Overview

The Swiss Tech Tour 1998

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The European Tech Tour Association started its activity in 1998. Its founder, Sven Lingjaerde launched the concept when he realized that many European emerging technology companies were lacking appropriate coaching and support when addressing their shift from a local to an international market. The Association was created in Geneva and two board members on top of the founders included Patrick Scherrer, who became the first President of the Swiss TT 1998 and Orianne Cevey-Collins, the event manager who coordinated the first Tech Tour.

In September 1998, the first event organized by the Association took place and was a great success, leading attendees to encourage the extension of the concept to other countries. 40 delegates participated at the Swiss TT 1998 and the program included presentations at EPFL, CSEM and CERN. Some 21 companies presented at the Swiss TT 1998.

The Swiss Tech Tour (Swiss TT) took place on September 22-24, 1998. The starting point was Montreux and participants visited several leading-edge companies across the western half of the country.

The organizers of the Swiss Tech Tour '98 would like to thank their generous sponsors:Coltrin Associates, Genevest Consulting Group, KBC NV, O-Com, PricewaterhouseCoopers, SG Cowen, and Vision Capital.

Program

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Tuesday, September 22, 1998 (Montreux)
Opening dinner at Montreux Palace
Presentation by Peter Ohnemus, Fantastic Corporation
Keynote speech by Bob Bishop, Chairman, Silicon Graphics
Keynote Speech by Daniel Borel, Chairman, Logitech International

Wednesday, September 23, 1998 (Montreux/Gstaad/Neuchatel)
Company presentations at Montreux Palace
Special Visit of SIAG by helicopters
Company presentations at CSEM
Company presentations in bus
Cocktail & Special Dinner at Restaurant Chlosterli in Gtaadt

Thursday, September 24, 1998 (Lausanne/Yverdon/Geneva)
Company presentations in bus to Lausanne & EPFL
Company presentations at SITU in Yverdon
Visit of Kudelski SA
Company presentations & closing cocktail at CERN in Geneva

Selection Committee

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A group of highly regarded professionals took the responsibility of screening and selecting the companies that presented at the Swiss Tech Tour 1998.

A selection committee is set up to ensure the independence of the selection process. It is composed by experienced and highly regarded senior professionals, from relevant backgrounds and industry expertise, such as venture capital, technology industry, investment banks, research and specialized press.

Presenting Companies

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Sponsors

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GENEVEST CONSULTING GROUP was formed in 1982 to create high returns on investments by focusing on medium to long-term Venture Capital opportunities. Venture Capital is a highly specialized area of investment. In order to increase returns while limiting risks, investment advisors and decision makers much be familiar with the product, the market and the company itself. Genevest serves as the link between the investor and the company, accomplishing these tasks through a strategic program of venture development and monitoring. Genevest looks for venture companies which are involved in specialized areas of high technology and have developed either state of the art or next generation products in their respective market sectors thereby driving the rest of the industry.

The merger of Kredietbank, CERA Bank and the insurers from the Almanij-Kredietbank group created on June 4, 1998, the KBC BANK AND INSURANCE HOLDING COMPANY NV. As a larger and stronger bank, KBC, with its integrated insurance activities has the ambition to further expand and improve the service for its customers: closer, larger and better-equipped branches, more flexible business hours, more professional advice, greater decision-making capacities at the local level, a wider range of products and services and more favorable rates.

O-COM is a global communications agency. Its activities cover the following fields: auditing and consulting; devising marketing and communication strategy; and organization of seminars, conferences and events. Each mission is a new challenge. O-Com adapts to your requirements so as to provide you with a personalized solution that is perfectly tailored to your environment. O-Com has a flexible, dynamic and creative structure, handling its assignments with smooth efficiency and setting up competitive solutions.

Drawing on the talents of more than 140,000 people in 152 countries, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, provides a full range of business advisory services to leading global, national and local companies and institutions. These services include audit, accounting and tax advice; management, information technology and human resources consulting; financial advisory services including mergers & acquisitions, business recovery, project finance and litigation support; business process outsourcing services; and legal advice through a global network of affiliated law firms. We have organized industry-focused teams to provide multi-disciplined services to 22 industries globally.

SG COWEN is a full service research, securities, investment banking and asset management firm with 1600 employees in 20 offices in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Headquartered in New York City, SG Cowen has offices all around the world including London, Toronto, Tokyo, Munich and Paris. SG Cowen's major lines of business serving institutional, individual and securities industry clients are: Investment Banking, Research, Institutional Sales and Trading, Asset Management and Private Client Services.
SG Cowen has achieved renown for technology, health care, telecommunications and media/entertainment research, investment banking, capital markets and trading, and for industry services and products for many of the world's major financial institutions, corporations and affluent private investors.

VISION CAPITAL is a Trans-Atlantic technology fund structured to provide investment and growth capital for companies with products and technologies appropriate for rapid expansion into global markets. Vision targets European based technology companies who are seeking to enter the US capital and product markets and US companies with premier venture backing seeking to enter the European market. The Fund has an established network of partners and investors in Europe and the US to execute this Trans-Atlantic investment strategy.