Kalamazoo will be the first stop on venture capital firm Beringea's tour of the state in search of the next great idea.
Area businesses will have a chance to spend 15 minutes with
Beringea professionals to pitch their ideas or to simply get business advice from the venture capitalists.
Statistics show entrepreneurism is booming in Michigan and Beringea managing director Jeff Bocan says the 10-city tour is part of the company's efforts to help support entrepreneurs across the state. He attributes the rise in the number of entrepreneurs to the state
of Michigan's efforts to help businesses get started and the state's
high unemployment rate, which is driving people to come up with ideas
to create jobs for themselves.
"If we can offer folks advice on how to avoid the pitfalls and help them learn lessons from other businesses it will build the entrepreneurial ecosystem," Bocan says.
This outreach effort is only aspect of the tour. Finding good investment opportunities and "traditional networking" are also behind it, he says.
And businesses that might not be at the stage to seek venture capital at this point may turn to Beringea, the largest venture capital firm in Michigan, in the future based on a positive meeting with them now.
Bocan encourages anyone with an idea about which they are passionate,
regardless of the stage of their business, to meet with them when they
visit from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 8. at the
Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, 4717 Campus Drive.
Registration in advance is required.
If there is a lot of demand for the meetings the two Beringea employees could stay a second day.
Bocan says he expects to see a number of life science related businesses during the visit to Kalamazoo, which the company is calling its venture capital "office hours." But based on the company's trial run of the program near its headquarters in Farmington Hills, Bocan says all kinds of proposals are likely to be presented.
Tech companies, which can have a low barrier of entry into the market, also are among the types of businesses he expects to hear about.
LED technology, smart phone related technology and a business that hopes to mine metals from old landfills are some ideas the company has recently fielded.
Bocan, who likens the visits with entrepreneurs to opening a Christmas stocking, says there's one more reason for the tour. "It's a lot of fun."
Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Jeff Bocan, Beringea
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