23 November, 2009--Invest in Photonics, a two-day international partnering convention will be held again next year in Bordeaux, France, from March 18-19.
The organizers aim to create funding opportunities for early-stage photonics firms as well as raise the profile of photonics as a fast growth industry--they claim this is the only European-wide photonics-investor convention of its kind. Invest in Photonics will bring together photonics experts and leading investors from Europe and beyond to meet with emerging photonics companies seeking financial support. More than 200 participants are expected.
At the previous Invest in Photonics event in 2008, the organizers received about 50 international applications for funding. Of the applications reviewed, a selection committee chose 16 firms to present their projects to more than 100 photonics specialists from all over the world. The projects aim to raise funds potentially reaching more than $129 million. Nearly one-third of the selected projects came from outside France and included applicants from Canada, Poland and Austria, accordording to the organizers. Next year will be the second photonics investor convention and is planned to have a more international program so the organizers expect to see an increase in the number of both applicants and projects selected for funding.
"Invest in Photonics is about creating investment opportunities in Europe for investors and emerging companies in photonics," says Bernard Couillaud, chairman of the Invest in Photonics organizing committee. "The field of photonics is bursting with innovation and represents a global industry estimated to be worth $760 billion, according to SPIE, an international society focusing on advanced light-based research. Invest in Photonics is proud to have many international partners join us for this second convention. In addition to many participants from the previous edition of Invest in Photonics, we look forward in 2010 to the international participation of a large number of companies seeking funding and to the interaction of these companies with a qualified panel of motivated investors".
The two-day Invest in Photonics event will consist of a program of keynote speakers and three presentation sessions. The presentation sessions are: "Market Time," bringing together international experts who will explain market trends and the outlook for the photonics industry; "Business Time," providing an opportunity for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to win investors over in a 10-minute speed meeting; and "Innovation Time," which will showcase photonics products and the latest technology breakthroughs.
SME candidates looking for seed funding, development and later stage funding have until December 15, 2009 to submit projects. The organizers will announce the finalists in February 2010. Funding is used to further research and development, support sales and marketing and develop business networks of emerging photonics companies.
For more information, go to www.invest-in-photonics.com
--Posted by Steve Anderson, [email protected]; www.laserfocusworld.com.