Accelerating German Entrepreneurship in the United States

NEW YORK - July 14, 2014 - PRLog -- The German Accelerator (GA), which was launched in Silicon Valley three years ago, is now bringing some  the most promising technology startups from Germany also to New York. With
 support 
from 
Germany’s 
Federal 
Ministry 
of Economic Affairs 
& 
Energy (BMWi), the 
German Accelerator helps
 information  technology 
ventures 
enter 
the 
U.S. 
market 
more 
effectively. On Tuesday, July 15, 2014, join 
a panel
 of 
distinguished 
venture capitalists
 and
 entrepreneurs for a discussion on
 New
 York’s
 rapidly expanding
 startup
 scene
 and 
effective strategies for
 successful
 acceleration. You will 
also 
have the opportunity 
to meet
 the 
first round
 of 
GA/NY
 startups.

The first panel, “Taking a Byte Out of the Big Apple – Accelerating Tech Startups in the Gateway City,” will feature Dirk Kanngiesser, CEO of the German Accelerator, as a speaker. Kanngiesser is a tech entrepreneur with over 20 years of venture capital experience. He has been involved in the founding of many German and international startups and has strong expertise in growth strategy definition and execution as well as global business development in the ITC space.

He will be joined by James Kollegger, CEO of the German Accelerator/New York, who is also CEO of Genesys Partners, Inc., a venture capital/investment banking firm that specializes in early-stage information technology deals. In its 20-plus year history, Genesys has helped launch, fund, and advise dozens of early-stage companies, from Wave Systems (Nasdaq WAVX) to Hollywood Stock Exchange, Courtroom Connect, Enkata, IFN, Folio, Hot Office, Solbright, and Knovel.

Kay Koplovitz, Chairman and Co-founder of the venture catalyst Springboard Enterprises, will also speak. Since its founding in 2000, over 600 female entrepreneurs leading enterprise software, digital media, life science, and other technology-facing companies have participated in Springboard Enterprises’ accelerators.

She will be joined by product designer and investor Borahm Cho, Co-Founder and COO of Kitchensurfing. To date, Kitchensurfing has raised $18.7M from Union Square Ventures, Tiger Global, and prominent angel investors like David Karp, Founder Collective, Chris Dixon, and Joanne Wilson.

Daphne Kis, Managing Director of Golden Seeds, will moderate the first panel discussion. Kis is a leader in global technology, venture, and entrepreneurial circles with nearly 30 years of expertise taking early-stage entrepreneurial ideas through many phases of raising capital, business development, and clarifying and executing on strategy. Her areas of interest and expertise include education technology, digital health, and content media. Kis is committed to supporting women in leadership roles and serves as an equity advisor to several women-led companies.

The event’s second panel, “Meet the Entrepreneurs – The Inaugural Ventures of GA/NY,” will feature presentations by German startups Contigua, Wywy, and Intraworlds.

Oliver Hanisch, COO of the German Accelerator, will moderate this panel. An entrepreneur and startup professional based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hanisch has been building transatlantic bridges and supporting international startup founders in validating product-market fit and tapping U.S. market opportunities for almost ten years. He is also Co-chair for Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital at the German-American Business Association and has consulted large multinationals, including HP, Siemens, and Merck.

Kai Hennig, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in New York, and Dietmar Rieg, President and CEO of the German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., will join James Kollegger and Dirk Kanngiesser in providing the evening’s welcome remarks.

The event will take place on Tuesday, July 15, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., at the German Center for Research and Innovation (871 United Nations Plaza, First Avenue, btw. 48^th & 49^th Streets).

Unable to attend? Follow @gcri_ny (https://twitter.com/gcri_ny) and the hashtag #startups for live tweets.

This event is co-sponsored by the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI), the German American Chambers of Commerce, Inc. (GACC), the German Accelerator (GA), and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in New York.

The German Center for Research and Innovation (http://www.germaninnovation.org/) provides information and support for the realization of cooperative and collaborative projects between North America and Germany. With the goal of enhancing communication on the critical challenges of the 21st century, GCRI hosts a wide range of events from lectures and exhibitions to workshops and science dinners. Opened in February 2010, GCRI was created as a cornerstone of the German government’s initiative to internationalize science and research and is one of five centers worldwide.