Invitation to Seed Forum Fundraising Education and Pitch Training seminar
Seed Forum is a global market place for “growth companies” looking for financing and for financial investors
looking for new business ideas and investment opportunities. Seed Forum’s activities include Seed Forum
Fundraising Education Process and Match-Making Process with Investors. Fundraising Education Process is
organized in several levels – local, national and global. The main objective of Seed Forum is to facilitate
obtaining initial (“seed”) financing or next stage - venture capital for “growth companies” without any regional
or national borders. Seed Forum is currently running Investor Matchmaking Forums in more than 25 countries
Worldwide.
The Seed Forum Process includes 4 activities: nomination of suitable companies for SF Education Process,
fundraising education and pitch training, selection of companies for presentation at investor forums and
matchmaking forums for companies and investors.
Companies looking for financing are invited to apply for Seed Forum Process!
The only requirement for the company is to fill in and submit to Seed Forum Latvia Foundation the Standard
Business Summary in English (http://seedforum.org/register/company ). September 19th, 2014 all nominated
companies will be invited to an one-day Fundraising Education and Pitch Training seminar in Tallinn which
includes an intensive theoretical lecturing as well as individual coaching and drilling in public business concept
presentation techniques. Lectures and individual training program are conducted by very experienced Seed
Forum lecturers, coaches and expert professionals in English language. Theoretical lectures cover issues like:
-
What are the benefits (and risks) of private financial investing and Venture Capital fundraising?
How to find private financial investors and to present them your business project?
What are the investors looking for in target companies and what are the major corporate Value
drivers?
How to plan and build the corporate financial development strategy?
What the investment process consists of (the phases and documentation)?
What should you be aware of when meeting/negotiating with potential financial investors?
How to avoid selling company under-priced?
and numerous other important fundraising process concepts.
Fee for participation at the seminar in Tallinn September 19th, 2014 is EUR 100,-. Seminar is organised By Seed
Forum International Foundation in close co-operation with Estonian partner organizations. All companies &
presenters participating in the Seminar will be evaluated and out-selected to present in the Seed Forum
Investor Forums. Seed Forum Tallinn investor conference will take place October 3th, 2014. Venue will be
announced in September.
Seminar participant target group:
Innovative startups, actively looking for initial funding as well as well established conventional companies in
need for extra financing are invited. Growing, export-oriented companies seeking expansion into new markets
use Seed Forum International Investor forums for finding partners and entering new markets and partnerships.
For more detailed information contact:
Edgar Pravon,
+372 55 82798
edgar@seedforum.org
www.seedforum.org/estonia
Presenters and Couches at Fundraising Education and Pitch Training seminar
Steinar N.Korsmo – is the CEO and founder of Seed Forum International Foundation. Steinar
Korsmo is actively developing organization as well as still personally conducting many of the
Seed Forum Education Process activities as well as moderating Seed Forum investor
conferences.
Steinar N.Korsmo has been leading Campus Kjeller business incubator in Norway in 2001 from
where Seed Forum originates. Steinar N.Korsmo has since grown The Seed Forum concept
from a local process in Norway to a global concept, and it is currently a global process including Education
process and Investor Match-making conferences for investor ready companies from all over the World. In cooperation with numerous Norwegian and International organizations, private companies and National
Governments emphasizing the need of a strong financial market place Seed Forum Process is currently a main
tool and a model for regional development and the establishment of regional and national innovation systems
in many other countries. Seed Forum is after 12 years of existence annually bringing a great amount of
investor ready born global companies to pitch to investors in more than 30 countries locally, nationally and
overseas. The process has created a tremendous activity and tremendous amount of investor leads for
companies and investors.
Steinar N.Korsmo is a Norwegian and lives in Oslo. He has been an active member of Norwegian Liberal party
as well as private investor in companies in Norway and Russia. Steinar N.Korsmo is an expressive and well
recognized business lecturer and couch in Norway with probably one of the most extensive business couching
experience Worldwide annually conduction business lecturing and couching in more than 20 countries.
Gints Vins – is Vice President of Seed Forum International and one of the Seed Forum
international couches, responsible for Seed Forum activities in Central Eastern Europe.
