Since 2003, TCA has been an innovator in Angel Investing by deploying a series of sidecar funds that invest alongside individual members. The first incarnation was called Seraphim Fund, and that was followed by ACE Fund 1, ACE Fund 2 and ACE Fund 3.
The current structure is through annual funds associated with each of TCA’s three largest chapters:
- TCA-SD’s ACE Annual Funds are annual funds making investments of $250K, $300K and $500K. The first 3 ACE Annual Funds (ACE 19 – ACE 21) have grown from 112 – 210 members and $2.2M to $4.7M between ACE 19 and ACE 21. More info is available at www.tcasandiego.com
- TCA-OC’s inaugural annual fund (TCA OC Fund 20) provided seed capital to 19 promising early-stage companies in a myriad of industries. TCA OC is now actively searching for disruptive early-stage companies for TCA OC Fund 21. Fund 21 is now active, in search mode, seeking to provide startup capital and mentorship to deserving entrepreneurs. Like the first fund, TCA OC Fund 21 will typically invest between $100K to $250K, with members often investing individually alongside the Fund.
- TCA LA’s Annual Funds are annual funds making $100k minimum investments up to $200k. The first TCA LA Fund I had $1.2M from 55 members while TCA LA Fund II has exceeded $1.2M and remains open for new TCA members through Q1 2021. More info is available at www.techcoastangels.la
Tech Coast Angels (TCA) created the Angel Capital Entrepreneur Funds I, 2, and 3 (ACE FUND) as an investment opportunity to both accredited individuals and institutional investors. The ACE FUND provided investors with the opportunity to participate in a diverse pool of dynamic early stage companies selected utilizing the vast expertise and experience of the TCA and its membership. The ACE FUND focused on companies with early exit potential providing investors with early liquidity. One of the most important benefits for members of the ACE FUND was access to deals closed to angel networks such as TCA because they may have been oversubscribed, or are from geographic areas not visible to TCA or its partners. ACE Funds I,II, and III are closed to new investments. View the ACE Fund III PPT presentation by Dave Berkus HERE.
ACE Fund Allocations
Pasturebird, Inc.
We're building a better future for poultry production. Pasturebird is the largest pasture-raised poultry producer in the nation, with the scalable IP, brand, and know-how to replace factory farming with a system that is good for the land, the animal, and the consumer. The future of livestock isn't sustainable - it's regenerative.
Perfectna
Perfecta's mission is to empower brokers, traders and investors around the world to realize their full potential. With echo-trading, traders are able to duplicate trades made by an echo-leader. Echo-Trading takes all the complexities inherent with traditional currency trading out of the equation; making it fun, easy and addictive for all users.
ScanlanKemperBard – Sold in 2007 (1.2x multiple)
ScanlanKemperBard is a privately held real estate merchant bank based in Portland, Oregon. We acquire, manage and transform commercial properties into profitable, risk-adjusted returns for select high-net-worth individuals, family offices, trusts, and institutional investors. Since our founding over two decades ago, we have originated more than $3.82 billion in total portfolio activity. This investment was in the Riverside Condo Development Project. Specifically, the partnership is acquiring two-story garden-style apartment properties in and around western Riverside and San Bernadino counties. The plan is to acquire the assets, improve their performance and, in approximately three-to-five years, sell the portfolio to an institutional investor probably offshore.
SeniorQuote
SeniorQuote Insurance Services was founded over 10 years ago by Bill Haynor, a pioneer in offering affordable life and health insurance solutions to the “Baby Boomer” generation. “The desire to protect seniors like me from the uncertainties of life,” Bill explains simply. “That was my reason for starting SeniorQuote.” Bill personally understands the importance of having good health coverage at an affordable price. Not long ago, Bill experienced a series of health issues that forced him to rely on his personal Medicare Supplement Insurance. With a heart surgery, emergency appendicitis, open heart surgery and a knee surgery all in a two year period, Bill quickly exceeded his Medicare coverage, with bills totaling well over $400,000. Click for a look at Bill’s medical bill. “It was unbelievable!” Bill laughs. “I have been so healthy for my whole life, but in that short period of time I was hit from every direction, and I would have had to pay almost half a million dollars in medical bills, if I didn’t have Medicare and my Medicare Supplement Insurance plan. Instead, I paid nearly nothing. More than ever before, I see the value we provide to our customers at SeniorQuote.” In the early 1970s, Bill worked with the Waddell and Reed life insurance model which promoted low cost term life insurance in place of higher cost whole life insurance with the proposition that the difference in premium (premium savings) should be invested in mutual funds for retirement. In the 1980s, Bill was a founder of SelectQuote Insurance Services, one of [...]
Stage One Capital – Returned 97% of investment in 2000
Stage One Capital is an early stage and seed investment group, focused on investments in internet, mobile apps, social media, cloud-based software, and new technology sectors. At Stage One we look for entrepreneurs with a novel idea to impact a market using innovative technology to address customers in that market. The companies or ideas that we look for should be dynamic and bold, fundamentally shifting the playing field. As a partner to the companies we invest in, Stage One also provides a network of like-minded individuals. These successful business executives and start-up founders help by acting as advisers. This gives you, the founders, the ability to learn from these successful leaders. Stage One Capital is located in Austin and San Francisco
Terecircuits Corporation
Terecircuits has developed novel circuit fabrication and assembly techniques that allow MicroLED-based displays and electronics products to be built at scale, 100x faster and with 10x greater accuracy than is achievable with today's best practices. Sector analysts at Yole Développement have stated that "without a manufacturing solution such as this, the next generation of displays will not be possible."
Transmodus
Transmodus provides clients with check and eCheck (ACH) payment solutions utilizing our Service-oriented Architecture (SOA). These solutions provide improved workflow for deposits, funding, posting to account systems, returns handling, electronic recovery and automated secondary collections. Our solutions are also made available to clients through our bank and software channel partners. transmodus launched the first online check processing platform in 2002.
TrustEgg
The idea for TrustEgg was born in November, 2005 when founder Jeff Brice wanted to begin saving for his niece’s future (who was about an hour old at the time). He wanted an easy-to-use solution that could be shared with the entire family, but he came up empty. Remember, this was back in the dark ages, when FaceBook only had a few million accounts and Twitter was just a glimmer in Jack Dorsey’s eye. Flash forward seven years, with social networks instantaneously connecting people across the country and globe, it’s never been easier to share and connect with friends and family, but there’s still not a simple, high quality child savings product that’s built for the social web.
Turn Technologies, Inc.
Turn builds solutions for the 1099 labor supply side of the gig economy. Many on-demand companies -- from new startups to more established companies like Saucey and Rinse -- use Turn’s modern, online identity screening platform to help manage their contingent workforces. Our near real-time processing of worker background checks, affordability, and full FCRA compliance provides gig platforms the assurances they need to onboard their workforce seamlessly and scale more efficiently. Turn combines it’s worker identity infrastructure with a set of future applications for new business models in the gig economy overcoming some of the early challenges in managing the 1099 workforce and navigating the regulatory uncertainty inherent to contingent labor. We work closely with our partners to launch new capabilities that will address the labor inefficiency that has plagued version 1.0 of the gig economy.
Upcycle and Company
Upcycle and Company: Native Soil Fertilizer is engineered to grow better plants and improve soil quality by upcycling waste materials into high quality agricultural products at the same cost as chemical fertilizers. It improves soil quality, helps reduce watering needs, and prevents nutrient runoff into the environment.