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BIO Mid-America VentureForum coming to Cleveland, September 25-27

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Omeris will host the BIO Mid-America VentureForum in Cleveland at the InterContinental Hotel, Sept. 25-27.

The fourth annual BIO Mid-America VentureForum is the largest Midwest bioscience investor and partnering forum, bringing together privately held bioscience companies, venture capitalists, academic institutions, government groups and executives from the pharmaceutical, chemical and agribusiness industries. Biotech and medical device companies—predominantly from the Midwest—seeking seed to late-stage funding will present business plans to venture capitalists and potential partners from across the nation.

Each year, the BIO Mid-America VentureForum brings the Midwest’s growing bioscience industry to the attention of a national investor and industry audience.

"The Mid-America VentureForum is an increasingly important event for showcasing the outstanding emerging companies rising out of the investment-underserved Midwest,” commented Omeris President and CEO Tony Dennis. “This year's meeting again will showcase companies that are globally competitive, and we are pleased that Ohio, one of the country's fastest growing bioscience regions, was chosen to host the event.”

According to the Midwest Health Care Venture Investment Report released by BioEnterprise, an Omeris affiliate, Midwest health care startups reported $550 million in investments in 2005. Based on reported financings, Minnesota, Ohio and Missouri are top-ranked in the Midwest, with respective totals of $151 million, $86 million, and $80 million invested.

“The Midwest has a high concentration of innovative life sciences companies, especially in the medical device field,” said BIO’s Manager of Business Development Candace Eastman, “and the BIO Mid-America VentureForum is the single largest event bringing together dozens of the best companies from this region. The presence of established medical and research institutions and a robust biotech and medical device industry make Ohio well suited to adequately support this event.”

In addition to company presentations, the conference includes plenary sessions and workshops covering current issues in the bioscience and financial communities. BIO Mid-America also provides ample opportunities for networking and relationship building.

The BIO Mid-America VentureForum is sponsored by BIO, Omeris, and eight other state biotech associations: the Colorado BioScience Association, the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Indiana Health Industry Forum, the Iowa Biotechnology Association, MichBio, Medical Alley/MNBIO, the Missouri Biotechnology Association, and the Wisconsin Biotechnology Association.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. For more information on BIO, visit www.bio.org.

Omeris is a non-profit organization supported by the Thomas Edison Program of the Ohio Department of Development. Its mission is to accelerate bioscience discovery, innovation and commercialization of global value, driving economic growth, and improving quality of life in Ohio. Omeris is headquartered in Columbus, with regional business development affiliates in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Athens.

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