19.september: Seed Forum Fundraising and Education Seminar

Seed Forum is a global market place for “growth companies” looking for financing and for financial investors looking for new business ideas and investment opportunities. Seed Forum’s activities include Seed Forum Fundraising Education Process and Match-Making Process with Investors. Fundraising Education Process is organized in several levels – local, national and global. The main objective of Seed Forum is to facilitate obtaining initial (“seed”) financing or next stage – venture capital for “growth companies” without any regional or national borders. Seed Forum is currently running Investor Matchmaking Forums in more than 25 countries Worldwide.

The Seed Forum Process includes 4 activities: nomination of suitable companies for SF Education Process, fundraising education and pitch training, selection of companies for presentation at investor forums and matchmaking forums for companies and investors.

The only requirement for the company is to fill in and submit to Seed Forum Latvia Foundation the Standard Business Summary in English (http://seedforum.org/register/company ). September 19th, 2014 all nominated companies will be invited to an one-day Fundraising Education and Pitch Training seminar in Tallinn which includes an intensive theoretical lecturing as well as individual coaching and drilling in public business concept presentation techniques. Lectures and individual training program are conducted by very experienced Seed Forum lecturers, coaches and expert professionals in English language.

– What are the benefits (and risks) of private financial investing and Venture Capital fundraising?

– How to find private financial investors and to present them your business project?

– What are the investors looking for in target companies and what are the major corporate Value drivers?

– How to plan and build the corporate financial development strategy?

– What the investment process consists of (the phases and documentation)?

– What should you be aware of when meeting/negotiating with potential financial investors?

– How to avoid selling company under-priced?

and numerous other important fundraising process concepts.

Fee for participation at the seminar in Tallinn September 19th, 2014 is EUR 100,-.Seminar is organised By Seed Forum International Foundation in close co-operation with Estonian partner organizations. All companies & presenters participating in the Seminar will be evaluated and out-selected to present in the Seed Forum Investor Forums. Seed Forum Tallinn investor conference will take place October 3th, 2014. Venue will be announced in September.

Innovative startups, actively looking for initial funding as well as well established conventional companies in need for extra financing are invited. Growing, export-oriented companies seeking expansion into new markets use Seed Forum International Investor forums for finding partners and entering new markets and partnerships.

For more detailed information contact:

Edgar Pravon,

+372 55 82798

www.seedforum.org/estonia

Steinar N.Korsmo – is the CEO and founder of Seed Forum International Foundation. Steinar Korsmo is actively developing organization as well as still personally conducting many of the Seed Forum Education Process activities as well as moderating Seed Forum investor conferences. Steinar N.Korsmo has been leading Campus Kjeller business incubator in Norway in 2001 from where Seed Forum originates. Steinar N.Korsmo has since grown The Seed Forum concept from a local process in Norway to a global concept, and it is currently a global process including Education process and Investor Match-making conferences for investor ready companies from all over the World. In co-operation with numerous Norwegian and International organizations, private companies and National Governments emphasizing the need of a strong financial market place Seed Forum Process is currently a main tool and a model for regional development and the establishment of regional and national innovation systems in many other countries. Seed Forum is after 12 years of existence annually bringing a great amount of investor ready born global companies to pitch to investors in more than 30 countries locally, nationally and overseas. The process has created a tremendous activity and tremendous amount of investor leads for companies and investors.

Gints Vins – is Vice President of Seed Forum International and one of the Seed Forum international couches, responsible for Seed Forum activities in Central Eastern Europe. Gints Vins has an extensive personal business career – from being serial entrepreneur, starting out several of his own companies, developing them, raising financing, selling, till leading one of the largest corporate investment funds in the Baltic region as well as sitting on the boards of large international financial institutions. During early 90-ies Gints Vins has been involved in private media market – initiated and participated in establishment of several major Latvian media outlets, including Latvian daily newspaper “Diena”, news agency “Baltic News Service” and English language newspaper “The Baltic Observer”. Co-founder of Baltic News Service A/S, currently the biggest Baltic wire service belonging to Finnish Alma Media Group. From 1997 Gints was General Manager and Director for the largest Baltic investment house and Fund Management company Hansa Investments Ltd. responsible for all Hansa Investments Latvian operations. For five years Gints Vins has also been representing Norwegian Government business development agency – Norwegian Trade Council in Latvia. Since 2001 Gints Vins works for his own investment company and is actively involved in M&A business as well as fundraising for his own companies and his clients.

Dr. Eythor Johansson – is Chairman for Seed Forum Academy. Eythor Johansson is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and lecturer in University of Copenhagen and an author of most of the Seed Forum Education Process lecture courses. Eythor Johansson was the first Seed Forum Partner outside Norway and started Seed Forum Iceland Foundation back in 2003. Eythor Johansson established Seed Forum Iceland in-to the main Entrepreneurship promotion and Fundraising national event in Iceland. Seed Forum Iceland maintains a stunning 60% funding success rate for Icelandic companies selected to present at Seed Forum Reykjavik investor conferences. In autumn 2013 Seed Forum investor conference in Reykjavik was opened by by the Minister for Trade and Industry of Iceland, Ms. Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir and attended by the acting President of Iceland Dr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.

08.30-09.00 Arrival / Registration

09:00-10:00 Innovative Entrepreneurship and Fundraising Basic concepts

10.00-10.30 Introduction to Investor Mind-set and Value Drivers

10.30-10.45 General information about the Seed Forum Process

10.45-11.00 Plenary presentation round – all participants

11.00-12.30 Practical run-through of comp presentations, Investment Process Concepts

12.30-13.30 Lunch, corrections in pp-slides

13.30-15.00 Practical run-through of comp presentations, Investment Process Concepts

15.00-15.30 Documents in the Investment Process and preparation for Due Diligence

15.30-16.00 Negotiation techniques with investors, value drivers and exit strategies

16.00-16.15 How to protect your competitive edge

16.15-17.00 The art of networking

17.00-17.15 Coffee break

17.15-18.15 Investor Readiness workshop – companies working in groups

18.15-19.00 Drilling of Power Pitch, summing up and conclusions on progression for further development of the pitch

For the Seminar Entrepreneurs are asked to prepare Draft Presentation of their company/business project on pp (not on .pdf!) slides in English language and personally present it during 7 minutes Pitch (apprx. 10-14 slides – see Seed Forum guideline siin )

Entrepreneurs are expected to bring their own laptop computers and throughout the seminar actively work on development and improvement of their investor presentation.

Companies are expected to be presented by their owners, CEO’s or General Managers. In case if they are not fluent in English, company might be presented by another Presenter but the main decision-makers of the company are required (!) to be present.

Participation Fee of EUR 100,- per company is to be paid before the seminar!

Through-out the Seminar participating companies are evaluated for their preparedness and progress, their English language and presentation skills as well as business concept application for Seed Forum investor conferences. After seminar based on the Process Manager recommendations, Seed Forum Selection Pannell invites ~50% of the seminar participants to present their company pitch at the national Seed Forum Investor conference as well as upon invitation – in any of the 20+ other Seed Forum conference destinations around the World.

About 20% of all of the Seed Forum presenters get funded!

Be sharp, show your drive!