Local Entrepreneurs Honing Pitches to Compete for $30,000 Cash and Prizes
SAN DIEGO, CA (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 06, 2016
Tech Coast Angels – San Diego announced today the top ten finalists selected from over 140 entries to compete at its popular, annual event The John G. Watson Quick Pitch competition scheduled for October 6, 2016 at Qualcomm Hall. Hosted by esteemed venture capitalist, Court Turner, the show’s innovative format pits the strongest 10 finalists in a live presentation to “pitch” a company to approximately 500 attendees and a panel of judges composed of successful investors and entrepreneurs. Since its inception, Tech Coast Angels’ “Quick Pitch” has put San Diego startups on the radar of local and national venture capital and angel investors, helping to launch many successful companies including EcoATM, Rock My World and Ritter Pharmaceuticals.
“Our annual Quick Pitch competition is one of the most important entrepreneurial events of the year in San Diego, showcasing a vast array of technology, life science and other product companies that include the best our innovation economy has to offer,” said Sergio Gurrieri, President of the Tech Coast Angels San Diego network. He continued, “This competition is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to network, learn and compete for capital that is so crucial to early stage companies while building key relationships with some of the top investors and executives in Southern California.”
During the next month, the top ten finalists will receive specialized mentoring from angel investors who will coach the entrepreneurs on how to perfect their two-minute, elevator pitch in hopes of capturing $30,000 in cash and other prizes. Companies were chosen from a record number of over 140 online applicants and weaned down to 30 semi-finalists by a judging committee in the first stage of the competition. On Oct. 6, the top ten will make two-minute presentations that will be judged by experienced investors and professionals with a newly added feature that allows real-time voting by the audience for the top three prize winners.
The 2016 finalists are:
Braykion Jon Wilensky, CEO & Co-Founder
CaddySnack JT Tyler, CEO & Founder
CourseKey Luke Sophinos, CEO
Echo Laboratories Eugene Cho, CEO & Founder
Industry Cody Barbo, CEO & Founder
In Spirit Lawrence Cisneros, Founder
Librede Jason Poulos, CEO
Pelv-ice Jill Bigelow, Founder & CEO
ResortPass Amanda Szabo, Founder
VOR, Inc. Winston Chen, CEO & Co-Founder
See these top companies pitch live on October 6 from 6pm to 9pm at the Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall, 5775 Morehouse Drive, San Diego, CA 92121. For more details please visit: https://tcaventuregroup.com/event-calendar/the-10th-annual-john-g-watson-quick-pitch-competition/
Lead sponsors include the John G. Watson Foundation, Qualcomm Ventures and Stradling. Supporting sponsors include Knobbe Martens and ResMed. Contributing sponsors include Corporate Alliance, DezineGirl Creative, Digital News Network, Downtown Works, Sorrento Mesa Printing, Surf Air, The Startup Garage and The Pitch.
ABOUT TECH COAST ANGELS
Tech Coast Angels (TCA) is one of the largest and most active angel investor networks in the nation, and a leading source of funding for seed-stage and early-stage companies across all industries in Southern California. TCA members are accredited investors who collectively invest in start-up companies in the range of $250k to $2M. The companies TCA invests in go through well-structured, transparent, and time efficient screening and due diligence. TCA members are themselves founders, and executive level business leaders who have extensive knowledge in the investment process and world-class business practices and contribute counsel, mentoring and access to an extensive network of investors, customers, strategic partners and management.
TCA is a catalyst in the growth of the thriving Southern California entrepreneurial ecosystem of innovation. We fund mostly emerging technology and life science companies. More information on investment with Tech Coast Angels can be found at: http://https://tcaventuregroup.com