November 19 - 21
San Francisco, CA

Apply Now! Astia is currently accepting applications for the 2008 Astia Conference.

Whether you are an investor or an entrepreneur, the Astia Conference is the foremost fund-raising conference for women led companies in the U.S.

• Since 2003, presenting companies have raised over $410 million
• The conferences have averaged a success rate exceeding 60%
• There have been 8 exits for presenting companies

Now in its 7th year, this year's conference will take on a slightly modified name and extended form. No longer just a one-day event, the Astia Conference will become a two and a half day, premier, national conference for exceptional women-led companies.

In addition to showcasing exceptional women-led companies, and in the spirit of Global Entrepreneurship Week, this year’s program will highlight exceptional young entrepreneurs from around the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. Students from local middle schools and high schools have been invited to display their entrepreneurial projects in an exhibition space at the conference location. It is our hope that through this program students will be inspired to create, innovate and move forward with their goals. Through our conference, students will witness success in the making; helping to motivate the future successes of our young participants.

Program Details

Day one will showcase select, early stage companies to angel investors.

Day two will showcase select, venture-ready companies to Venture Capital. Once again this year, all companies will be screened by industry experts and investors as well as participate in the Astia Funding Series that pairs the entrepreneurs with three coaches (1 VC, 1 CEO and 1 other) for an extended program as the entrepreneurs work to raise capital and increase their business acumen.

Evening, day two, will unveil the 2008 Astia Awards Dinner (formerly the Astia Venture Capital Awards, held in the spring in prior years). This year, in addition to the awards for Venture Capital investment in women and the Deloitte Leadership in Mentoring Award, Astia will unveil an Entrepreneur of the Year award, recognizing the exceptional female entrepreneurs for 2008. To help unearth hidden talent, Astia will partner with key national organizations, namely FWE&E, NCWIT and BayBio. Watch for nomination opportunities in the coming months.

Day three will be a morning wrap-up panel showcasing LP conversations and closing networking.

Each day will include an exhibitor showcase of the selected companies to enhance the exposure to the companies for investors.