One of the most interesting things about this presentation is that over 75% of Intel Capital’s investments by value were outside the US in the first half of 2009.

Intel Capital Investment Overview Web

Intel Capital Investment Overview Web

Our next BLN CEO Tales networking drinks event will be held in London on 18th March from 18.00 – 21.00. BLN CEO Tales networking drinks are an opportunity for an ever growing community of quality venture- and private equity-backed entrepreneurs, VCs, PE investors and corporates  to connect and share experiences with their peers.

The short talks from our speakers will address “The Emerging VC Investment Landscape”. Register here.

We are delighted to have secured speakers from three very active investors from Series A and beyond in the Cleantech, Life Science, Internet and Media sectors. Having closed funds of over E300 million between them in 2010 and with a commitment to investing in the UK, they should offer some high value insights into the opportunities that they are pursuing in the UK.

Speakers at, ‘The Emerging Investment Landscape’ are: Benoit Toulouse – Aster Capital, Andy Tsao – Silicon Valley Bank, Grazziano Seghezzi – Sofinnova Partners.

Benoit Toulouse, Investment Partner, Aster Capital.

Aster Capital is a leading venture capital firm backed by Alstom and Schneider Electric, global companies with combined revenues in excess of US$40bn. Aster focuses on early to later stage minority investments in innovative companies world-wide. Aster Capital has offices in France, China and Japan.

Benoit joined Schneider Electric Ventures in 2004. He began his career at Deutsche Bank in London as an M&A analyst. He worked on the sales processes for several international businesses with a special focus on media, technologies and telecom. Benoit is responsible for managing the investments in Agilence, Teem Photonics, Oxford Sensor Technologies, Casanova, Semisouth and Tiempo.

Graziano Seghezzi, Investment Partner, Sofinnova Partners

Sofinnova Partners is a VC based in Paris investing in early stage companies, corporate spin-offs and turnarounds in the technology and life sciences spaces, including cleantech. Of the 460 companies financed in Europe since 1972, over 40% have IPOed or been acquired. Over several financing rounds, we may commit up to €25 million in a company. We may also invest a few hundred thousand euros in a seed project.

Graziano Seghezzi invests in life sciences and originates technology deals across the UK. He started his career in venture capital working for Sofinnova Partners in 2001 and 2002 in Milan. He then joined Index Ventures in Geneva where he invested in biotechnology. Currently, Graziano is a board member of Glycovaxyn, Creabilis and Crescendo Biologics. |UK investments include MyDeco and Taptu.

Andy Tsao, Senior Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Financial Group UK Ltd

SVB Financial Group UK is a subsidiary of SVB Financial Group, which provides financial services, specifically debt financing, to UK-based high-growth technology companies and private equity firms. SVB Financial Group UK is part of SVB Global, which provides business and consulting services to technology and private equity firms around the world from its offices in China, India, Israel and the UK. UK portfolio includes Adeptra, Agillic, Airwide Solutions, Lanner, Neverfail, Nimbus, OpenCloud, Polatis, SurfKitchen, Tectura, TouchLocal, TradingPartners, Volantis nd Zinwave.

Andy is responsible for building senior debt relationships with high-growth technology companies. Andy manages a portfolio of software and services companies from the seed stage through maturity. Andy routinely speaks about technology and finance at events around the world.

Previous attendees include: Advent Venture Partners, Amadeus Capital, Ambient Sound Investments, Atlas Venture, Balderton Capital, Bauer Publishing, Coller IP Capital Ltd, Delta Partners, Eden Ventures, FF Private Equity, First Ventures, Frog Capital, IQ Capital Fund, Octopus Investments, Oxford Capital Partners, Scottish Equity Partners, SPARK, TLcom Capital Partners Ltd, TTP Ventures.

We would also like to take this opportunity to run video interviews with some of our attendees to feature on our forthcoming BLN video channel. As well as being a great way to showcase some of the most interesting high growth businesses in the UK, we hope this will offer some of our attendees an opportunity to spread the news about their businesses to a wider audience.

BLN events offer investors, corporate execs, CEOs and founders of high growth businesses the chance to meet other smart, busy people to share ideas, challenges, meet investors, customers and partners. This BLN discussion and drinks networking event will be held at the new law offices of Taylor Wessing, which enjoy some of the best views of the Thames in the City.

Networking and drinks from 18.00, CEO Tales at 18.30. Register here.

Attendance is strictly limited to qualified individuals – founders/CEOs of venture backed businesses, active angel investors, venture capital, private equity professionals, corporate executives empowered to work with high growth businesses, selected advisers and invited guests.

BLN events are run across the UK with further events in London, Cambridge, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol this year. See www.thebln.com/events for more details.

This event is supported by:

The Difference Engine (modelled on the successful TechStars programme based in the US) which has set itself the task of catalyzing a new generation of successful high growth digital businesses. The first crop of nine businesses will be demonstrating their wares at on 7th June at Microsoft HQ, Victoria, London between 4pm and 7pm.

Geoff Hodgson and Jon Bradford would like to invite you to The Difference Engine’s first Demo Day to whet your investment appetite and to learn about the syndication opportunities now available in North East England as a result of the £125m JEREMIE funds!

These Difference Engine teams, with applications including – social media metrics, real-time curation tools, crowd sourced fund management, accessibility for dyslexics and visually impaired, interactive screen technology, search and data discovery, giving better presents, open transportation system, and how to become a rock legend – are currently immersed in a full time 13 week boot camp.

Jajah, the Israeli founded IP telco that moved to Silicon Valley and has been rumoured to be in discussions with O2 and other major European Telcos has been purchased by Telefonica (owner of O2) according to the FT.

The BLN CFO Breakfast Brainstorm (11th March, 8.00-10.30), is a high-level peer-to-peer discussion forum for individuals leading the finance function in some of the UK’s most admired companies.

Approximately 20 attendees, comprising successful CFOs and rising stars will attend under the Chatham House Rule. The programme exists to help CFOs network, learn from each other, share best practice and advance the role of the CFO in high growth companies in a relaxed, entertaining and facilitated environment.

Theme: ‘Where are global markets heading?’As well as providing a welcome opportunity for CFOs to meet and share issues informally we are delighted to have Michael Magnay, who runs Kleinwort Benson’s Cambridge office, to share his thoughts on where the economy is heading. Previous attendees have identified this subject as one of key interest affecting businesses, particularly those operating in more than one market.

Attendees: The BLN CFO Breakfast Brainstorms have already included some of the most experienced public and private company CFOs and FDs in the region including CFO/FD’s from Red Gate Software, NXT plc, nCipher, CSR, Alertme, Xaar, Domino, Owlstone, Zeus, Sphere Medical, PriSmaStar, Atlantic Healthcare and 1spatial amongst others.

The BLN CFO Breakfast Brainstorms have been greeted by CFOs as a welcome and much needed initiative to facilitate the development of the strategic finance function in organisations – as well as offering a nice breakfast and a chance to meet fellow finance professionals.

Supporters: This initiative is supported by BDO and breakfast is provided courtesy of Red Gate Software.

Places are limited and in high demand so a prompt reply is advantageous to secure a place. If you would like to attend, please contact

Tremendous opportunity to network and share business experience – when is the next one?!