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.

Endeavour Vision is a premier European venture capital firm investing in high potential companies in the information technology and life sciences sectors. Since 1989, the principals have made over 63 investments in 12 different countries. The goal of Endeavour Vision is to contribute to the success of companies who demonstrate great potential by teaming up with entrepreneurs and sharing skills, expertise and network To better support Entrepreneurs, the firm has developed two institutions: the European Tech Tour Association, a non-profit foundation generating networking opportunities for Entrepreneurs with VCs, Corporations and other Entrepreneurs, and the CEO-Circle, a group of world-class entrepreneurial CEOs who are committed in helping with the development of portfolio companies.

Some investments made by the principals include Sandisk, Dolphin Interconnect, SCM Microsystems, Virata, Altitun, Cirpack, Media Lario, Tagsys RFID and Sequans, (Information Technology); and Actelion, Axovan, Endoart and Novimmune (Life Sciences).

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.

With revenue of CHF 7.2 billion for the first three quarters of 2006 and a workforce of 16'875 full-time employees, the Swisscom Group is Switzerland's leading telecoms company. Swisscom is present nationwide, delivering all services and products for mobile, fixed and IP-based voice and data communications.

Vinci Capital is an independent Swiss private equity firm based in Lausanne with over 200 MCHF under management. Vinci Capital's Limited Partners include Swisscom as well as over 40 Swiss pension funds.

Our mission is the financing and development of Swiss-based technology companies in the areas of Information Technology, Microtechnology/Nanotechnology and Life Sciences. Our team combines over 20 years of private equity experience, 30 technology investments, 10 exits and a solid operational background in entrepreneurship, turn-around, consolidation and M&A situations. We strongly believe in the power of proximity. By only investing in Switzerland, and with the help of a dense local and international network, we are able to provide our portfolio companies with a quick and reactive coaching on all areas of business, from strategy to team building, marketing and operations.

For more information please visit www.vincicapital.ch

BCCC is an independent business law firm with offices in Geneva and Lausanne and clients in all regions of Switzerland. BCCC brings together around 15 qualified professionals with an international background and complementary expertise in selected areas of practice. BCCC’s core practices are banking, corporate, tax, litigation, competition, biotech/pharma, IP, media and new technologies.

BCCC was founded in 2001 by experienced business lawyers and litigators with the aim of providing clients with sophisticated advice on which clients can rely to achieve their business objectives or solve their disputes. Our lawyers seek to provide a service which is cost efficient, useful and solution-driven. More than often, our range of services extend to commercial and strategic advice, and our lawyers are usually also familiar with the specifics of the industry or the business environnement in which our clients evolve. Although a rather young firm, BCCC has already been highly recommended for its Technology, Media & Telecoms practice in authoritative legal guides of lawyers and law firms worldwide based on clients and competitors interviews.

Our clients include national and multinational corporations, banking and financial institutions, private equity and venture funds, high technology companies, luxury groups, major retail players, global and local Web services companies, media conglomerates, biotech/pharma and healthcare companies, start-ups companies as well as entrepreneurs, individuals and families.

For more information : www.bccc.ch.

GrowthPoint Technology Partners is a different kind of investment bank. We provide M&A, fundraising and strategic advisory services to a wide range of technology companies. As former CEOs, executives, board members, investors and advisors, we bring a wealth of strategic and financial experience to our clients with the sole objective of helping them achieve success. In 2005, four senior members of SVB/Alliant, formerly Alliant Partners (sold to Silicon Valley Bankshares in 2001) left to form GrowthPoint Technology Partners. We created a new firm to provide the very best advisory environment for our clients. Our highly experienced senior advisors deliver a quality, research driven service, in a variety of technology sectors.

Iris Capital is a leading pan-European venture and development capital fund specialising in Media & Entertainment, Communications and IT.

Since it was established in 1986 in Paris, our team has invested over 700 million euros in more than 200 participations.

