Press Release # 4

Partnership





 
       

 

Geneva, July 26, 2000

Nascendo Appointed Founding Member of the European Incubator Association for CH

Nascendo is pleased to announce that it has been named as the Swiss Founding Member for the Business Incubator Association in Europe (BIA).

BIA's mission is to help foster a new entrepreneurial culture and spirit throughout Europe. Five European incubators got together in December 1999 to discuss the need for an association that could grow and transform the entrepreneurial environment in Europe. Now formed as BIA, it will aim to develop and establish the business incubation concept in Europe, to ensure that start-up operations have access to professional, full-service, quality incubators.

BIA will also endeavour to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of incubation in the new economy amongst opinion formers and other influential audiences. BIA Europe is a Foundation registered in Malta.

There are 9 BIA Founding Members:

  • @viso (BIA Founding Member for France)
  • New Media Spark (BIA Founding Member for the United Kingdom)
  • CirLab (BIA Founding Member for Italy)
  • GorillaPark (BIA Founding Member for Holland)
  • iWorld Group (BIA Founding Member for Malta)
  • MSC (BIA Founding Member for Germany)
  • Nascent (BIA Founding Member for Switzerland)
  • Sail Trust (BIA Founding Member for Belgium)
  • StartupFactory (BIA Founding Member for Sweden)

Each Founding Member was doing very well in its own right, but recognized that there was room for a pan-European, independent association to guide and support individual incubators. They saw the need for a forum where incubators could express themselves and share their practices. They envisaged a vehicle that would increase awareness of the incubator concept amongst entrepreneurs, investors, media and opinion formers.

The difference between a Founding Member and a regular member, is that BIA Europe appoints one Founding Member from every European country. They are identified as outstanding incubators, and, as a Founding Member, they agree to give extra support to the association in the few months before and after the launch. They benefit by being acknowledged and named as a Founding Member in all communication regarding the launch.

Another group of six companies from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, and Spain are being considered as BIA Founding Members. BIA Europe has focused on bringing this strong pan-European group of BIA Founding Members together. With 9 Founding Members now on board and another 6 in the pipeline, BIA will begin to concentrate on other objectives. To become a regular f the association the incubator must meet the following criteria:

  • Provide seed funding/early stage investment
  • Assist in the development of business plans and provide advice on strategy
  • Supply office facilities and technical infrastructure
  • Offer operational and management support
  • Assist in brand development, marketing & PR
  • Have in-house recruitment and HR services
  • Give easy access to web design agencies
  • Make a strong technology team available
  • Provide financial, legal and tax planning
  • Assist with further fund raising
  • Help structure and plan for IPOs, mergers or acquisitions
  • Focus on new economy ventures

BIA Europe is in communication with companies in several countries who are waiting to join as regular members. A special situation has occurred with a group of companies in the UK who had joined in a parallel association called the incubator Alliance. Led by Tim Hammond of Ideashub, this group will now join BIA Europe as regular members.

As an incubator for top-flight entrepreneurs in the IT world, Nascent secures funding for and advises and invests in European Internet start-ups. Nascent is managed by directors who are closely connected to the financial world and who have an in depth knowledge of the Internet.

 

For further information, contact:

Marin le Corre or Georges Berberat
Nascendo
69, Rue de Lausanne
1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Tel.: (+41-22) 908 55 65
Fax: (+41-22) 908 55 69
e-mail: info@nascendo.com