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Press Release
October 26, 2016
3 minute read

EDA Hosts New Jersey Founders & Funders Event to Connect Entrepreneurs to Investors


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Investors and entrepreneurs at EDA's Founders & Funders event listen to presentations in preparation for one-on-one meetings.

TRENTON (October 26, 2016) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) today provided more than two dozen emerging technology and life sciences companies the opportunity to meet with angel and venture capital investors as it hosted its sixth New Jersey Founders & Funders event.
 
Held at the EDA’s Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies (CCIT) in North Brunswick, New Jersey Founders & Funders enables early-stage New Jersey businesses to meet with potential investors in 10-minute, one-on-one “speed dating” sessions to discuss strategy, business models and funding opportunities. To date, New Jersey Founders & Funders has provided more than 175 entrepreneurs with opportunities to meet with investors on a variety of topics and gain critical insight on how best to position their startups within the Garden State’s vibrant technology ecosystem.

“New Jersey Founders & Funders offers the dual benefit of connecting entrepreneurs one-on-one with investors while, giving the investors a chance to see the types of budding companies that are  born out of the State’s innovation community,” EDA Chief Executive Officer Melissa Orsen said.
 
Today’s event featured 18 participating venture and angel investors from around the region, including Newark Venture PartnersEdison Partners and Tech Council Ventures.

Investors met with technology and biotechnology companies representing a variety of sectors. The following were among the 26 companies that participated in today’s event:
 

  • Invessence in Morris County provides digital wealth management technology (including robo advisory services) to global asset managers, broker-dealers, and advisors, simplifying the investing process;

 

  • Middlesex County-based Visikol, develops a versatile biological clearing agent that penetrates tissue and renders it transparent for optical analysis. Visikol is a CCIT tenant;

 

  • Impactivate in Atlantic County is an information technology company that maintains and operates the one-hundred digital displays along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, informing visitors of upcoming events and providing advertisers access to millions of Boardwalk visitors via full motion video and sound.

The EDA hosts New Jersey Founders & Funders events semi-annually. The next event is scheduled for the spring of 2017 and registration can be accessed via https://application.njeda.com/tls/.
 
To stimulate growth of New Jersey’s innovation economy and drive commercialization of pioneering technology within the state, the EDA offers a continuum of assistance specifically designed to help technology and biotechnology companies at every stage of growth. From networking and mentoring opportunities, such as New Jersey Founders and Funders, to financial assistance such as loans and tax credits, hundreds of entrepreneurs, emerging businesses and established companies benefit from EDA support each year. Examples of this support include the New Jersey Angel Investor Tax Credit Program, the State’s Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer (NOL) Program and resources available through CCIT.
   
The event also gave participants the chance to visit CCIT, New Jersey’s only life sciences incubator. Home to nearly two dozen businesses, CCIT is ideal for emerging companies looking to grow in the Garden State. The 46,000-square-foot CCIT has 27 wet labs and offers tenants access to offices, conference rooms, a supportive staff and a variety of additional resources. The incubator is located within the Technology Centre of New Jersey, a 75-acre research park that houses such companies as Chromocell and Orthobond (both of which are CCIT graduates), Allergan, and Merial.  Companies interested in touring CCIT should visit www.njeda.gov/CCIT or contact Lenzie Harcum at lharcum@njeda.com.
 
The EDA is part of the State’s results-driven Partnership for Action.  Created by Governor Chris Christie and led by Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, the Partnership is the hub for all economic development activity in New Jersey and is comprised of four interconnected and highly focused organizational elements: Choose New Jersey, the Business Action Center, the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the EDA. 
 
To learn about the various programs available to support the technology industry, visit https://www.njeda.gov/tls and follow @NJEDATech on Twitter and LinkedIn.
 
To learn about opportunities for business growth throughout New Jersey, visit the state’s business portal at www.NewJerseyBusiness.gov or call 1-866-534-7789.
 

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