FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2013
Contacts: Shelly Baron, 501-537-0190 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
Steve Patterson, 501-537-0190 or steve@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
Panel of investment experts to explore investment sources for early stage energy technology and development entrepreneurs
Little Rock, AR – The Arkansas Advanced Energy Associations (AAEA) has assembled a panel of financial experts who will share experiences and reveal what investors look for in advanced energy entrepreneurs who show promise for future development during the organization’s 2nd annual meeting and policy conference, “emPOWERing Arkansas”, October 1 in North Little Rock.
Scheduled at 1:00 pm, the Access to Capital for Advanced Energy Start-ups & Entrepreneurs panel discussion is one of the day’s featured attractions. It will address attracting capital for advanced energy business enterprises in Arkansas and shed light on the realities and opportunities for in-state energy start-ups and small projects. The day long policy conference will be held at the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock.
“AAEA takes a diversified approach to promoting the advanced energy industry in Arkansas with policy and legislation as core endeavors,” said Steve Patterson, AAEA Executive Director. “In addition, one of the goals of AAEA is to build partnerships to improve access to capital for start-up firms aiming to commercialize new technologies and existing firms that need to scale up or expand proven technologies.”
The October 1 panel will be moderated by Dr. Phil Heard with Cimarron Capital Partners. Cimarron, a venture capital and private equity funds management firm that builds and manages innovative fund investment programs, is sponsoring the program.This panel discussion will include Ramsey Ball with Fund for Arkansas’ Future, a member-managed, angel investor fund formed for the purpose of capitalizing early-stage, Arkansas-based companies with the obvious goal of generating strong returns for their investors; Dan Scripps with Advanced Energy Economy, a national association of business leaders who are making the global energy system more secure, clean, and affordable; Dr. Jeff Carpenter with Bird Dog Innovation Strategies at Development Capital Networks, offering customized patent landscapes to technology developers seeking a competitive edge; and other experts from the advanced energy investment field in Arkansas and around the country.
Topics for discussion will include:
- Challenges facing the advanced energy entrepreneur in today’s hunt for capital
- What investors look for in an investment opportunity
- Forms of capital and delivery methods, such as venture capital and private equity, angle investors, incubators and accelerators, crowdfunding, corporate venture, lenders, foundations, NGOs, and government offerings
- How to pick the right path to capital for an advanced energy business
“emPOWERing Arkansas” is presented by Viridian, in partnership with the University of Arkansas College of Engineering.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
AAEA Members and Guests: For event information, registration, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit: http://arkansasadvancedenergy.com/files/dmfile/eventannouncement.pdf
Members of the media: Please contact Shelly Baron at (501) 537-0190 or shelly@arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org for information on media credentials.
Arkansas Advanced Energy Association is a business group dedicated to growing Arkansas’s economy by expanding our energy workforce and manufacturing base through the increased development, manufacture, and utilization of advanced energy technologies. www.arkansasadvancedenergy.com
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation is the educational affiliate of the AAEA. The Foundation promotes greater public understanding of advanced energy in Arkansas through research, public education programs and economic and workforce development. The Foundation is dedicated to informing the energy policy debate with well-researched, fact-based data on the advanced energy economy in Arkansas and by providing a public forum where state leaders can address Arkansas’s energy challenges for the future. www.arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org
Report Shows Global Economic Impacts of Advanced Energy
A new report released in January 2013 by Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) shows that advanced energy was a $1.1 trillion global market in 2011, larger than pharmaceutical manufacturing worldwide. The first-ever analysis of the advanced energy sector also shows that the market in the U.S. represents a significant part of the nation’s economy, with $132 billion in revenue in 2011, and a 19 percent growth rate estimated for 2012, with U.S. revenue rising to $157 billion. Read the full report here: http://arkansasadvancedenergyfoundation.org/files/dmfile/AEEIEconomicImpactofAdvancedEnergy-Final.pdf
Follow Arkansas Advanced Energy on Twitter @ArkAdvEnergy and like “Arkansas Advanced Energy Association” on Facebook.
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