Irish 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 better serve our customers.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is worldwide leader in the following services: Audit, Assurance and Business Advisory Services; Business Process Outsourcing; Corporate Finance and Recovery; and Global Tax Services.

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 Techtour, 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.

Enterprise Ireland is the government agency responsible for the development of Irish industry. We work in partnership with client companies to help them build a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

Enterprise Ireland has three strategic priorities: Technology Innovation, Business Development, Internationalisation. Find out more at www.enterprise-ireland.com.

NCB is the leading independent corporate finance house in Ireland, providing a comprehensive range of advisory services to quoted, private and State owned companies and the Government. In conjunction with our private equity arm, NCB Ventures, we provide unrivalled advisory services throughout all stages of a company’s growth.

Invest Northern Ireland was formed in April 2002 by the Northern Ireland Government as the main economic development organisation. Our strategy is to add value to the economy and create wealth. Find out more at www.investni.com.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice is a leading Irish corporate law firm. The firm is one of Ireland’s largest law firms, with over three hundred and fifty staff. Our principal office is in Dublin and we also have offices in London, New York and Palo Alto, California. We provide a comprehensive range of legal services of the highest caliber to our global client base. Find out more at www.mop.ie.

Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP is a global leader in serving emerging growth companies, and the venture capital and private equity communities that serve them. Since 1973, Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault has earned a reputation for combining sophisticated legal analysis and practical business insight to drive its clients' success. The firm's track record of innovation and leadership in shaping the venture capital and private equity industry is well known, and is matched today by robust practices in all areas affecting information technology, life science and other technology-oriented companies: intellectual property counseling and litigation; corporate finance and acquisitions; securities and other complex business litigation; governmental investigations; taxation; and immigration, labor and employment. Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault assists clients ranging from multinational businesses to start-ups to individual entrepreneurs from its global headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.tht.com.

ACT Venture Capital is Ireland's leading independent venture capital company and we have a very experienced and successful investment team. We provide capital to growth-oriented private companies in the range of €750K to €15M. Larger sums can be provided in syndication with our institutional investors. Find out more at www.actventure.com.

Delta Partners is an Irish venture capital firm established in 1994. With over €125 million under management and a strong focus on investing in the early stages of technology companies, the team has made over 40 investments in the following sectors: Communications, Internet, Software, Life Sciences. Find out more at www.deltapartners.com.com.

Trinity Venture Capital provides equity capital for early stage and expanding Irish technology companies. Established in September 1997, Trinity currently has €163m under management in Trinity Fund 1 and Trinity Fund 2 and has an investment portfolio which reflects Ireland's strong performance in the technology sector. We, at Trinity, work actively with our portfolio companies, leveraging our experience of supporting Irish technology companies to scale and build internationally. Trinity's portfolio includes companies such as AePONA, Changingworlds, Havok, LeT, Mapflow, Norkom Technologies, Rococo, Steeltrace, Shenick, and Valista. Find out more at www.tvc.com.

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.

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.

Cooley Distillery is the only independent Irish owned distillery in Ireland, founded in 1987 by John Teeling, a highly respected Irish entrepreneur. It was during his studies at Harvard University in the early 1970's that John Teeling identified the decline of Irish whiskey as an opportunity to reverse this situation.