Library House Woes

Library House, the data gatherer whose online products offer intelligence on VC deals and innovative venture-backed European companies, has apparently gone in to administration.

Library House hit hard times with bitter irony, as the very venture capitalists whose deals it thrives on for new data, sit on their money through the downturn. It's still aiming to sell all or part of the business.

For me, there is a sense of sorrow as well as a sense of loss. Library House were the organisers of both the UK Technology, Innovation & Growth Forum which Pingar presented to in March this year. They also organised the more recent Essential MediaTech 2008 Conference. It says something about the current VC investment climate in the UK & Europe.

If they can't raise funds, who can?

Introducing Mediatech 100

Library House has announced the launch of the Kemp Little Library House Mediatech 100.

The Kemp Little Library House 2008 Mediatech 100 represent the hottest 100 private mediatech companies operating in Europe. They were selected by rigorously assessing companies using Library House proprietary data filters, and an expert advisory panel. By considering growth potential and market impact potential, the Kemp Little Library House 2008 Mediatech 100 forms a collection of 100 companies most likely to change the mediatech world.

The advisory panel members included some of the most prominent mediatech investors and experts in Europe, with senior mediatech representatives from Amadeus Capital, Kodak External Alliances, Qualcomm Ventures Europe, Cobalt Corporate Finance, SPARK Ventures and Advent Venture Partners to name but a few.

So why is this announcement significant?

Modesty aside, Pingar was identified as one of the 100 hottest mediatech companies operating in Europe and it is therefore great to have been listed in the Kemp Little Library House Mediatech 100.

So what does it mean?

On November 11th, Essential Mediatech 2008 is being held in London. Essential Mediatech 2008 is the authoritative voice on the state of play in the mediatech sector, bringing together some of the most influential movers in the industry and assembling the most exciting companies, with the aim of answering the most pertinent questions facing the sector. (That’s their words, not mine)

Speakers will come together and share insights in a series of keynote speeches, chaired panel sessions, and stimulating company showcases, selected from the Library House exclusive “Mediatech 100”, with opportunities for high level face-to-face networking, and interactive Q&A, at what will be Europe’s must-attend mediatech event. (Once again, their words, not mine)

And so to the point. Pingar is one of the chosen few from the recently announced Mediatech 100 to be invited to present and showcase at this major event. (My words, not there’s!)

Tim and John will present. I will report back. I might have been silent for the past few weeks. Pingar has not.

The Elevator Pitch - Day 2

It finally happened at 12.35pm today. Tim delivered the Pingar elevator pitch to approximately 100 delegates attending the UK Forum.

It's fair to say that the delegates we recognised represented a multiple of the VC investment available in New Zealand. It was a sobering thought. The reaction however was not and the focus is now on closing our first funding round.

We were joined at the presentation by Sheetal Mehta and other leading members of the UK T&I Global Entrepreneur Team. It was also great to meet Catherine Tlapek, Senior Investment Manager with NZTE in London.

I have said before that our presence at the UK Forum was always more than just a fund raising exercise. It was about introducing the Pingar brand to the UK market and building networks for the future. That process started yesterday and continued today. Early days yet, but we have identified potential content providers for our service we had not met before. My diary over the next two weeks is testament to that.

During Tim's elevator pitch, he highlighted the importance of our relationship with Microsoft. The significance of this relationship really cannot be exaggerated. So it was good to meet up with Bindi Karia, VC/Emerging Business Lead, Microsoft this morning. Jacqui and I met Bindi on our recent trip to the UK. With Pingar building its presence in the UK, that relationship will only get stronger.

Tonight, it's black tie and tuxedo for the UK Forum 'Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony'. Tim, John and I have all been invited to join the Global Entrepreneur Team for this event. It is designed to recognise achievement in the UK Technology sector and promises to be a mix of networking, entertainment and the odd glass of something.

It will round off what has been a very successful two days for Pingar. We achieved our key objectives and will now focus on closing them down. That will be the interesting bit!

The Forum - Day 1

The New Zealand connections are alive and kicking.

On the same day that Computerworld NZ published a new article on Pingar, I attended Day 1 of the UK Technology, Innovation & Growth Forum in London. The event has attracted approximately 450 delegates.

The Forum is designed to both host a series of seminars through the day as well as showcasing 40 of the UK's most dynamic growth technology companies.

The event started with a keynote presentation by Allyson Reed, Director of Strategy and Communications, of the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board. It set the scene for the conference. This Forum is all about innovation across the full spectrum of technology - not just ICT. This became clearer through the day.

It was good to meet NZTE reps from NZ House. Perhaps more surprising were the number of Kiwis attending the Forum representing major UK companies. Throughout the day, I met a number of delegates and expect that the building blocks for some future networks might already have been put in place. The UK T&I Global Entrepreneur Team provided great 'on the spot' advice and introduced me to a number of their own contacts at the forum. More about that tomorrow.