The SWX Swiss Exchange ranks among the world’s most technologically advanced securities exchanges. Backed by the strength of Switzerland’s financial marketplace, it resolutely pursues an internationally oriented strategy. In transnational collaboration with partner organisations, the SWX Swiss Exchange provides first-rate securities exchange services to all parties involved. Not only is its broad product palette a convincing factor in this regard, but also its fully integrated and totally automated trading, clearing and settlement system that remains unique in the world.

The SWX Swiss Exchange offers innovative, international companies access to the Swiss capital market. A public placement of securities in one of its trading segments affords companies a high degree of global visibility among investors. An initial public offering in Switzerland is an attractive opportunity for companies to raise equity capital, especially those in the life science, IT and micro- and nanotechnology industries.

Venture Incubator is a Swiss venture capital firm that supports university spin-off's as well as other promising start-up companies with capital, coaching, consulting and networks. We invest "Smart Money" to develop promising technology-based ideas for products and services into successful businesses.

Venture Incubator was established by McKinsey & Company and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETHZ), and started operations in 2001. It now manages an investment fund of CHF 101 million. Our investors represent 10 blue-chip enterprises from industry and finance.

Logitech designs, manufactures and markets personal peripherals that enable people to effectively work, play, and communicate in the digital world. The company's products combine essential core technologies, continuing innovation, award-winning industrial design and excellent price performance.

CSEM SA, the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, is a privately held, knowledge-based company carrying out:

Applied research work
Product development
Prototype and low-volume production.

CSEM is mainly active in the fields of micro/nanotechnology, microelectronics, systems engineering, information and communication technologies.
By offering its high-tech know-how, competencies and expertise, CSEM anticipates and fulfils the needs of industrial partners. In particular, it supplies customized microsystems, microelectronic designs and system solutions, as well as services for high-tech coatings and new materials. Thanks to multidisciplinary skills, systems knowledge and networking with different partners, vertical integration is a strong asset of CSEM.

LeShop.ch - LeShop was the first Internet-based supermarket offering home delivery of groceries to all of Switzerland in 1998 and a pioneer of the branch in Europe. LeShop provides the consumer with a simple and ergonomic web interface and delivers daily 120 tons of food in average to people's home.

Migros, the largest food retailer in Switzerland with 20bn sales, acquired 80% of LeShops' capital in april 2006 . LeShop reported sales of € 42 million in 2006 and 2 consecutive cash positive quarters, and plans on € 60 million sales for 2007. LeShop has deployed an ongoing growth rate of above 40% during the past three years.

EPFL is one of the two Ecoles Polytechniques fédérales in Switzerland. Like its sister institution, ETHZ, it has three missions: education, research and technology transfer at the highest international level. Associated with several specialised research institutes, the two EPFs form the EPF domain, which is directly dependent on the Federal Department of Home Affairs.

EPFL, in its idyllic location on the shores of Lake Geneva, brings together a campus of more than 10,000 people. By its novel structure, the school stimulates collaboration between students, professors, researchers and entrepreneurs. These daily interactions give rise to new and groundbreaking work in science, technology and architecture.

BILAN is one of Edipresse’s publications. Edipresse is an international publishing group headquartered in Switzerland. Edipresse’s main activity is the publishing of newspapers and magazines. The Group also intends to invest aggressively in new technology, which will enable it to distribute its content and provide service to its customers in electronic form.

For more than 170 years, Ringier has been providing information and entertainment. With Blick, the largest sold circulation daily newspaper in the country, the largest Sunday newspaper with SonntagsBlick, with the successful economy newspaper CASH and a colourful range of high circulation magazines, including Schweizer Illustrierte, with TV productions and websites, Ringier is the largest publishing house in Switzerland and is working to shape the media future of the country.

Ringier Print Holding AG, a 100 percent subsidiary of Ringier AG, is a general contractor active in the manufacture of printed communications materials. The most modern technologies are used in print preparation, printing, processing and distribution. Ringier Print enjoys the confidence of national and international customers, thanks to its high professionalism.

Red Herring is a media company whose mission is to cover innovation, technology, financing and entrepreneurial activity. Its staff of award-winning journalists tell readers what's first, what matters and most importantly, why.