Announcing the 13 Semifinalists for SDAC Fund V
Silvia Mah PhD, MBA
Published Author | 2 x TEDx speaker | Igniting Innovation, Impact & Investing through Action & Intentionality | VC | Associate Professor | Keynote Speaker | Advocate 4 Diverse Founders | Investor | Servant Leader
Being an active member in the innovation ecosystem is about showing up and investing in innovative companies + exceptional founders who have product-market fit + founder-market fit. Especially rewarding is investing alongside good humans, smart investors and colleagues from all industries who have the same motto of "we get to yes". The San Diego Angel Conference does just that, brings people from all walks of life together to invest in impressive companies, conducting the selection and due diligence TOGETHER as a collective to pick out winners. Therefore, when we say, "we selected", it's truly that we all put in our votes based on profiles, analysis, and discussion; in the community.
We are excited to announce the Semifinalists for SDAC V. We convened after the voting and agreed on the top 13 startups from 25 quarterfinalists. The criteria are based on everyone's own thesis, but hover around all of the 5M's of angel investing, what we found as a compelling business model, market, money, momentum, and management (team).
The Semifinalists for SDAC V are:
Here are the stats about the Semifinalists at SDAC
Drilling down on some of the pertinent data on the Semifinalists:
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What's next?
The next round of pitches are 10-min pitches with 10-min Q&A in the semifinalist round (taking place this week and voting set for about 7 days from now). Many companies decide to fly in to pitch in San Diego, CA, but they can also join virtually. There is also a networking component with many of the angels in person. Some angels choose to go virtual as well or watch the recording afterward. This makes for a very inclusive and accessible experience for all. Then, angels discuss in an all-call meeting where they discuss every company for the same amount of time, then get to vote for the startup that they want to see go forward to the finalist round (typically 6 startups). The Finalists go through a heavy due diligence process that spans about a month with a team of angel investors working together with the founder. It's a fantastic experience for aspiring and existing angels to learn and grow together in knowledge and collaboration. We share all of the due diligence reports as we go into the finale event on April 22, 2023. This is an all-day in-person event (this year, finally after 3 years of being virtual), where we have the startups pitch in front of a live audience and we pick the winners by end of day. It's a process, but it's fun, exhilarating and inspiring. Most angels gain 4-6 startups for their portfolio during the process to diversify in all aspects: industry, geography, gender, impact, stage.
Get your tickets for the finale on April 22, 2023!
About San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC)
SDAC is the largest angel investment conference in the country, activating angel investors and engaging promising early-stage companies that drive the innovation ecosystem. Through a series of events and workshops that culminate in a one-day conference and pitch competition, SDAC provides valuable insights and hands-on education through separate entrepreneur and angel investor tracks. The program’s investment fund is managed by accredited investors who collectively decide which companies will receive funding. www.thesdangels.com.
Patent Attorney | Pharmacist
1yExcited to see so many health tech companies!! 👏
Igniting Impactful Innovation I TEDx Speaker I XEO Co-Founder
1y39% of semifinalists are women-led startups - LOVE. Congrats
Realtor Associate @ Next Trend Realty LLC | HAR REALTOR, IRS Tax Preparer
1yThanks for Posting.
Published Author | 2 x TEDx speaker | Igniting Innovation, Impact & Investing through Action & Intentionality | VC | Associate Professor | Keynote Speaker | Advocate 4 Diverse Founders | Investor | Servant Leader
1ySemifinalists #data: --The gender makeup of the semifinalist actually increased from the quarterfinalist round, 39% of semifinalists are women-led startups. We pick the most innovative & investable companies (we do not have a gender lens), so this is very interesting, considering the national average for angel deals is around 25-27%. --There is a broad representation of startups from across the US, from 9 states, predominantly from California, with 46% from California. --Only 1 startup is in Series A funding, the rest being Seed stage. --With the narrowing of candidates, we get to see that Healthtech composes 54% of all of the semifinalists (71% of those are medical devices), followed by 15% being tech startups.