Read about recent Nutrition Capital Network (NCN) Investor Meetings, including comments from Presenting Companies and Investors in the nutrition industry.

Review of NCN IX:Fall 2011 Investor Meeting
One question Nutrition Capital Network principals asked themselves when founding the investor network in 2007 was, does the nutrition industry produce a large enough pool of companies from which to select consistently high quality investment candidates? So far the answer has been a resounding yes. No more so than at the recent NCN IX, where the caliber and variety of the presenting companies was outstanding, leading some investors to conclude, “best meeting yet.”

At NCN IX on November 15, our first West Coast investor meeting in Los Angeles, an audience of strategic and private equity investors were introduced to 22 nutrition and health & wellness companies seeking capital. In the morning, approximately 70 investors – ranging from strategics like Unilever, Nestlé, Coke, Pepsi and General Mills  to financial investors like Castanea Partners, Sherbrooke Capital and Partnership Capital Growth Investors – listened to business plans presented at 10-minute intervals. After lunch, investors and companies met one-on-one in breakout sessions, concluding with cocktails and high level networking.

Companies took 86 meetings with investors (averaging four apiece). Everyone had at least one meeting, and the majority had multiple meetings, with two presenting companies engaged in a full complement of seven meetings on the NCN “dance card.” One company received a commitment onsite, although most deals are typically made at follow-on meetings. Over NCN’s history around 35% of presenting companies have received funding as a direct or indirect result of making an NCN presentation.

Details of the presenting companies are available only to participating investors and sponsors (contact Grant Ferrier at 619-295-7685 x15 for information).

What Presenters Had to Say

Exceptional group of people with clear potential to advance and fund great ideas.
Phillip B. Berkey Moheno, Founder, President, Chief Scientist, SanRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

NCN IX exceeded our expectations both in content of the Monday session and investment potential. We had a very good group of meetings, our dance card was full, and we had additional interest beyond the scheduled meetings. We were able to meet some potential investors and long term potential relationships in the functional food area. We had a overwhelmingly positive response to our product and plan. Robert Long, CEO/President, Provasca

This was a truly a worthwhile experience and allowed us to connect with a group of investors and other stake holders who “get it”. Coming from a medical-device heavy community, it’s been challenging to connect with investors/partners who can see beyond the world of medical doo-dads. It’s nice to sing to the choir for a change! Establishing this conference was visionary on your part.
Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC, Founder, TruhealthMD

New in 2011: Health & Wellness Investor Forum
In the wake of the well received Health & Wellness Investor Forum that preceded NCN IX on November 14, educational sessions are likely to become a permanent fixture at NCN meetings. This new, value-added event was co-sponsored by NCN's Investment Banking Partner, Partnership Capital Growth Advisors, and held prior to the welcome reception and dinner at no additional charge to registrants. Find out what was discussed at the Health & Wellness Investor Forum.

 

Review of NCN VIII Spring Investor Meeting 2011
150 nutrition and health & wellness investors, presenting companies and sponsors gathered in New York on April 12, 2011 for NCN VIII, Nutrition Capital Network’s eighth international investor meeting. Twenty screened companies presented at 10-minute intervals throughout the morning to an attentive audience, followed by an very active afternoon of one-on-one meetings.

Investors all valued the networking with their peers and seeing the deal flow; specific comments about what they valued most about  NCN VIII included:

“The opportunity to talk directly to early stage companies that are otherwise are difficult to track or engage”;
“Hearing about new innovative ingredient opportunities”;
“Discovering a number of new interesting start-ups”; and
“Dance card discussions were very informative and done in a timely manner”

Presenters were upbeat about all the interest they received at NCN VIII. One presenter commented:

“Our experience at NCN was extremely positive because you put together some of the biggest companies in the world with new entrants like us….The organization of the event was excellent and I appreciate very much the direct personal input and relationship with Mike, Carlos, Lyn and Grant... and I am sure that one of the key factors of success of this event is the warm and friendly relationship and spirit that the organization is able to translate to investors and to presenting companies.”

• NCN VII Fall 2010 Investor Meeting
• NCN VI Spring 2010 Investor Meeting
• NCN Ingredients & Technology Investor Meeting at SupplySide West, 2009
• NCN V Fall 2009 Investor Meeting
• NCN IV Spring 2009 Investor Meeting
• NCN III Fall 2008 Investor Meeting