August 4, 2006 — The Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA) and Thomson Financial (TF) have entered a formal partnership to collect annual data on venture capital and private equity (VC/PE) investments and fundraising in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

“The lack of consisent, reliable and comprehensive data for venture capital and private equity in the region has impeded the industry’s ability to successfully tell its story to investors and the media,” said LAVCA Research Director Ramona DeNies. “In partnership with Thomson, LAVCA hopes to bridge this knowledge gap for sustained industry growth.”

Through this project, data on fundraising, investments, deals and sectors of focus specific to Latin America and the Caribbean will be collected on a regular basis. The LAVCA/Thomson survey is coordinated with a complementary survey project of the Brazilian industry association, the Associação Brasileira de Venture Capital and Private Equity (ABVCAP). The two data-sets together will comprehensively represent the regional industry.

“Thomson Financial is the leading information solutions provider for the venture capital and private equity industry worldwide,” said Thomson Financial’s Lori Ann Silva. “We work in partnership with key institutions such as the National Venture Capital Association, the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, the African Venture Capital Association, and ABVCAP in Brazil to collect the information crucial to making informed investment decisions.”

According to Ms. DeNies, previous VC/PE data collection efforts for the LAC region were negatively impacted by insufficient openness and transparency within the industry.

“The value of this project, which unquestionably exists for everyone active in our industry, is contingent upon the willingness of fund managers to contribute to the survey process,” said Ms. DeNies. “We believe that the increasingly professional fund managers in the region today are both open and hungry enough for quality data to make this project a success by participating.”

Ms. DeNies said that by partnering with LAVCA and its broad network of international and local fund managers, Thomson’s survey will have the broadest reach to date and, she hoped, the most accurate. Only fund managers currently active in the region have been invited to take part in the LAVCA/Thomson project.

Surveys were distributed on August 3rd. The compiled data will be available to subscribers of Thomson’s VentureXpert. By special arrangement, survey respondents receive a 20% discount off a 1-year VentureXpert subscription.

Ms. DeNies indicated that LAVCA will also produce a year-end 2006 Report based on the survey’s findings.

For more information or to request a survey, please contact:

Ramona DeNies
Research Director
Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA)
1 (503) 239-7449 Pacific Lori Ann Silva
Thomson Economics
1 (646) 822-6670 Eastern