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New money for early-stage companies
by Heather Hayes
Virginia Business
September 2005
Jonathan Aberman is looking for a
few good business plans. The venture capital lawyer
and business adviser recently started a venture capital
fund to encourage promising IT and health-care companies.
“There just isn’t enough
hands-on, early-stage capital available to get companies
off the ground,” says Aberman, who has worked
for several top technology law firms. He also is involved
in the governor’s Commission on Biotechnology,
George Mason Intellectual Properties and the Northern
Virginia Technology Council.
Amplifier Venture Partners, based
in Reston, expects to raise up to $20 million from investors.
It hopes to fund seed-stage and early-stage firms in
Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. “Our
goal is to not just give people money but to provide
operational assistance and an experienced viewpoint,”
says Aberman.
The fund will invest only in companies
that:
• Have developed unique and commercially viable
intellectual property ideas or offerings.
• Compete in markets large enough to support a
business.
• Are run by entrepreneurial teams that want operational
advice and assistance from the fund and are willing
to work with it to move the companies forward.
• Can demonstrate a clear, near-term path to commercialization,
customer adoption, business growth and strategic interest.
Fund advisers will review unsolicited
business plans, but companies are more likely to be
reviewed if they are referred by a trusted third party,
says Aberman. Amplifier will invest $250,000 to $750,000
during the initial round of financing. |