Gints Vins has an extensive personal business career – from being serial entrepreneur,
starting out several of his own companies, developing them, raising financing, selling, till
leading one of the largest corporate investment funds in the Baltic region as well as sitting
on the boards of large international financial institutions. During early 90-ies Gints Vins has
been involved in private media market – initiated and participated in establishment of several major Latvian
media outlets, including Latvian daily newspaper “Diena”, news agency “Baltic News Service” and English
language newspaper “The Baltic Observer”. Co-founder of Baltic News Service A/S, currently the biggest Baltic
wire service belonging to Finnish Alma Media Group. From 1997 Gints was General Manager and Director for
the largest Baltic investment house and Fund Management company Hansa Investments Ltd. responsible for
all Hansa Investments Latvian operations. For five years Gints Vins has also been representing Norwegian
Government business development agency – Norwegian Trade Council in Latvia. Since 2001 Gints Vins works
for his own investment company and is actively involved in M&A business as well as fundraising for his own
companies and his clients.
Gints Vins has received business education from 2 universities in St.Petersburg, Russia as well as Heriot-Watt
University in Edinburgh, UK. Gints Vins has been guest lecturer for Entrepreneurship in SSE Riga Business
School, Latvian State University and Riga Technical University MBA Programme, he is one of the most
expressive Seed Forum business couch with an extensive international business couching experience.
Dr. Eythor Johansson – is Chairman for Seed Forum Academy. Eythor Johansson is a
Professor of Entrepreneurship and lecturer in University of Copenhagen and an author of
most of the Seed Forum Education Process lecture courses.
Eythor Johansson was the first Seed Forum Partner outside Norway and started Seed Forum
Iceland Foundation back in 2003. Eythor Johansson established Seed Forum Iceland in-to
the main Entrepreneurship promotion and Fundraising national event in Iceland. Seed
Forum Iceland maintains a stunning 60% funding success rate for Icelandic companies
selected to present at Seed Forum Reykjavik investor conferences. In autumn 2013 Seed Forum investor
conference in Reykjavik was opened by by the Minister for Trade and Industry of Iceland, Ms. Ragnheidur Elin
Arnadottir and attended by the acting President of Iceland Dr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.
Fundraising Education and Pitch training Seminar
ITINERARY
08.30-09.00
09:00-10:00
10.00-10.30
10.30-10.45
10.45-11.00
11.00-12.30
12.30-13.30
13.30-15.00
15.00-15.30
15.30-16.00
16.00-16.15
16.15-17.00
17.00-17.15
17.15-18.15
18.15-19.00
Arrival / Registration
Innovative Entrepreneurship and Fundraising Basic concepts
Introduction to Investor Mind-set and Value Drivers
General information about the Seed Forum Process
Plenary presentation round – all participants
Practical run-through of comp presentations, Investment Process Concepts
Lunch, corrections in pp-slides
Practical run-through of comp presentations, Investment Process Concepts
Documents in the Investment Process and preparation for Due Diligence
Negotiation techniques with investors, value drivers and exit strategies
How to protect your competitive edge
The art of networking
Coffee break
Investor Readiness workshop - companies working in groups
Drilling of Power Pitch, summing up and conclusions on progression for
further development of the pitch
For the Seminar Entrepreneurs are asked to prepare Draft Presentation of their company/business
project on pp (not on .pdf!) slides in English language and personally present it during 7 minutes
Pitch (apprx. 10-14 slides – see Seed Forum guideline here )
Entrepreneurs are expected to bring their own laptop computers and throughout the seminar
actively work on development and improvement of their investor presentation.
Companies are expected to be presented by their owners, CEO’s or General Managers. In case if they
are not fluent in English, company might be presented by another Presenter but the main decisionmakers of the company are required (!) to be present.
Participation Fee of EUR 100,- per company is to be paid before the seminar!
Through-out the Seminar participating companies are evaluated for their preparedness and
progress, their English language and presentation skills as well as business concept application for
Seed Forum investor conferences. After seminar based on the Process Manager recommendations,
Seed Forum Selection Pannell invites ~50% of the seminar participants to present their company
pitch at the national Seed Forum Investor conference as well as upon invitation – in any of the 20+
other Seed Forum conference destinations around the World.
About 20% of all of the Seed Forum presenters get funded!
Be sharp, show your drive! 
Seed Forum Estonian Foundation
Seed Forum International Foundation