Contact Information: Aly Gibson or Rena Fried LaunchSquad Phone: (212) 564-3665 Email: Astia@Launchsquad.com
Astia Entrepreneurs Continue to Buck the Tough Funding Climate
Five Fundings Since January 1, 2010
| Source: Astia
SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - February 2, 2010) - Astia, a premier venture accelerator that
targets exceptional start-ups that have women on their founding teams, has
seen a significant uptake in investment activity since January 1st.
Already in 2010, five clients have secured funding, including HarQen, which
completed their $2.7 million Series A financing. Investors include
Phenomenelle Angels Fund, Silicon Pastures, Golden Seeds Angel Fund,
Midwest Capital Fund, Wisconsin Investment Partners and several prominent
individuals.
"I found Astia to be a brilliant resource in connecting us not simply with
investors, but an amazing cadre of talented women and Advisors. Thanks to
the coaching and perspectives we gained at Astia, we received an incredibly
warm reception from new investors in a relatively cold market," commented
Kelly Fitzsimmons, CEO, HarQen.
The success of Astia's clients is credited to the broader Astia Community
that sources, selects, and advises the companies that qualify for Astia's
prestigious program.
"At Astia's 8th Annual Investor Forum the investment community was
introduced to the 33 exceptional start-ups that qualified for Astia's elite
showcase in Silicon Valley. Astia has truly cultivated the networks
required to source and showcase the next leaders in innovation and it
continues to demonstrate the investment opportunity hidden in women
entrepreneurs," commented Prashant Shah, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
and Astia Board Chair.
In its 8th year the Forum attracts some of Silicon Valley's top venture and
angel investors as well as corporations looking for the next new thing in
innovation.
"The Astia Investor Forum provides a terrific place to see and meet
high-potential entrepreneurs. Astia's highly competitive screening and
selection process ensures that entrepreneurs are well prepared to engage
with the investor community," commented Rowan E. Chapman Ph.D., Venture
Partner, MDV-Mohr Davidow Ventures and Forum attendee.
"I've been to many investor forums, but the number of genuine interactions
I had with investors made Astia's forum stand out," said Natalie
Wisniewski, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, PROFUSA.
Astia, which this year celebrates its tenth year, has cultivated a robust
community of investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, and value add service
providers to serve as Advisors to the chosen start-ups. The network of
both men and women lend their expertise and networks to accelerate the
success of the companies. "These are exceptional companies with innovative
technologies; what they need is access to funding and individuals with
prior experience -- a venture accelerator," notes Sharon Vosmek, CEO,
Astia.
"As an active member of the Astia investor community that screens the
companies who qualify, I continue to value the quality and consistency of
the entrepreneurs we present at the Forum. These are exceptional
entrepreneurs, not just for the innovation and businesses they pursue, but
for the discipline that they have all put in to their plans by engaging in
the Astia model," said Amanda Reed, Palomar Ventures.
The Astia model is to put companies through a rigorous screening and
selection process and then once chosen, immediately into the Astia Doing it
Right bootcamp where the entrepreneurs are surrounded by investors and
entrepreneurs who have experience in various elements of high growth
business. The companies are then paired for two months with a team of
Advisors that includes an investor, CEO and others to serve as a proactive
Advisory team to the companies. The companies continue to benefit from the
Advisor network for the full life of the company.
"The Astia Investor Forum was a culmination of 10 intensive weeks of
preparation which both challenged and enhanced Kiboo as a company, as well
as myself as an entrepreneur. Astia and our Astia Advisory Team has helped
prepare Kiboo not only for the Astia Investor Forum, but for the long road
ahead," said Lisa Halpern, Founder & CEO, Kiboo LLC.
About Astia
Astia is a global non-profit organization that provides innovative programs
to exceptional women-led start-ups. Head-quartered in San Francisco, Astia
delivers programs for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, New York, London
and, from 2010, India. Astia is well positioned to work with start-ups
around the world as they access capital, grow their businesses, and develop
the leadership of the founding team. The Astia model of engaging a
community of experts to the benefit of the select start-ups it serves has
resulted in an exceptional success rate; since 2003, 60% of companies that
have participated in the Astia Investor Forums have secured funding or an
exit within one year of presenting, raising more than $1/2 Billion and
achieving 16 exits, including 2 IPOs. For more information: www.astia.org.