TIMONIUM, Md., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday, the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA), the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO), the BioAlliance of the Technology Council of Maryland and MdBio unveiled plans to jointly host the region’s first widely collaborative event for the bioscience industry and investor community. This event, to be held in Washington D.C. during the Fall of 2005, will combine components of an Investor Fair and regional Industry Conference all under one roof.
The planning for this initiative has benefited from broad regional support, including life science investors, the greater business community, and the regional associations who have agreed to suspend their respective events to co-host a single, regionally supported effort. All have come together to create a premiere forum for serving this industry within the mid-Atlantic. By bringing together investment capital with some of the best science and business expertise, we hope to create a collaborative initiative that reflects the richness of our region.
The announcement was made during an invitation-only event designed to bring together the heads of some of the region’s top biotech/life sciences companies and attract investors directly investing in this sector. More than 100 CEOs and investors attended the event, which was held at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C. and included an “Investor Forum” focusing on current topics of interest to investors and senior executives: breakthroughs in investing in the life sciences sector and a review of the business implications surrounding investments in stem cell research.
The Forum was followed by a networking reception, during which the four organizations announced their planning partnership and emphasized that the new regional initiative will draw upon the strengths of each association and other regional resources to deliver the flagship Biotech Conference for the mid- Atlantic region.
Yesterday’s program represented the first of a number of coordinated events to be delivered by these participating organizations serving the life sciences industry in the mid-Atlantic.
About MAVA
Founded in 1986, MAVA represents the collective interests of venture capitalists investing in the mid-Atlantic. Membership includes 375 venture capital professionals at 126 firms with more than $10 Billion in capital under management. Numerous investors participate in MAVA’s Life Sciences Investor Roundtable, a group of private equity and venture investors focused on biotech and life sciences investing. Through programming and networking, MAVA facilitates access to deal flow, institutional capital, and resources to support fund operations. In addition, over 265 key professional service providers from the legal, financial, executive search and consulting fields are also MAVA members. For more information, please visit http://www.mava.org/.
About VaBIO
VaBIO, the Virginia Biotechnology Association, is the 200-member statewide trade group that promotes the considerable scientific and economic impact of the life sciences industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Association is headquartered at the Virginia Bio-Technology Research Park, in Richmond, Virginia. For more information, contact Mark Herzog, executive director, or visit http://www.vabio.org/.
About the Bio Alliance
The Technology Council of Maryland, now in its 18th year, is a non-profit membership consortium open to high technology firms, government laboratories, higher education institutions and business support firms that collectively form Maryland’s technology community. A major objective of the Council is to develop linkages among industry, government and higher education institutions. In addition, the Council serves as a united voice for technology in Maryland, encourages entrepreneurship as an economic engine, and works to enhance public understanding of technology and related issues. For more information on the Council, visit http://www.mdhitech.org/.
About MdBio
MdBio, Inc. is a private, non-profit corporation whose mission is to advance the commercial development of bioscience in Maryland. The organization offers a wide range of programs including making direct investment in companies, often to accelerate a specific project leading to near-term commercialization; providing expert business development advice and assistance to individual companies; serving as the most comprehensive and reliable source for information about Maryland’s bioscience community; and educating students, the general public and the current workforce on matters related to bioscience. For more information, please visit http://www.mdbio.org/.
Mid-Atlantic Venture Association
CONTACT: Stacey Sweeney of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association,+1-703-281-2254, +1-571-228-2249, or Stacey@StaceySweeney.com
