Business Strategies International last week confirmed that more than $20 million had been raised by the innovative companies showcased at the BSI Investor Forums over the past three years, with a further $7m in the pipeline.

Executive director Alan Milwidsky said the largest individual investment had been for $5 million in a company called Start Corporation, a provider of mobile commerce technology (bCode).

This investment occurred after the company made a presentation at BSI's March Investor Forum, and 10 months after its investment arm invested $250,000 seed money.

Capital raising for our forum companies take anything from three to twelve months," says Milwidsky.

BSI accesses capital, debt, grants and trade access to medium businesses through to large corporate groups. The 2005 Spring Investor Forum presented to over 100 representatives of venture capital companies and high net worth individuals in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Ivan Kaye, Director of BSI, plans to take the best of these Forum Companies on a roadshow throughout the USA during 2006. A USA presence will dramatically increase the chances of a substantial exit for these companies says Kaye.

Many of the companies that make presentations at the forums are supported by Commercialising Emerging Technologies, a commonwealth government program focusing on innovation and its commercialization, and Victorian Companies are supported by “The Vicstart Programme – where Innovation meets Capital”

Seven companies made presentations at last week's forum in Sydney. Among them was Melbourne-based Synetek Systems, which specialises in the development of on-demand business applications for the global SME market.

Managing director Jason Polites made a pitch to sell a 15 per cent stake in Synetek for $500,000.

Synetek's two main products are LeaseEagle and Everymail. LeaseEagle is a web-based lease management system designed to help retailers better manage and analyse their store portfolio, and is used by coffee franchise Gloria Jean's. E verymail is an outsourced email archive and discovery solution that also incorporates anti-spam and anti-virus, to provide SMEs with email protection, storage and search.

Based on the projected use of these products, Synetek forecast earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of around $7.5 million by the end of 2010, compared to a forecast negative EBITDA of $42,500 at the end of 2006.