2007 ION News

Media Contacts:

Peter Baron
Carabiner Communications
770-923-8332 phone
pbaron@carabinercommunications.com

Georgia Tech ATDC and ION Venture Forum Link Up for Investors
Special event to profile ATDC and VentureLab companies
during 2006 ION Venture Forum

Atlanta, GA (September 7, 2006) – The Atlanta CEO Council, an exclusive organization for C-level executives, will partner with Georgia Institute of Technology’s  Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) and VentureLab to present the “Georgia Tech Innovation Experience” during its 2006 venture capital event. ATDC is a nationally recognized science and technology incubator, and Georgia Tech VentureLab launches companies based on Georgia Tech research. 

This event will be presented in conjunction with the CEO Council’s annual investor showcase, the ION Venture Forum, occurring October 17-18 at the Buckhead Ritz Carlton in Atlanta. “The Georgia Tech Innovation Experience is a unique addition to the ION Venture Forum and will provide a venue to introduce participating investors to the exciting companies being incubated at Georgia Tech”, said Ashish Mistry, President of the Atlanta CEO Council.

On October 17, the first day of the Forum, registered investors will be given a tour of the ATDC and VentureLab facilities in Georgia Tech’s new Technology Square campus. Following the tour, these investors will be given the opportunity to participate in an accelerated matching program with some of the most promising companies in development at the center. During this accelerated matching session, investors will be paired with 12-15 companies. Companies and investors will then be allowed to participate in open dialogue.

“Through our partnership with the ION Venture Forum, ATDC will provide a vehicle for investors to get a sense of the Technology Square community,” said Tony Antoniades, general manager of ATDC. “We have an amazing number of companies in development here, and we want investors to recognize Atlanta as a fertile ground for innovation and to consider ATDC and VentureLab as valuable partners in their ventures.”

The event will also give visitors an opportunity to see Georgia Tech’s innovative process for building new companies from technology produced by the Institute’s $400 million-per-year research program.

“We currently have more than forty technologies working their way through the Georgia Tech VentureLab process,” said Stephen Fleming, Georgia Tech’s chief commercialization officer. “Many of these will eventually be looking for venture capital investment.  We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share an early look at these technologies with investors from around the country.”

The Georgia Tech Innovation Experience will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on October 17. In addition to the tour and the accelerated matching session, the event will include a keynote luncheon, a featured speaker, and highlights of successful companies that have emerged from the ATDC in the past. All of these events will comprise a portion of the “investor-only” segment of the ION Venture Forum, which will also include an invitation-only dinner held at the Buckhead Ritz Carlton.

Events occurring October 18 – which include networking sessions, a keynote address, and presentations from the hottest companies across the state of Georgia – will be open to general registrants.

Registration is now open for investors. If you are interested in attending please visit us online at www.ionventureforum.com.

To learn more about the Atlanta CEO Council, please visit www.atlantaceo.org.

About the Atlanta CEO Council
The Atlanta CEO Council is an exclusive organization for C-Level and senior executives that has been serving the community since 1999. The Council membership is comprised of more than 1000 CEOs and senior executives (CIOs, CFOs, COOs, CTOs,) from leading technology and related companies from across the Southeast. The Atlanta CEO Council focuses on the strategic development and support of the technology community in the metro Atlanta area. Members of the Atlanta CEO Council represent companies that employ more than 50,000 people in the Atlanta region and generate over $10 billion in direct annual revenue for the local economy.

About ATDC
Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center is a nationally recognized science and technology incubator that helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies, providing strategic business advice and connecting its member companies to the people and resources they need to succeed. More than 100 companies have emerged from the ATDC, including publicly-traded firms such as MindSpring Enterprises – now part of EarthLink.

Headquartered at the Georgia Institute of Technology, ATDC has been recognized by both Inc. and BusinessWeek magazines as one of the nation’s top nonprofit incubators. ATDC was formed in 1980 to stimulate growth in Georgia’s technology business base, and now has locations in Atlanta, Savannah and Warner Robins. ATDC is part of the Entrepreneur Services Division of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute.   For more information, please visit (atdc.org).

About VentureLab
Georgia Tech VentureLab provides comprehensive assistance to Gerogia Tech faculty members, research staff members and graduate students who want to form startup companies to commercialize the technology innovations they have developed.  VentureLab specialists help transform innovations into early-stage companies by assisting in business plan development, connecting the innovators with experienced entrepreneurs, locating sources of early-stage financing, and preparing the new companies for the business world.  Graduates of the Georgia Tech VentureLab program may choose to apply for admission to the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) or to EmTech Bio, an incubator operated by Georgia Tech and Emory University.  For more information, please visit innovate.gatech.edu/venturelab/.