At the Asian Venture Forum hope springs eternal. Some 300 delegates attended the first day to hear what the leading lights of the Asian venture capital (VC) world thought of the present and future. Worries about the present state of the market were mixed with hopes for the future. The bruises of the recent past were all too obvious for everyone. But, as ever, when groups of investors get together and talk about Asia, the big picture is rosy but the devil lies in the details.