The Month of Russian-American Venture Industry Cooperation

Philadelphia, PA - The Mid-Atlantic - Russia Business Council (MARBC) announces the Month of Russian-American Venture Industry Cooperation, which will take place in Philadelphia, New York, and the Mid-Atlantic region from September 27 to October 21, 2005. A Russian delegation of government and industry executives will participate in a number of venture capital business events and learn about the U.S. venture industry. The Month will be an important part of the MARBC Program for Russian-American cooperation and development of the venture capital industry and technology parks.

The premier events of the Month are the Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference from October 17-18, 2005 in Philadelphia and the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Annual Conference on "Fostering Innovation Capital," which will take place in Philadelphia from September 28-30, 2005. Other key events include the World Venture Summit "Capital for International Innovation," which will be held in New York City from September 27-28, 2005 and OutsourceWorld New York, taking place in New York from October 18-19, 2005.

As the most important part of the Month, the MARBC organizes Russian participation in the Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference (MAVC), an event highlighting the wide variety of investment opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region. MAVC showcases the best young companies of the region and provides these companies with incomparable exposure to the region's top venture capitalists and private equity investors. MAVC features a technology track, presenting companies in various technology areas, such as IT, nanotechnology, and telecommunications. Last year, the event had record support from the Greater Philadelphia community: more than one hundred companies were Sponsors, and twenty nonprofit organizations committed to being Supporting Organizations. The MARBC organized a mini-pavilion at the MAVC that included information about the Russian venture industry and participation of a Russian delegation.

The National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Annual Conference "Fostering Innovation Capital" will become one of the central events of the Month. It is one of the most important networking events in the area. Participants share their knowledge of the seed and venture capital industry and discuss the best strategies and tools for building and managing strategic investment programs and institutions. The Russian delegation will meet regional and national leaders from angel groups, seed and venture capital funds, technology investor and commercialization organizations, enterprise and government development organizations, universities, national associations, and law and accounting firms.

The World Venture Summit "Capital for International Innovation" will bring together thought leaders, experts, and practitioners from the global venture community to share their ideas and valuable insights, and will feature networking opportunities and panel discussions with prominent venture capitalists across the world. The Month will be concluded during OutsourceWorld New York, which will include the "Robotics and Intelligent Systems" teleconference with Moscow.