San Diego Angel Conference Cuts Field in Half

With just over a month until the San Diego Angel Conference main event, participating investors cut the field to 12 semifinalists after meeting individually with companies and hearing 3-minute pitches.

Over 100 companies first submitted profiles in December that provided investors an inside look at their firms. After reviewing each application and first narrowing the field to 26 quarterfinalists, fund participants once again voted on which companies will move to the next round. These top companies will now give 10-minute pitches to the conference investors for a chance to present at the main event and earn a $200,000 investment.

The 12 semifinalists are as follows:

Advice Analytics - Jerry Yen

Agtools - Martha Montoya

Basilard BioTech - Brynley Lee

Biglio - Patrick Hadley

GroGuru - Patrick Henry

Instream Water - Patrick Mahncke

LIFEVOXEL.AI - Kovey Kovalan

Noria Water Technologies - Sivan Cohen

NVISNx - Glen Day

SmartProperty - Damian Esparza

The Good Face Project - Iva Teixeira

Visicell Medical - Mya Thu

Semifinalists will also have the strength of their investment presentations evaluated by the LaunchPadTM process using outside subject matter experts. The results of the evaluations will help the angel investors select the conference finalists.

“The 12 semifinalists truly represent the diversity of San Diego’s industries, from biotech and software to fintech and agtech,” said Benton Moore, SD Angel Conference Fund Manager. “Selecting the six finalists will be a challenge for the investors. It is this intensity that accelerates investors while funding innovative startups.”

The San Diego Angel Conference fund is comprised of accredited investors using the process to either learn more about angel investing or grow their portfolio at a cost of $6,000 for their first unit. It remains open to new investors after setting a new stretch goal to raise one million dollars and fund multiple companies.

“We are excited to have such a good variety of technology and life science deals that are investment worthy,” said Mysty Rusk, conference founder. “In only it’s second year, the San Diego Angel Conference is exceeding our expectations, pushing the ecosystem forward, and activating new angel investors. As the fund now races towards a million dollar stretch goal, we are excited that this year's fund will likely be able to invest in multiple companies. This provides a great way for novice investors to create a small portfolio."

The investors will continue to meet each week to discuss the companies and identify those that they believe have the highest potential.

Investors will soon select six finalists that will participate in due diligence and be invited to pitch at the main event on March 28, 2020. One company will secure an investment of $200,000 on that stage. The San Diego Angel Conference is open to the public and tickets are on sale now with special early bird pricing available at thesdangels.com/attend until February 28 for those interested in watching the finalists pitch.

About the San Diego Angel Conference

The San Diego Angel Conference aims to elevate the San Diego innovation ecosystem by connecting angel investors and fundable entrepreneurs. It was inspired by two misconceptions in the region. First, angels say there are not enough good deals in San Diego. Secondly, entrepreneurs say there aren’t enough investors writing checks. The conference is working to improve both of these issues, not just through the conference event itself, but through a series of workshops leading up to the main event. Those workshops focus on educating and mentoring both the entrepreneurs and angels. The San Diego Angel Conference and workshop series is open to the public for any member of the community interested in learning more about starting a company or investing in a new business. For more info, visit www.thesdangels.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

San Diego Angel Conference Contact: Mysty Rusk, mrusk@sandiego.edu, 619.260.4657

SD Angel Conference Investor Contact: Benton Moore, bentonmoore@icloud.com, 619.347.2107