ASTIA were the star guests at The Scottish Life Sciences breakfast meeting last month, when over 40 people squeezed into the WS Signet Library to learn more about Astia’s global accelerator programme.
Sponsored and co-ordinated by legal specialists, JAG Shaw, and co-hosted by Scottish Investment Bank and Nexxus, the meeting explained to Scotland’s life sciences entrepreneurs, investors and advisers, ways in which their companies might participate in the global Astia programme.
Once selected for the programme, Astia facilitates the growth of these companies, improving their access to capital and dramatically improving their chances of securing funding.
Says a spokesperson: “The Astia programme connects early stage high growth companies in the sectors of life science, clean tech and hi-tech to those with funds, and has a 60 per cent success rate of securing funds for companies in the first year of membership.
“As a direct result of the success of the breakfast meeting, Astia extended the application deadline for this year’s European programme until the end of February 2012.”
James Shaw, of event sponsors and specialist law firm, JAG Shaw, said: “The fact that this event was oversubscribed, and that Astia extended their European programme deadline says a great deal about the vitality of the life sciences sector in Scotland. We are delighted to have facilitated the discussion.
“We have considerable expertise in the venture capital and private equity sectors, and as specialists , we feel it is incumbent upon us to bring to the attention of a wider audience this type of seed and JV funding.
“Given the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Californian Institute of Regenerative Medicine and the Scottish Government, we saw an immediate opportunity to initiate dialogue between Astia and the Scottish life sciences sector.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Applications to the Astia programme go to www.Astia.org
Copy of the slides for the Astia presentation go to www.jagshaw.com
About Astia
Astia is a global not-for-profit organization with a distinct focus and mission – to propel women’s full participation as entrepreneurs and leaders in high-growth businesses, fuelling innovation and driving economic growth. Guided by a proven philosophy that gender diversity is an essential element of innovation, Astia works with start-ups around the world as they access capital, grow their businesses, and hone the leadership skills of their founding teams.
The Astia model of engaging a community of 1,500 experts to the benefit of the select start-ups it serves has resulted in an exceptional success rate: since 2003, over 60 percent of companies that have participated in the Astia Investor Forums have secured funding or achieved an exit within one year of presenting, totalling more than $1 billion dollars raised and 23 exits, including two IPOs. Headquartered in San Francisco, Astia delivers programs for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, New York, London and India. Astia has also had significant press coverage in major media channels including The New York Times, Businessweek, Forbes and The Financial Times.
About JAG Shaw – Venture Capital & Private Equity Lawyers
JAG Shaw is rapidly establishing itself as a leading legal adviser to venture capital and private equity investors and equity-backed companies.
Serving an international client base on all aspects of transactional and non-transactional corporate and commercial law, the firm specialises in venture capital and private equity law, and maintains a particular focus on the life sciences and tech sectors.
Founded by James Shaw, JAG Shaw now comprises six partners in London and Edinburgh, and has a blue chip client list. Catherine Williams joined the firm in July 2011 – and is an expert in VC and M&A deals. Catherine is also on the European Board of Advisers of ASTIA.
The Scottish Investment Bank
The Scottish Investment Bank is a division of Scottish Enterprise which operates Scotland-wide, in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise. It operates a suite of funds to support Scotland’s SME funding market to ensure that both early stage and established businesses with growth potential have adequate access to growth capital. For more information, please visit www.scottish-enterprise.com/sib
For further information please contact: James Shaw at JAG Shaw, on 0203 170 7955; James.shaw@jagshaw.com, or Peter Nowell, Brand Vista, on 07974 926 243; petern@brandvista.net
JAG Shaw has offices in Edinburgh and London
11 Great King Street, Edinburgh EH3 6QW and 33 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4JS
Peter Nowell
Brand Vista
The Brand Alignment Company
E: petern@brandvista.co.uk
T: +44 (0) 7974 926 243
W: http://brandvista.co.uk/
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