Despite Downturn, Financing Exists for Small Companies

WITH all the grim earnings news from corporations and banks lately, not to mention the continuing credit squeeze and widespread talk of recession, it would seem that most small companies, too, would be having a hard time finding financing.

But that was not the case at a recent conference in Southern California, where 1,000 investment professionals came from all parts of the United States to hear and talk to 330 aspiring companies — 50 of them from China. Many of the companies sought by investors were developing environmental, clean energy, cellphone, water treatment and biomedical technologies.

By JAMES FLANIGAN

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/business/smallbusiness/17edge.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin