Press Release
Contact: Robert Albright |
Phone: 919-549-7500 ext.123 |
RTRP and CED Team with Treasurer Moore to Attract Investors
Public/Private Partnership Goes to Boston to Pitch NC Investment Opportunities
March 10, 2004, Research Triangle Park, NC - The Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) and Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) teamed with North Carolina State Treasurer Richard Moore to promote North Carolina's innovation economy to a group of leading investors in Boston on Tuesday, March 9. During a special luncheon at Boston's Bay Tower Restaurant, several of North Carolina's government, education, non-profit and business leaders spoke to Boston-based venture capitalists about the Tar Heel State's investment opportunities.
In addition to State Treasurer Moore, the other North Carolina officials who spoke at the Boston event included Charles Hayes, president and CEO of RTRP; Monica Doss, president of CED; Kristina Johnson, dean of Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering; Christy Shaffer, CEO of Durham-based Inspire Pharmaceuticals; and Steve Nelson, general partner with the Wakefield Group.
RTRP's Hayes said the event was a successful, collaborative effort that showcased North Carolina's investment strengths to the Boston business community.
“We are taking action to bring more jobs and capital to the greater Research Triangle region,” Hayes said. “This event in Boston was a creative approach to economic development, giving us an effective venue to encourage Boston area venture capitalists to invest in North Carolina companies.”
Christoph Westphal, general partner with Boston-based Polaris Venture Partners, also provided a personal testimonial at the luncheon about the Research Triangle region. One of Polaris' portfolio companies is Athenix, an RTP-based biotechnology company.
“It was terrific to see old friends from North Carolina at this special luncheon,” Westphal said. “Polaris has long understood the intrigue of North Carolina companies and the value of North Carolina's investment partners. I expect to see great future partnerships with some of my colleagues in Boston and North Carolina.”
Over 50 Boston-based investment firms attended the luncheon, including the following:
- Ampersand Ventures
- Draper Fisher Jurvetson
- HarbourVest Partners
- IDG Ventures
- M/C Venture Partners
- MPM Capital
- Oxford Bioscience Partners
- Polaris Venture Partners
- Prism Venture Partners
- Summit Partners
- Techno Venture Management
About CED: The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, located in Research Triangle Park, NC, is a private, non-profit organization formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs through annual conferences, seminars, workshops and monthly programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2004, is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 3,500 members representing 1,000 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms. www.cednc.org.
About RTRP: The Research Triangle Regional Partnership (RTRP) is a public/private partnership that promotes economic development for the 13-county region of North Carolina comprising Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Person, Vance, Wake and Warren counties. RTRP promotes the region worldwide and works to attract investment from successful businesses that can well serve the region and its mix of rural and urban areas.
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