Sponsors

Founded in 1875 by Jules-Louis Audemars and Edward-Auguste Piguet in the Swiss village of Le Brassus, Audemars Piguet is the oldest Manufacture of Haute Horlogerie never to have left the hands of the founding families. Today, its range encompasses complex mechanical watches, Haute Joaillerie creations as well as a line of jewellery. At each stage in its history, the Manufacture has daringly adopted avant-garde techniques in order to place them in the service of traditional craftsmanship. This approach has earned it an unparalleled number of world firsts in the field of Haute Horlogerie.

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

Investcorp is a global investment group that has a 22-year history of private equity and venture capital investments in North America and Western Europe. Investcorp's transactions to date have a value of over $25 billion. Investcorp's technology investment team undertakes primarily lead or majority stake venture capital investments, in the US and Europe, that offer the potential for value enhancement over the medium term. The team focus particularly on venture buyouts, corporate spinouts, PIPE investments and traditional expansion stage financing in the technology sector, making investments, generally between $5 million and $20 million of equity. The ten-person team, based in New York and London, has to date undertook 25 lead investments in the US, Germany, Ireland, France, the UK and the Netherlands, in a broad range of telecom and IT industries. Additional information about Investcorp may be found at www.investcorp.com

Since 1996, SAP Ventures has been investing in companies that offer exciting new technologies and applications. We leverage our years of experience and draw on a network of powerful business relationships to help entrepreneurs and management teams recruit the best people, make the right technology decisions, win new business, and build their own partner networks. The goal of SAP Ventures is to grow businesses that create shareholder value for everyone involved. By design, SAP Ventures is a small worldwide team. Our five investment professionals focus an intense level of attention on our investment portfolio, which comprises companies in Europe and the United States. We invest selectively in emerging technology that combines large market potential with high growth opportunity. With a venture capital partnership model and the autonomy to pursue investment areas not immediately connected with SAP's core business, SAP Ventures has invested in more than 50 direct equity deals, building a track record of success throughout our history.

Whether large or small, public or private, global or domestic, organizations in all industries require an effective leadership team at the top. Finding these executives is a complex challenge best met with the assistance of a firm with a proven track record of success. Founded in 1969, Russell Reynolds Associates is a global executive recruitment and management assessment firm that delivers solutions to organizational challenges through the recruitment of exceptional leaders. Based in 32 wholly owned offices, our associates work in more than 40 practice areas to provide specialized industry and functional expertise to clients in major markets around the world.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP 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.

AdAstra actively accompanies its portfolio companies towards the capital markets or other means of realizing their value potential. In this process, we see ourselves as reliable and business-oriented investor. It is our aim to be integrated in the business concept as a genuine partner not only through our capital but also through active involvement, guidance and support.

Intel Capital, Intel’s strategic investment program, is one of the largest global corporate venture programs investing in the technology segment. Its mission is to make and manage financially attractive investments that support Intel’s strategic objectives.

Techno Venture Management, founded in 1983, is one of the first venture capital funds formed in Germany and a leader in transatlantic operations. For many years, TVM has focused on information & communications technology and life sciences, high growth sectors where innovation, effective management and sound financial backing have enormous impact on company growth.

Within its collections, Audemars Piguet offers the world's broadest range of watch complications, along with prestigious Haute Joaillerie creations. Its experience in the field of complex watches make it a standard of reference in the highly select circle of Haute Horlogerie companies.

BayTech Venture Capital is an independent, internationally oriented venture capital fund based in Munich, Germany. The fund predominantly concentrates on extending early-stage financing to high-growth, high-tech companies. BayTech Venture Capital excels thanks to a management with outstanding technological background and extensive sector expertise. Large institutional investors provide a solid financial basis.

BrainLAB develops and distributes software and integrated solutions worldwide that enable minimally invasive medical treatments.

Deutsche Börse Group is far more than a mere market-place organizer for the trading in shares and other securities. It is a transaction service provider. With advanced technology it affords companies and investors access to global capital markets.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft undertakes applied research of direct utility to private and public enterprise and of wide benefit to society. Its services are solicited by customers and contractual partners in industry, the service sector and public administration.

Businessplan contest Saxony GmbH and network for Saxon entrepreneurs.

GlobalFinance is a recognised independent specialist for Private Equity and Mergers & Acquisitions. The firm covers the entire value chain in private equity and M&A. Based on our continuous market presence, network, reputation and track record we have been able to secure premier access and inside information to customise and optimise our clients' investment and business portfolios. This has created significant returns both for financial investors and corporates.

Invest-in-Bavaria is the division within the department of Foreign Direct Investment and International Trade of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology. It is specifically dedicated to foreign direct investment policies and business location marketing. Invest-in-Bavaria reports directly to the Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr. Otto Wiesheu. It is a joint project between the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology and Bayern International.

City of Munich - Department of Labor and Economic Development.

Munich Network supports "Technopreneurship", the entrepreneurial transfer of technological innovation into market success. Munich Network links Entrepreneurs to the regional innovation forces and connects them with the most important technology clusters worldwide.

Pleon is an international consulting firm which creates and implements strategies for private and public sector organisations around the world. With deep understanding of business, politics and communications, Pleon is uniquely placed to devise compelling solutions which deliver measurable and tangible results.

holtzbrinck networXs AG allocates venture capital for media & technology investments in the fields of internet, mobile (including wireless and broadband) and e-commerce. Capital increase is being provided, to fund the growth of the company.

Ob Journalist oder Analyst, Kunde oder Mitarbeiter: Die richtigen Informationen in der passenden Form an die entsprechende Zielgruppe zu vermarkten, ist unser Kerngeschäft.

Siemens (Berlin and Munich) is a global powerhouse in electrical engineering and electronics. The company has 434,000 employees working to develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of services for individual requirements. Siemens provides innovative technologies and comprehensive know-how to benefit customers in 190 countries. Founded more than 150 years ago, the company is active in the areas of Information and Communications, Automation and Control, Power, Transportation, Medical, and Lighting. In fiscal 2004 (ended September 30), Siemens had sales of €75.2 billion and net income of €3.405 billion.

Wellington Partners invests venture capital in young and creative Information and Communication Technology ( ICT) and Life Science companies that embrace, create and utilize global technology trends. Wellington Partners invests in early-stage technology and life science companies throughout Europe, with a particular focus on German-speaking countries. Wellington Partners currently has € 350 million under management and typically invests between € 1 and € 10 million.

ZMD is an expert in the design, manufacturing and marketing of high performance, low power mixed signal ASIC and ASSP solutions used in wireless and sensor applications.

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.

Germany's leading business-oriented newspaper.

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.