| Topic Name: |
ABS Capital |
| Message Name: |
'bama VCs |
| Date Posted: |
05/02/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
I just relocated to Alabama as the corp treasurer for a tech/fiber optics firm. Firm not doing well and I have taken a leave to pursue other opportunities. I would like to jump over to the VC side and also stay in Alabama. We came from Tampa and love the quality of life as well as low cost of living here in North Alabama. Any inside scoop would be helpful. I have over 20 yrs. securities experience with concentration in tax free municipal bonds. |
| Message: |
your best bet will be to contact hard technology firms in the area (i.e., boeing) and inquire about their investment activities. most large technology companies have some sort of in-house VC fund, usually connected to their R&D programs. i work in venture capital and i'm originally from alabama. i now live in new york largely because there's very little demand for what I do in that region. until statewide tort reform in '99, it was extremely risky to do business in alabama, and there hasn't exactly been an influx of new ventures since. it's just not a good region for technology deals [especially early stage]. there's no significant university base to drive R&D in hard technology and the work force, although cheaper, is less skilled than in other parts of the country. it's also logistically more difficult to do the kinds of partnership deals that are necessary to get new companies up and running because there are no major metropolitan areas/transportation hubs. -- so try the tech companies, but if you really want to do VC, you're in the wrong part of the country. geography does make a difference.
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