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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 A P R I L 1 , 2 0 1 9 F O C U S B A N K I N G / F I N A N C E at's where venture capital and angel investors might come in, says Burns. But the risks are still there. "Angel investors and/or seed stage venture funds like ours want to know the company can ultimately pen- etrate into the commercial market to the degree that they start to gener- ate revenue and build enterprise value," Burns says. "ey might have a monthly burn rate for many months or many years. ere's a ton of risks. And most companies don't make it. As the manager of a venture fund, I might look favorably on a company that's been through Top Gun or other quality accelerators or incubators, because at least I know they've had some guidance." Instilling confidence e goal is to "de-risk" companies, Maine Center for Entrepreneurs Executive Director Tom Rainey says of the orga- nization's Top Gun and Cultivator pro- grams. "We try to help these companies avoid errors that lead to their going out of business," Rainey says. "A lot of it is about getting them educated on their options and what it will take for them to secure funding at different levels." When do entrepreneurs become bankable? "In my experience, it's about showing you have a team in place that's experienced and instills confidence in the funding source, whether it's an invest- ment group or a bank," says Rainey. C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 0 » P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY A lot of it is about getting [entrepreneurs] educated on their options ... — Tom Rainey Maine Center for Entrepreneurs High-tech manufacturing demands more than a typical building. We built Enercon's home in Gray to stand as a reflection of its industry stature —a technology leader. At Sheridan, this is how we build on our promise. W W W . S H E R I D A N C O R P . C O M ENERCON TECHNOLOGIES Gray, Maine A signature facility for a technology leader.

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