If you're actively seeking funding or ever expect to, this is an essential program for you. You'll get a inside look at the minds of venture capitalists and angel investors with an experienced team of investors, CEOs and industry executives. You will create a fundraising strategy, practice and sharpen your investor pitch, and at the end of the program, give your pitch in front of a room full of investors.

But CapVenture is not solely focused on fundraising. For entrepreneurs not looking to raise capital, CapVenture offers a unique opportunity to develop their business model, sharpen their go-to-market strategy, and enhance their network by sharing with and learning from a room full of CEOs, executives and investors.

We are still accepting applications to CapVenture through July 15th. So, if you're interested, or know someone who might be, fill out an application.

• Charles Ross: @cross4509
• Lance Weatherby: @lance
• Mary Leary: @maryleary
• Orjan Isacson: @oisacson
• David Sung: @venchaman
• Melissa Zbeeb: @zmelissa
• Ivy Hughley: @ihughley11
• Blake Perdue: @bperdue
• John Cottingham: @johncottingham

ATDC will remain open during the rescue and recovery operations. The Centergy parking deck will stay closed until further notice. All visitors to ATDC should park at the Georgia Tech hotel on Spring Street. Directions to the hotel parking deck can be found here.

Urban Planet Mobile is primarily targeting Asia-Pacific, Middle East and South America markets which could generate well over 500 million users. Distribution contracts are currently in the works with carriers and content providers in these markets.

We are pleased to have Urban Planet Mobile to be part of ATDC and look forward to working with them.

The Liquidity Event Proceeds Calculator ("LEPC") was developed as a joint project between the Atlanta Technology Development Center (ATDC) and Siavage Law Group, LLC with assistance from Atlanta investment bankers Croft and Bender, LLC. The LEPC provides users with a comprehensive understanding of the effect of their particular venture capital deal terms. It allows the user to input valuation, option pool size, amount of investment, and amount and timing of the liquidity event in order to customize various scenarios to the company's unique financing circumstances. The LEPC projects the proceeds to be derived by common holders, preferred holders and option holders in liquidity events at varying valuations and varying time periods. The assumptions are listed on the first page and the tool proceeds through three pro-forma rounds of funding, A, B and C. In order to gain a working understanding of the tool, we recommend that users review the spreadsheets as written first before they modify the assumptions to suit their needs. Each of the rounds has a pro-forma liquidity event at increasing dollar values that can be modified by the user.

Thursday, June 4, 2009 7:30 to 9am Centergy One Building 75 5th Street, NW Hodges Room (335) Atlanta, GA  Map Click here to register!

Successful entrepreneurs think differently. They are better at recognizing and dealing with what they don't know. They proactively identify business risks and uncertainties and mitigate them.

This is a process that can be learned. Join us at the next TAG/ATDC Entrepreneur's event to learn how.

The session will be led by Marty Gupt, Managing Director of CAP Consulting Group. CAP Consulting helps entrepreneurs become big companies and helps big companies become more entrepreneurial. Prior to this, Marty was Vice President and General Manager of TeraText Solutions, a division of SAIC. He has over 20 years of experience with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, BellSouth, AT&T and Xerox, and has extensive experience in developing new products and businesses. Marty has an MBA from the University of Rochester and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Buffalo.

Preparis has developed the first subscription-based workforce preparedness platform designed to protect businesses and their employees from terrorism, natural disasters, pandemics, workplace violence, and other 21st century threats.  They recently launched their ACTION Platform.  It is a turnkey SaaS solution that delivers online analytics, certifications, training, information, and notifications, information and response instructions to over 200 potential threats. Accessible via a company’s intranet, the Internet and mobile devices worldwide, the ACTION Platform enables global executives, management teams, and all employees to make it through crisis events at a moment’s notice.

Preparis has an interesting back story.  The company emerged out of CEO Armistead Whitney's experience in New York City on September 11.

We are pleased to have Preparis to be part of ATDC and look forward to working with them.

Following up to my previous blog on Shotput Ventures, SPV just announced their first Demo Day.  Eight early stage companies get to show off the fruits of their labor.  It's an invite only event for angel investors, VCs and tech execs.  Email to  info@shotputventures.com if you'd like to attend.

Look forward to seeing you there.

1. Management Risk: Investors are trying to understand if you and your team are the right people for this opportunity. Key questions:
   1. Do you have deep experience in the industry you are entering?
   1. Do you have previous startup experience?
   1. Will you listen to advice from your board?
2. Technology/Product Risk: Investors are looking to see if you have a good product that will give your company a competitive advantage. Key questions:
   • Is there any intellectual property around the technology, such as patents? 
   • Is it difficult for your competition to replicate your product?
   • Does the technology actually work? Is it defensible?
3. Market Risk: Investors want to know if you are attacking a lucrative market and have a good go-to-market strategy. Key questions:
   • How big is the market?
   • Is the market growing?
   • Are you solving a major pain in the market?
   • Is your go-to-market strategy reasonable?
4. Funding Risk: Investors need to believe you can execute your plan with the amount you are raising. Key questions:
   • Is this too much or too little of a raise?
   • Is your use of funds strategy realistic?
   • How long is your runway?
   • Will you have to raise another round in the near future?