On September 27th and 28th, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and state economic development officials will gather in Columbus, Ohio to hear presentations from startup companies and learn about recent developments within Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The event is presented by the Ohio Capital Fund and the Ohio Department of Development and is free to attend provided registration is made by September 22nd.
By way of a little background, the Ohio Capital Fund is a statutorily created “fund of funds” governed by the Ohio Venture Capital Authority and currently managed by Buckeye Venture Partners, LLC. Buckeye Venture Partners is a joint venture between Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc. (“Fort Washington”), a Cincinnati-based registered investment advisor and private equity manager, and Peppertree Partners, LLC, a Cleveland-based registered investment advisor and private equity manager owned by Fort Washington. The fund of funds invests in venture capital funds that are committed to investing in Ohio companies, currently a total of 22. According to this article in the Columbus Dispatch, “those 22 funds have invested more than $250 million in 45 companies that, together, now employ more than 1,600 people in the state.”
I have attended this event in the past and plan to attend again this year. It is probably the largest gathering of financiers and entrepreneurs in Ohio, and is great opportunity for networking and to learn about the industry.
For more information, visit the Ohio Capital Funds website here.