CAPCO Programs

Virent, a Wisconsin CAPCO Program portfolio company, received $13.4 million from the DOE for research in biomass-to-fuels technologies:

Virent announced it has received its largest single federal award to date, up to $13.4M subject to final contract negotiations with the DOE, to employ its patented catalytic process in the conversion of corn stover to jet fuel. The award is part of $36M that the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) is using to fund projects aimed at improving the economics and efficiency of biological and chemical processes that convert nonfood biomass feedstocks into replacements for petroleum-based feedstocks, products and fuels.
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Senator Jim Alesi is working with Speaker Sheldon Silver to pass legislation in New York that authorizes a CAPCO program:

Republican Sen. Jim Alesi, who has broken ranks with his party to support gay marriage, and done so vocally, is now promoting his work with Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat and someone Republicans in upstate New York have made a habit of characterizing as a villain.

“Senator Alesi teams with Speaker Silver to assist New York businesses,” read the headline on Alesi’s news release: “Senator Jim Alesi (R,C,I – Perinton) and Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver joined forces to pass legislation that will assist businesses in New York State receive capital that is not available from traditional commercial banks through all stages of development – prestart-up, start-up, expansion, or survival.”
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The Capital Times interviewed John Neis on the benefits of CAPCO programs in Wisconsin:

Those who follow Wisconsin’s economic development scene know the state suffers from a lack of investment dollars to help new companies get off the ground.

One figure often cited is that Wisconsin is home to 1.84 percent of the U.S. population and receives 2.15 percent of the nation’s academic research spending but attracts just 0.11 percent of the available venture capital.

For more than 25 years, John Neis has been working to change that. As managing director of Venture Investors, Neis has been involved in many of the state’s high-tech success stories.

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New York may be renewing its CAPCO program for the first time since 2005:

NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., (D-Queens) is pleased to announce that he is a co-sponsor of  legislation (S.5587) introduced in the Senate by Senator James Alesi (R-Rochester) that would amend the state’s tax law to authorize the state to license six certified capital companies to raise $150 million in private venture capital from insurance companies in order to assist New York businesses that require funds not available from traditional commercial banks through all stages of development:  pre-startup, start-up, expansion, or survival.  In exchange for investing in qualified businesses, the insurance companies would get premium tax credits, with such issuance to be delayed four years. While the economic benefits of the program begin almost immediately, the delayed tax credits would have no fiscal impact to New York State until 2015. Read more »

According to a press release posted on Fox Business, Nestle is buying Sweet Leaf:

After three years, Catterton Partners has finally quenched its thirst for iced tea.

The consumer-focused private equity firm is selling Sweet Leaf Tea Co. to Nestle SA’s (NSRGY, NESN.VX) Nestle Waters North America Inc., which had been an investor and partner for over two years.

The Austin-based company had brought its revenue to $53 million in 2010 from under $10 million when Catterton first got involved back in 2008, investing $18 million. Freestone Partners LLC was an earlier backer, investing in Sweet Leaf in 2006 and 2007.
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A venture capital initiative in Wisconsin may be funded by a combination of a CAPCO program and fund of funds program.

In the venture capital arena, Wisconsin has long been a laggard.

Despite some growth in its venture capital pool during the last 25 years, Wisconsin still ranked just 25th among all states in 2010, with $234 million under management, according to the National Venture Capital Association’s Yearbook 2011.

Wisconsin ranks 20th in population, U.S. Census Bureau data shows.

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Gov. Scott Walker is pushing to develop a venture capital fund under a CAPCO Program in Wisconsin:

At the request of Gov. Scott Walker, former state Sen. Ted Kanavas is taking the lead in developing a venture capital fund for Wisconsin.

Saying the creation of such a fund would contribute significantly to Walker’s goal of creating 250,000 jobs, his staff is laying out an aggressive schedule that would have venture dollars being invested in high-potential, entrepreneurial companies by July 1, according to a memo written by Jason Culotta that was obtained by the Journal Sentinel.

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Advantage Capital Partners has selected Ironwood Capital to identify potential companies for investments:

Connecticut has chosen a Missouri-based equity and venture capital firm to manage a $72 million investment pool aimed at growing small businesses.

The new funds come out of a provision in the recently passed jobs bill, which revised the state’s Insurance Reinvestment Tax Credit program to allow money managers to invest in any Connecticut-based business, not only insurance-related ones.

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Companies that took advantage of the Capital Tax Credit Program agree that the Louisiana CAPCO Program should be re-instated:

When business leaders gathered Monday to announce the creation of a venture capital fund to help entrepreneurs at the very earliest stages of business development, they took a small step toward filling a funding gap that has persisted in New Orleans and Louisiana for decades.

‘We’ve gone from being like Estonia to people saying maybe this is the next major hot spot,’ said Matthew Wisdom, who founded the technology company TurboSquid in 2000.

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Through the Texas CAPCO Program, Advantage Capital Partners is providing $3.3 million to Hospice Partners, which will help retain jobs and encourage additional growth:

Advantage Capital Partners, a leading venture capital and small business finance firm, has provided $3.3 million in financing to Hospice Partners of Texas. The funding, raised in connection with the Texas Certified Capital Company (CAPCO) program, will allow the company to expand through the acquisition of Alamo Hospice, maintaining 70 full-time staff and a dozen part-time staff in the San Antonio region. Further growth is expected in the coming months, as Hospice Partners intends to expand Alamo Hospice and create additional jobs.

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