Innova fund explains TrakLok investment

Innova Memphis' Jan Bouten, a key man in TNInvestco-capitalized Innova Fund II, found himself all-but promising Memphians that -- even though the new fund's first investment was in Knoxville-based TrakLok -- the pipeline if full of Memphis-area firms and some are likely to be winners, soon. Bouten told the Memphis Daily News the fund has received hundreds of inquiries regarding investment since the TNInvestco winners were announced in November. Bouten told the MDN he'd been following TrakLok since 2008 (probably, VNC thinks, after having been introduced to the firm through the TTDC innovation conference that year).

Private-company exchanges get scrutiny

VCs looking for greater liquidity for portfolio companies might want to take a closer look at the new private-company exchanges. Nashville comments from Jan Bouten, Rob Ivy, John Chadwick, Jim Phillips. The story's here.

TNInvestco: VC joins Innova team

Jan Bouten, who, as reported by VNC, joined the Memphis Bioworks Foundation TECWorks management team earlier this year, is now a member of Innova Memphis' new TNInvestco investment team, within Innova Fund II. Innova is a subsidiary of Bioworks. Innova also told Memphis Daily News it has for some time been courting insurance companies for participation in TNInvestco. Innova is the only funded TNInvestco applicant that is also a member of the TNInvestco Consortium, which was created to seek insurecos' participation.

VC hired to lead TECworks, with TTDC grant

Tennessee Technology Development Corp. has given a grant to Memphis Bioworks Foundation to create a bio-entrepreneurship and tech commercialization headed by a former Aurora Funds VC, Jan Bouten, at left. Our story's here.