Simentra appointed as Gold Sponsor of CAL IT 2002

Simentra to provide a pivotal role in the sponsorship and participation at the annual CAL IT event, to be held in Hilton Metropole Hotel, October 21st/22nd 2002, London, UK

Palo Alto, USA, London, UK and Belfast, N.Ireland 8th August 2002

Simentra Ltd, a company dedicated to providing a cost effective, low risk and fast route to international sales revenues for early stage and venture capital backed high growth technology companies announced today that they would be the Gold Sponsor at the CAL IT 2002 event held in conjunction with the California Technology Trade and Commerce Agency and the European Technology Forum. The annual event is seen as the most prestigious showcase of the elite, developing Californian technology companies interested in expanding to the European market.

Cal-IT is Europe's opportunity to meet the very best of California's new technology start-ups. Organised by the State of California's Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency (CTTCA), Cal-IT introduces the most promising young technology companies to the European market each year. Over the last six years Cal-IT has proved to be an unbeatable event - previous presenters include Clarent, Inktomi, eGain, PacketVideo, Portal Software, LoudCloud and Vicinity.

The event is renowned for presenting the very best new technology companies at the point in their development when investment and partnering can have the most impact Cal-IT is distinguished from other events by its rigorous filtering process. The Technology Advisory Board (TAB), made up of leading European companies, assesses the strength of all applications from California technology start-ups, ensuring that only those with the strongest potential are invited to present at the Forum.

"We are very excited about the participation of Simentra as our Gold Sponsor this year at CAL IT. We have worked closely with Simentra over recent months in their continued efforts to promote Europe as an exciting market for California technology companies to expand. I believe that their interest in promoting sustained business between the regions is an excellent demonstration of the global nature of our event and its importance in profiling the leading technology businesses in California," commented Jeffrey Gersick, Managing Director, CTTCA in London.

The event is a major promotion in the Simentra calendar for 2002 further to the Simentra "Opportunity Europe" seminar series, the most recent event being held in June 2002 at the British Consulates residence in San Francisco, "Our core objective is to provide a process for market entry into Europe for high tech firms that demonstrates a measurable return on investment, an accelerated route to revenue and a concise recommendation of which channel to select to maximize financial returns," commented Gareth White, a founder with Simentra.

"Our partnership with California Technology Trade and Commerce Agency has been a conduit for building and enhancing relationships in both California and Europe and has contributed greatly to the development of our product range to meet the needs of technology companies more concisely when expanding to Europe," White concluded.

The CAL IT event will be held on 21st/22nd October 2002 at the London Hilton Metropole Hotel and is an excellent opportunity to network with the most influential people in the European technology and financial communities and investigate the sharpest new technologies being developed throughout California. Further information can be found at www.cal-it.org.

About California Technology Trade and Commerce Agency.

California House was established in 1999 as a partnership between the University of California and the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency to promote relations between California and Western Europe.

California House holds regular briefings, conferences and receptions in addition to its outreach activities.
The University of California activities are focused on facilitating research alliances with academic, industrial and government R&D centres in Europe, on the Education Abroad Programme, and on facilitating alumni relations.

The California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency International Trade and Investment Office in London seeks to attract and facilitate new business investment from Europe to California as well as assist California companies to enter or expand their presence in the European market.

About Simentra Ltd

Simentra Ltd is an International Risk Assessment company dedicated to providing intelligent and cost effective solutions to government, private corporations and the emergency services sector. The company Charter Series offers a range of assessment, fusion and training products and services to mitigate the risks associated with modern society and business practice and prepare for associated response protocols. Simentra is a subsidiary of AssetCo PLc in the UK www.assetco.com . Simentra has offices in Belfast (Northern Ireland), London (UK), and Houston (USA).

For more information, please visit http://www.simentra.com/