�s business segments no
reductions are planned in the combined workforce encompassing 166 employees. On
the contrary, the new Group will offer its employees a wide range of prospects
in a professional and attractive working environment.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

WHERE: Wolf Block, 1650 Arch Street, 22nd Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103
WHEN: Wednesday, September 21, 2005 7:45am - 10:45am
COST: $75

Part 1 - open Angel breakfast:
FundingPost has hosted 10+ sold-out venture events in Philadelphia over the past 2 years. At our previous events, several Angels have attended, while VCs have spoken on our panels. At our Sept. 21 event, the panel of investors will change, focusing on Angel Investing - how to meet angels, pitch them, and what it really takes to get them to write you a check!

As an additional benefit, entrepreneur 1/4 page summaries will be given to the Angel investor speakers and attendees.

Part 2 - Private Pitching Session:
The second part of the event (10:45 - 12:30pm) will feature companies pitching to all of the Angel Investors. Each company pitch will be 20 minutes (with Powerpoint) including 5 minutes of Q&A with the investors. Note: Only the pitching companies may participate in the second part of the event. The fee to just attend the event is $75, the fee to Pitch is $2,000

Read more here

BURNABY, BC — (MARKET WIRE) Viscount Systems (OTC BB: VSYS) announced today that company has entered an Investment Banking and Advisory Agreement with Mallon Associates, Inc., a New York investment bank specializing in the security industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Mallon Associates will act as financial advisors for any future merger, acquisition, strategic alliance or capital raise.

"Mallon Associates is a leading and respected Investment Bank in the security industry," noted Stephen Pineau, President and CEO of Viscount. "Their experience and relationships will be a major asset as the interest in our new MESH facility operating system continues to grow. We are generating opportunities for MESH not just in the security sector but in telephony and the increasing trend that predicts security moving to an IT appliance architecture. The MESH software platform is a threat to hardware-based systems that predominate the physical security industry and the assistance of Mallon will be critical in determining our future path and company structure."