English Tech Tour Sponsors

At Microsoft, we're motivated and inspired every day by how our customers use our software to find creative solutions to business problems, develop breakthrough ideas, and stay connected to what's most important to them. We run our business in much the same way, and believe our seven core business units offer the greatest potential to serve our customers in the coming decade. They include: Windows Client, Information Worker, Business Solutions, Server Platforms, Windows CE & Mobility, MSN, and Home & Entertainment. We are committed long term to the mission of helping our customers realize their full potential. Just as we constantly update and improve our products, we want to continually evolve our company to be in the best position to accelerate new technologies as they emerge and to betterserve our customers.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance,tax and advisory services for public and private clients. More than 120,000 people in 139 countries connect their thinking, experience and solutions to build public trust and enhance value for clients and their stakeholders.

Vision Capital is a Trans-Atlantic fund providing growth capital for leading technology companies. Vision invests in promising European and US technology companies and then takes an active, hands-on approach in expanding these businesses across the Atlantic. Vision Capital specializes in investments focusing on communication, software and Internet/e-commerce companies that are proven winners and have global potential. Their portfolio consists of venture backed European technology companies with a strong foundation in Europe who wish to enter U.S. market and U.S. companies who seek an added-value investor who can assist in global expansion.

Weber Shandwick is a Communications Partner of the European Tech Tour, supporting both the European level organization and the various country tours.  Weber Shandwick, a unit of The Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), is one of the world's leading public relations agencies, with offices in major media, business and government capitals around the world. Weber Shandwick is a leader in marketing public relations, public affairs and corporate communications counseling, and also provides services in advocacy advertising, market research and visual communications. Find out more at www.webershandwick.com.

Doughty Hanson & Co is one of Europe's largest independent private Equity fund managers, with funds focused on private equity, European real estate, and technology start-up companies . Headquartered in London, the firm has offices throughout Europe as well as in the United States. Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures invest in outstanding management teams to build world-class companies. The fund provides early-stage venture capital financing to technology companies throughout Europe, focusing on software, communications technologies and semiconductors. For more information, please visit www.doughtyhanson.com

Apax Partners is one of the world's leading private equity investment groups, operating across Europe, Israel, the United States and Japan. With over 30 years of direct investing experience, Apax Partners’ Funds provide long-term equity financing to entrepreneurs to build and strengthen world-class companies. It pursues a balanced equity portfolio strategy, investing in companies at all stages of development from early stage to buy-out.

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM's 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, peripherals, software and tools, combined with the company's broad Partner community, provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP was formed in May 2004 through the merger of two leading law firms, Hale and Dorr LLP and Wilmer Cutler Pickering LLP. We offers unparalleled legal representation across a comprehensive range of practice areas that are critical to the success of our clients. We practice at the very top of the legal profession and offer a cutting-edge blend of capabilities that enable us to handle deals and cases of any size and complexity.

QinetiQ is one of Europe's leading technology solutions providers that employs nearly 10,000 staff, including many of the UK's leading scientists and internationally acclaimed experts. Founded from the laboratories of the UK Government, today QinetiQ operates in markets as diverse as marine, energy, telecommunications, automotive, rail, electronics, defence, space, health, oil & gas, aerospace and information technology. QinetiQ's facilities include indoor and outdoor ranges, wind tunnels, marine testing facilities, automotive test tracks and climatic testing laboratories.

Go4Venture is a specialist equity private placement intermediary focusing solely on the European IT industry. Our range of expertise covers IT software and services, computer hardware and semiconductors, telecom software and equipment, and internet-enabled services.

GNW Brown Group Limited was founded in Cambridge (UK) in 1974 and has grown alongside the city's thriving economy. We have developed relationships with businesses, universities, financial institutions and communities throughout the eastern region and beyond.We offer private and corporate clients a comprehensive range of financial services.

A unique partnership between Southern England's leading research led Universities to encourage and educate students, academics and potential entrepreneurs in enterprise, build new businesses and work more effectively with industry. As well as teaching and research, a key part of the offer is helping technology based entrepreneurs across the region, both within and outside of the universities, to succeed in setting up new businesses.

Sellys focuses on solutions and its services include interactive web design, e-services and IT consulting.

FORTUNE is the world’s premier business magazine. FORTUNE delivers the most sought-after eyeballs in business: more than five million senior global decision-makers and influencers. With its own unique brand of storytelling, FORTUNE delivers in-depth, cutting-edge editorial coverage and exclusive insider access to some of the sharpest minds in the world.

Financial Times Group, one of the world’s leading business information companies, aims to provide a broad range of business information, analysis and services to a growing audience of internationally minded business people. The Financial Times newspaper is printed in 23 cities around the world and has one of the world’s fastest growing international readerships. FT.com, the newspaper's internet partner, combines agenda-setting editorial with relevant financial data and discussion groups, as well as a broad range of business tools including the largest search function on the internet.

Tornado Insider is the only true pan-European technology media company serving the pan-European technology industry, providing entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and other participants with the information they need to succeed in Europe's high-growth high-tech economy. By connecting all the relevant players across industry and geographic boundaries through a rich mixture of news, analysis, research and conferences, Tornado Insider plays a vital role in helping Europe's entrepreneurs and investors build great companies.