Late in the afternoon, the Pingar team met up with a potential investor partner. No guess as to his nationality. Born in Auckland. Based in London.

It is at 12.30pm today (Day 2) when Pingar formally presents to the conference. Tim Burgess, our new CEO, has been given the task of delivering our elevator pitch. This is the highlight of the Forum for us. As well as presenting to fellow entrepreneurs, analysts and potential investors, it allows us to position Pingar for our UK market entry. The next 12 hours will be crucial for this.

Introducing the Forum Foursome

Two weeks today, Pingar presents at the UK Technology Innovation & Growth Forum in London. As previously posted, we are one of only four global companies selected by the UK T&I Global Entrepreneur Program to showcase our technology to the assembled analysts and investors. So who are the other three?

Ceram Polymerik is an advanced materials company with patented ceramifying polymer technology. Its inorganic additive blends enable functional plastic articles to seamlessly transform into a cohesive, self-supporting and dimensional stable ceramic during a fire, providing a protective barrier to the movement of heat, smoke and toxic gases. This offers cost-effective and technically superior solutions for existing and emerging applications in the Passive Fire Protection (“PFP”) market. Ceram Polymerik is based in Victoria, Australia.

Codilink is a new media company that provides technology platforms to advertising agencies and blue chip brands. Its main product focus is on coupon, ticket and loyalty card distribution and redemption, providing a method to eradicate the current paper trail required for coupon reconciliation. By issuing unique two-dimensional barcodes as coupons via any medium (paper, email or mobile phone), redeeming them via low-cost hardware installed in the point of sale, and performing all reconciliation and payments to merchants, Codilink is becoming the world’s first digital coupon clearing house. Codilink is based out of Barcelona, Spain.

Netcat , Australia’s largest Web Content Management Software (WCM) company, has launched SWIPE (Simple Website Import & Processing Engine), its unique Web 2.0 software that allows everyday users to auto-generate fully navigable mini-websites from large desktop-formatted documents (or folios of documents) and vice versa. A 500page policy manual can be converted into a fully navigable website in around 10 minutes. Netcat is based out of New South Wales, Australia.

So there we have it: The four global technologies that will represent UK T&I GEP at the Showcase event. For an overview of ALL the companies who will be showcasing their technology in London, the Forum organisers launched a Showcase site yesterday. You can view it here.

Pingar – Coming Out!

It's Mardi Gras and time to party...

For almost nine months now, I have regularly blogged about Pingar.

For reasons of confidentiality, I have always avoided telling the whole story. There have been solid reasons for this. Today though, all that changes.

The publication of a public profile of Pingar by Library House has opened the cupboard doors. Everyone, including you, can now look inside.

A Library House company profile provides a dynamic, essential view of a fast growth, venture-backed private company. The profile contains information that can assist Library House clients to evaluate competitors, opportunities, partnerships and customers.

So after nine months of hints, it is finally time for Pingar to come out......

Crossing the Chasm

In his book 'Crossing the Chasm', Geoffrey Moore makes the case that high-tech products require marketing strategies that differ from those in other industries. His chasm theory describes how high-tech products initially sell well, mainly to a technically literate customer base, but then hit a lull as marketing professionals try to cross the chasm to mainstream buyers. This pattern, says Moore, is unique to the high-tech industry.

It is a 'must read' for NZ ICT businesses wanting to engage with the global market.

I write about it now, because I have just extended my London trip next month for the UK Technology, Innovation and Growth Forum by a further 10 days. This has nothing to do with the UK weather.

I am going to be blunt. Being successful in the NZ market means little in London. That is down partly to business culture, but mainly to scale. The chasm is huge and so is the depth of competition, the need for resourcing and the availability of networks. Even though I only left the UK for NZ four years ago, I really am beginning to understand that chasm myself. So the need to extend my trip is real to assist consolidate our UK market entry strategy.

Developments in the past week will assist this process. More about this when I can.

Investment Ready?

A couple of emails from Microsoft UK over the weekend drew my attention to an initiative being set up by Microsoft UK for their ISV Empower partner community.

Leveraging The Library House’s company research and analysis, Microsoft UK are searching for high-potential empower companies, selecting them based on public information including investment history, media attention and growth. A short-list of high-potential ISVs will be offered the chance to present at the inaugural Microsoft StartupZone Showcase (to be held on June 4th, Brussels). The event will offer an opportunity to mix with other high-potential CEOs, industry executives and VCs.

As part of the Microsoft - Library House initiative, ISV Empower partners are being allowed the opportunity to explore their investment readiness and receive feedback on their business with free online access to Run the Gauntlet. Entrants completing The Gauntlet receive a personal, confidential Report Card assessing their investment readiness, with an at-a-glance summary of strengths and weaknesses. By clicking on each of the 16 areas, they access in-depth feedback on how and why they have been scored and advice on how to improve their business and the answers they give investors.

Neat.