TOPIC

• A general view of the current financial market for early stage investments in technology companies and projections for this market in the near future.
• Investment strategies that Venture Capital firms are using to adapt to the changed market.
• How early stage technology companies have had to adjust their strategies to raise capital and how their day to day operations have been affected.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Bryan W. Kerdman, Partner, EdgeStone Capital Venture Partners

Mr. Kerdman is the Partner responsible for EdgeStone Capital Venture Partners, a technology fund focusing on high growth Information Technology Software companies. The fund is part of EdgeStone Capital Partners Inc., a merchant bank managing more than $1.3 billion in private equity. Mr. Kerdman has twenty-five years experience creating, building, and running high technology companies that specialize in mission-critical, high-volume transaction applications as well as enterprise software solutions.

Mr. Kerdman has an entrepreneurial background as well as a deep knowledge of both technology and the business/capital markets. This coupled with a hands-on leadership style and the ability to make quick decisions, makes his skill set as an advisor and investor for high technology ventures unique in Canada.

Prior to joining EdgeStone Capital Partners Mr. Kerdman was CEO of e-route, Canada’s premier e-billing provider. He began his career by founding Bryker Data Systems Ltd. at the age of nineteen and continued to hold top executive roles in several technology ventures since selling Bryker Data Systems in 1994 to what is now part of BCE Emergis. He has been an active private equity investor since 1987.

Barry Gekiere, Senior Vice President, Ventures West Management Inc.

Ventures West is a privately held venture capital investment group that invests in early stage technology companies across Canada. Since its founding in 1968, Ventures West has invested over $400 million in more than 150 companies within the IT, Telecom, Biotech and Alternative Energy sectors.

Mr. Gekiere joined Ventures West in 1996 and heads up the IT Group, which is focused primarily on middleware and enterprise software applications. Prior to joining the team in 1996, Barry had an equal mix of operating experience and venture capital investing. Barry uses his operating experience to work closely with entrepreneurs as an active director and sounding board on operating and strategic issues. He has served on the boards of several private and public companies and has worked with investee companies through the IPO and strategic sale process.

Barry is a past director of the Canadian Venture Capital Association and currently sits on the boards of Queen’s Centre for Enterprise Development, Golden Horseshoe Venture Forum, Necho Systems Corp., EMT Inc. and Nuvo Network Management Inc. Barry has a B.A. (Honours) in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario.