Irvine to Host Tech Investment Conference

Founders of emerging technology and life sciences companies turn to a variety of sources to raise capital--borrowing from family and friends, taking out second mortgages, or finding a venture capitalist or individual investor willing to foot the bill.

But there’s another, often-overlooked means of funding entrepreneurial ventures. Big concerns such as Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel Corp. and Lucent Technologies are continually on the prowl for partnerships with smaller companies. They seek alliances with young businesses as a way to secure promising new technologies and processes, and thus increase their own markets.

These and other major corporations will discuss their investment strategies Feb. 19 at the Tech Coast Corporate Investment Conference at the Hyatt Regency Irvine.

The deals with these large concerns can range from a no-equity licensing agreement to a complete buyout, said conference chairman Wally Eater, managing director of the Eater Marketing Group in Mission Viejo. “There’s a substantial pool of capital that’s available,” he said. “It’s an alternative source of funding” that small businesses should consider in their quest for growth.

The keynote speakers at the event will be Bill Viqueira, Lucent’s vice president of corporate development, and Paul Cleveland, managing director at the investment firm Hambrecht & Quist.

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Patrice Apodaca covers economic issues for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5979 and at patrice.apodaca@latimes.com