ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Anticipating
record attendance among the investment community at the upcoming Michigan Growth Capital
Symposium, taking place May 10-11 at the Marriott Resort in
Ypsilanti, Mich., event organizers today unveiled the complete list
of companies that will vie for funding at this year’s event. The 41
presenting
companies symbolize the “Best of the Midwest” businesses and
were selected from a competitive pool of 85 applications.
During the past 10 years, more than 300 companies have
presented at the Symposium. Seventy-one percent have raised capital
totaling $1.7 billion in investment dollars and of those, 20
percent have gone on to realize successful exits.
This year’s roster represents the Midwest industries that have
emerged as having the greatest growth potential, including
information technology, clean technology, medical devices and life
science. Among them are seven University spinouts, including InPore
Technologies and Life Magnetics, as well as companies traveling
from as far as Kentucky and Massachusetts to participate. This year
will mark an encore appearance for several companies, most notably
Esperion Therapeutics. The Plymouth, Mich.-based biotech company
presented in 1998, was bought out by Pfizer in 2004 for $1.3
billion and after divesting in 2008, is back to present at the
Symposium in 2011.
Nextronex Energy Systems, a Toledo, OH-based solar component
manufacturing company, will be presenting at the Symposium for the
first time, in the highly anticipated clean tech track. Commenting
on the value of the event, CEO Bruce Larsen said: “Many of the
companies that have presented at The Michigan Growth Capital
Symposium have gone on to great success, which makes me confident
that it is going to be a great forum for Nextronex. It has the
clout to attract the influential Midw
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