UK 'DEALMAKER' TO TARGET INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS
(12 May 2005)

Financial entrepreneur and investment expert, Alpesh Patel is to help Indian entrepreneurs go global as a 'DealMaker' for UK Trade & Investment's Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP). In his new role, Patel will provide guidance to a growing number of Indian life sciences and technology entrepreneurs interested in setting up their companies in the United Kingdom. Patel is the fifth Dealmaker appointed by the GEP and the first to operate in India.

"I am very pleased to welcome Alpesh Patel to the team," said William Pedder, Chief Executive of Inward Investment for UK Trade & Investment. "Alpesh's experience as an entrepreneur and vast knowledge of British and Indian business communities will make him invaluable to the programme and to the entrepreneurs he will assist."

As a Dealmaker, Patel will assist Indian entrepreneurs by connecting them to a range of resources in the U.K. - notably business, technology and financial networks. He can also help entrepreneurs access U.K. based venture capitalists and other sources of financing, as well as connect clients with strategic partners such as suppliers and distributors, and identify and recruit senior management. Assistance in accessing these resources enables entrepreneurs to more quickly and easily develop a platform from which they can enter the European market.

"I am honoured to have the opportunity to work with the Global Entrepreneurs Programme," said Patel. "Entrepreneurs today must think about their company in terms of starting global, not becoming global. The Programme is a wonderful facilitator for entrepreneurs who possess intellectual property with truly world-wide potential."

Patel has a long record as both an entrepreneur and supporter of entrepreneurship. He has started and built five companies since 1997, including Agile Partners Asset Management, one of the best performing hedge funds in the world in 2004. He is also a founding Board member of TiE-UK, part of a 10,000 member global network of entrepreneurs operating in nine countries, and is on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Reading. Additionally, Patel was a Visiting Fellow in Business & Industry, Corpus Christi College, Oxford University

An expert on Anglo-Indo relations, Patel has advised the U.K. government on strategies for bilateral and multilateral trade growth, and is a board member of the UK-India Roundtable and the Indo-British Partnership. Additionally, he is the UK representative to Beijing to chair sessions on IT and improving EU-Asian trade. Patel has also been a leader in fostering entrepreneurship in both the U.K. and India.

Patel is a regular contributing writer on investing for the Financial Times, is a regular stock markets commentator on BBC World, CNN, CNBC, and formerly hosted a weekly show on Bloomberg TV. In addition to his work as a commentator, Patel has authored 10 books on investing.

The Global Entrepreneurs Programme, operated by UK Trade & Investment, champions new business ideas by bringing together entrepreneurs and those who can best guide them towards success in the U.K. A unique and valuable aspect of the program is the Dealmaker model for mentoring life science- and technology-oriented start-ups. The Dealmakers are experienced, serial entrepreneurs who assist other entrepreneurs from the U.S. and India.

The Global Entrepreneurs Programme was launched in the U.S. and, due to that success, is expanding to India. The four Dealmakers previously appointed to the program have venture capital and entrepreneurial experience in technology and life sciences sectors in both the U.S. and U.K. These four Dealmakers have focused on assisting U.S.-based entrepreneurs in starting companies in the U.K. The GEP is already working with 85 entrepreneurs, 15 of which have successfully developed businesses or opportunities in the U.K. GEP clients include entrepreneurs in the areas of nanotechnology, information and communication technology, pharmaceutical development and diagnostic testing.

About UK Trade & Investment and The Global Entrepreneurs Programme

UK Trade & Investment is the government organisation that provides integrated support services for UK companies engaged in overseas trade and foreign businesses focused on the UK as an inward investment location. For more information visit the web site at www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk

UK Trade & Investment launched the Global Entrepreneurs Programme (GEP) in 2003 as a novel approach to economic development. Rather than focus on attracting foreign direct investments from large corporations, the GEP champions new business ideas by bringing together entrepreneurs and those who can best guide them towards success in the U.K. The Dealmakers act as a liaison between the government and entrepreneurs. For more information visit the GEP website at www.entrepreneurs.gov.uk