APPLICATION TO PITCH

You must apply no later than 6:00 PM – Monday, April 19, 2010

Why should you apply to pitch? 

The 4 winners get to present at a regularly scheduled Tech Coast Angels screening session and have the potential opportunity to also present to the Pasadena Angels, and the Tech Coast Angels’ venture capital affiliates – if the deal gets traction within Tech Coast Angels.

And if you don't win or even if you don't get chosen, merely by applying you show your message to the TechCoast Angels, Southern California’s #1 source of early-stage capital. Since the group's founding in 1997, members have invested over $100 million of their personal capital in over 150 early-stage ventures, coupled with over $1 billion from co-investors.  Almost 270 individual TCA investors in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Santa Barbara/Westlake and the Inland Empire, mentor and coach the entrepreneurs they fund, serve on their boards, provide them contacts, and assist with team building, strategic planning, and subsequent fund raising. Most of the leading VC firms with offices in the Tech Coast area are VC Affiliate members of Tech Coast Angels.

Pitching also gets you in front of an audience that'll include venture capital firms, other angel groups, and influential opinion-leaders in Southern California, such as investment bankers, accounting firms, law firms, banks and executive recruiters.

Do you qualify? 

This competition is open to all entrepreneurs who seek investors. It is not limited to companies that are pre-revenue or that are in the information technology or life sciences industries. In addition to investing in companies in these two sectors, we have invested in many others, including consumer branded products, food, beverage and services. Our primary concern is to find investment opportunities that promise quick, significant growth in shareholder value and plausible exit strategy for liquidity.

Not sure it's for you? Read here our suggestions for delivering great pitches, including the pitches by the winners of our previous fast pitch competitions. 

Step 1 – Please fill out the online application:

Step 2 – You will be emailed with a confirmation that you have been approved and invited to attend the Tryout/Coaching Sessions.

Step 3 – Tryout/Coaching Sessions – READ THIS CAREFULLY

You MUST attend one of the first three Preliminary Tryout/Coaching Sessions:

1. Friday, April 23 (8:00AM)

2. Monday, April 26 (8:00 AM)

3. Thursday, April 29 (8:00AM)

Location of all coaching sessions: Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth (660 Newport Center Drive; Newport Beach, CA 92660)  

Note: We will grade you each time you come to a Coaching Session and present. To select the finalists – we will take the highest grade you achieve. If you Tryout more than once, we will take your highest grade in making our determination, so we recommend that you attend all 3 sessions if possible.

Step 4 –Invitation Only Coaching Sessions

The Entrepreneur Presenters who qualify after the 3 PRELIMINARY Tryout/Coaching Sessions will be selected for the FINAL Tryout/Coaching Sessions. The Final Tryout/Coaching Sessions (you must attend at least ONE) – which are by invitation only -- will be held on:

1. Monday, May 3 (8:00AM)

2. Friday, May 7 (8:00AM)

You need only attend one of the FINAL Tryouts –  but again we will take the higher of your scores if you come and pitch both times.

Step 5 – Professional Coaching Sessions

The 12 Finalists that are chosen to compete in the 10th Annual Orange County Fast Pitch Competition will receive a complimentary half hour professional coaching session by Executive Speech Coach, Barbara Seymour Giordano. Because of last year's Finalists' incredible improvement after this professional coaching session, we have decided to make it mandatory (30 minute session per Finalist).

1. Monday, May 17 (1:00 -5:00PM)

2. Friday, May 21 (1:00 - 5:00PM)

You must submit the online application on this page; no postal mail, faxes or emails. Also, we do not consider that you have submitted an application when you communicate directly with the competition’s judges, the competition’s organizing committee or members at large of the Tech Coast Angels.  

It's FREE to submit an application but you must be registered(paid) to attend the evening competition. Registration gives you full access to the entire event program. 

Pitches must be under 90 seconds, including any self-introductions and remarks. On the 91^st second, pitches in progress WILL BE CUT OFF by turning off the microphone.

The competition's judges will score each pitch immediately after it ends for presentation Quality. Then the judges will have two minutes to ask questions of the entrepreneur following which they will score for Funding Opportunity.

Scoring is on a 1-10 scale (1=lowest, 10=highest) for each of two criteria: funding opportunity and presentation quality. There are four winners -- Best Funding Opportunity, Best Presentation Quality, Best of Best (combining the Funding and Presentation scores), and the Audience Pick (which can duplicate one of the other three).  Each of the 4 winners will automatically be invited to a Full Screening by the Tech Coast Angels to present their company in a detailed discussion for potential Angel Funding.