Michigan Growth Capital Symposium Announces Plans for 34th Annual Event

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Dec. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizers of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) today unveiled initial plans for the 2015 conference, the premier event that will be held May 19-20 at the Marriott Resort in Ypsilanti, Mich. More than 450 attendees are expected at the Symposium including leading U.S. venture capitalists and the 'Best of the Midwest' early stage and emerging, high-growth companies seeking up to $20 million in funding.

Kicking off its 34^th year, approximately 40 companies will be selected to present to interested investors and related stakeholders. The MGCS will also feature guest speakers and panel discussions driven by some of the nation's leading investors and entrepreneurs.

"This Symposium is right in the middle of an upsurge in entrepreneurial activity and venture investing," said finance professor David Brophy, MGCS founder and director of the Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. "Right now, institutional investors have plenty of opportunities. The more harvests we get here in Michigan and the more money we attract from outside the state, the more mature our market will appear to those investors."

Last year, MGCS held its first University Track, where Midwest-based schools highlighted research poised for commercialization and other emerging companies that originated within their University base. The University of Michigan and its sister institutions are ramping up technology transfer activities, launching new business incubators to accelerate the commercialization of research, the spin-out of new science and high-tech companies, and the licensing of technology to larger companies. These new endeavors only add to the region's reputation for innovation.

The annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium is hosted by the University of Michigan's Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Ross School of Business, with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Organizers are currently enlisting sponsors for the 2015 event, with packages ranging from $1,000-$10,000. Applications for companies to present will be available online January 1, 2015. For more information or to become a sponsor, please visit http://www.michigangcs.com/.

About the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS)
MGCS is the original university-based venture fair, which was first held in 1979. This nationally attended two-day event provides an opportunity for investors to connect with up-and-coming Midwest businesses and learn about emerging technologies. The Symposium offers the opportunity to build relationships with an unparalleled business network of distinguished private equity industry leaders, leading university research faculty, and entrepreneurial business professionals. MGCS is presented by the Center for Venture Capital & Private Equity Finance or the Zell Lurie Institute at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business with support from the Michigan Venture Capital Association and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

About Michigan Ross
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society.

Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management.

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SOURCE Michigan Growth Capital Symposium

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