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Datatic
Technologies: There are approximately 94.8 million head of
cattle in the United States representing over $180 billion of direct and
indirect economic activity. Animal disease, whether by natural causes or
deliberate methods, poses a significant threat to the United States, both
from an economic and security perspective. DataTic
Technologies has developed software to provide a disease identification,
prediction, and alerting system for the individual farmer, producer, packer,
retailer, and the various county, state, and federal agencies. The company,
based in Palo Alta, CA, recently opened offices in North Dakota to begin
implementing its computer disease prediction system for cattle through the
use of internal RFID biometric sensors.
www.datatic.com
Pedigree Technologies is a wireless sensing solutions company
that provides real time condition monitoring systems for the agribusiness &
food processing industry. Pedigree’s systems allow for automated asset
visibility through the combination of innovative Wireless Sensing & RFID
technologies, Web Services, and a commitment to end user satisfaction.
Pedigree innovations allow agribusiness companies to better address
problems with food security & quality as well as provide machine asset
management (M2M) solutions for their businesses.
www.pedigreetechnologies.com
North Point Capital
is new to Minnesota and is the first "Search Fund" known to
be operating in Minnesota. Marshall Johnson will explain the
principles of a Search Fund and how this financing vehicle can be used for
any sort of emerging company and creative entrepreneur. For more
information on Search Funds, visit
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/ces/resources/search_funds.html.
A search fund is a successful
investment vehicle in which investors financially support an entrepreneur’s
efforts to locate and acquire a privately held company.
The search is financed by an initial round of
funding from seasoned investors that have the opportunity to invest in the
second round of funding and serve on the Board of Directors. Upon the
completion of the acquisition, the founders of the search fund assume an
operating role in the company with the goal of ultimately providing a
liquidity event to investors either through sale of the company, Initial
Public Offering or recapitalization. In a recent study conducted by the
Stanford School of Business, the return on search funds was 35%. Marshall
Johnson is the founder of North Point Capital. Before founding North Point
Capital, Marshall was the Vice President of Operations and Vice President of
Sales at Weathernews, Inc., the world’s largest full service weather
company. The San Francisco based firm serves companies by mitigating risk
based on the weather. In addition, Marshall was on the executive team at
Weathernews and is currently on the Board of Directors for Weathernews
Oklahoma, Inc. Prior to Weathernews, Marshall held senior management
positions at Amoco Oil, Dell Computer and startups in the telecom and
semiconductor industries. He received his MBA from Duke University’s
Fuqua School of Business and his BA from Bucknell University graduating Cum
Laude. North Point Capital has been created to acquire and manage an
undervalued business to create long term growth through a proven investment
vehicle known as a search fund. Marshall Johnson, the Managing Partner,
will lead the search to acquire a company valued between $10-$35 million.
North Point Capital’s objective is to realize compounded annual returns of
30-40% for investors while minimizing risk. |
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by Matt Noah
