Young companies across Canada are invited to apply to present their case to a roomful of investors.

Organizers of the the ISCM Money Chase 2008: Investment Forum are calling for applications from pre-revenue or early-revenue businesses with high-growth potential to outline their companies’ plans for growth.

Companies being targeted are those in the areas of information and communication technology, environmental technologies, medical technologies and others.

A judging panel made up of investors will select the top 24 applicants. Each of the selected applicants will then be invited to make a 10-minute presentation to a roomful of qualified investors and financial professionals at the full-day event, which will take place in Markham, Ont. on October 23.

Although it is up to the companies to close any potential financing, this experience will provide an excellent opportunity to learn what financing professionals look for and meet potential financing sources, say event organizers.

The event is being organized by the Innovation Synergy Centre in Markham (ISCM), a business advisory centre that specializes in helping small and medium-size companies grow. ISCM’s Investment Network provides a service geared towards grooming early-stage companies for the investment community and helping entrepreneurs find the right investor at the right time. The ISCM Investment Network will help prepare the selected candidates for their October presentations at no charge to the companies.

“The ISCM Investment Forum is original in that it focuses on companies looking for first rounds of financing. Once companies have exhausted the ‘love money’ – money from friends and family – they have a very difficult time finding and securing the next sources of investment, which are often Angel investors,” says Catarina von Maydell, director of the ISCM Investment Network. “Knowing where to find and how to approach seed and early-stage investors is crucial for a company’s growth.”

Angel investors are primarily self-made, high net-worth individuals who typically invest — or co-invest with other Angels — between $50,000 and $500,000. In addition to money, they also bring a wealth of industry expertise, sometimes taking an active role in the companies they support.