PRESS ARCHIVE

The Science Center and NextStage Advisors Create Strategic Partnership, Assisting Early-Stage Companies in Securing Funding

PHILADELPHIA, PA – January 9, 2004 – The Science Center and NextStage Advisors have announced the creation of the Capital Markets Program to help entrepreneurs secure venture capital funding. Under the Capital Markets Program, qualified graduate companies from the Science Center’s Business Launch Mentoring Program will be selected by an executive committee to work with NextStage Advisors to prepare these companies to become more attractive investments to venture capitalists.

The Science Center’s Launch Program is a four-month business acceleration program that matches entrepreneurs with leading business executives, who mentor and assist entrepreneurs in assessing their companies and addressing any areas of the business that may require strengthening, such as establishing a solid management team, bringing products to market, or creating an investment presentation. The Launch Program is an important part of the Science Center’s mission to support the commercialization of new technology and life science innovations in order to create new jobs and sources of revenue in the Greater Philadelphia region.

The partnership between the Science Center and NextStage Advisors provides NextStage Advisors with access to companies that have completed the Launch Program. NextStage Advisors utilizes their proven and unique methodologies and experience as VCs to prepare companies to become “investment ready” businesses and management teams. Together, the two organizations will be able to prepare companies for investment presentations of any size.

“The Launch Program has a very successful track record of helping companies develop financial presentations to secure funding. Recently, BioAdvance invested in two of our Launch Program companies, Cira Discoveries and VGX Pharmaceuticals,” stated Jill Felix, president of the Science Center. “We realize that some of our companies want significant venture funding and NextStage Advisors has a very large venture network. Together, the Science Center and NextStage Advisors increase the likelihood that young companies will get the venture funding they need to grow and succeed.”

Last year, NextStage Advisors was spun off of a practice that was launched by T. Williams Consulting, Inc. (TWC) in 2002. The company was co-founded by Terry Williams, Dan McKinney and Rob Adams. The company was born of a direct need for identifying early-stage companies that are mature enough for consideration by venture capital firms.

“We’re very excited to kick off the Capital Markets Program with the Science Center,” stated Terry Williams, president and CEO of TWC and co-founder and managing partner of NextStage Advisors. “The Science Center has done a remarkable job promoting the innovation and growth of technology companies in the region. Together, NextStage Advisors and the Science Center will work to improve their probability of being funded.

About NextStage Advisors
NextStage Advisors is a business advisory firm that helps early- and growth-stage companies increase their probability for funding. Services are offered as part of a three-stage process: Business Model Assessment, Growth Roadmap Development and Investment Preparation. The keys to NextStage’s success are four-fold. First, the NextStage team has experience as both VCs and entrepreneurs, placing more than $300M in venture capital. Second, NextStage provides its clients with real, objective counsel and tools to help them grow. Third, NextStage’s team is backed by a proven methodology that focuses on fundamental business improvements that have meaning to potential investors. Fourth, NextStage is connected. They have a valuable network of professionals that are ready to invest in companies with good products, services and management teams. For more information, please contact Lisa Sarachman at l.sarachman@twilliams.com or 610-489-2626 x106, or visit the NextStage web site at www.nextstageadvisors.com.

About the Science Center
The Science Center (http://www.sciencecenter.org) nurtures entrepreneurial technology companies by providing research space, commercialization services and advisory oversight. Support for the organization comes from top area academic and research institutions including Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and the University of Delaware. The Science Center is a developer of knowledge communities and has helped to launch 350 companies during its 40 years of promoting the fusion of talent, capital and opportunity. For more information on the Science Center and the programs offered, please contact Garrett Allen at Gregory FCA at 610-642-8253 or garrett@gregoryfca.com.