International Delegation of Venture Associations Pose with HWS Colleges President Mark Gearan and Student Hosts

Earlier this week, Hobart and William Smith (HWS) Colleges in Geneva, New York hosted twelve venture capital associations from around the globe in an inaugural gathering.  Representatives from the NVCA were joined by peers representing the interests of the venture industries in Europe, Africa, Australia, Latin America, India, China and Israel.  The concept of NVCA Chairman Emeritus and Polaris Venture Partners Co- Founder, Terry McGuire, the Congress offered the associations a unique opportunity to discuss the environment for venture investing in our respective regions and to share perspectives on the global venture capital economy.

During the two full days we were together, topics ranged from the evolving exit market for venture backed companies to the status of the AIFM directive in Europe.  While NVCA has kept apprised of the developments in the ecosystems overseas, we had yet to have an opportunity to sit down in person with our counterparts and discuss challenges and opportunities in great detail.  And while we all are addressing increasing difficult political environments in which to invest, at the same time we are all enthusiastic about the economic growth and innovation that venture capital has brought and will continue to bring to our respective regions.  The group plans to operate in committee form over the next year to further several of our shared objectives including the proper positioning of venture capital as a key contributor to global economic growth and fostering market conditions which support the start-up ecosystem.

Our experience was further enhanced by the hospitality of HWS President  Mark Gearan and the college’s outstanding student leaders, the latter who spent considerable time with the delegation discussing both venture capital issues and their future aspirations.

The meeting’s success was evidenced in the unanimous decision to gather each year as a group going forward and we look forward to joining one another next year in Israel.