APPLICATION TO PITCH

Application dead line was April 17th at 6pm.   There is another TCA Fast Pitch in Orange County on June 9th.

Why should you apply to pitch?

The winners of this competition will get to make a funding presentation at a regularly scheduled Tech Coast Angels screening session

And if you don't win or even if you don't get chosen, merely by applying you show your message to the Tech Coast 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 150 early-stage ventures, coupled with $1 billion from co-investors.  Almost 300 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 Southern California are VC Affiliate members of Tech Coast Angels.

Pitching also gets you in front of an audience of over hundreds of mover and shakers in Southern California, including venture capital firms, other angel groups and funding sources, the press, 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. 

Application and selection rules/process

Step 1 – Application submissions are now closed for this event.

Step 2 – You will be contacted by Tech Coast Angels with a confirmation that your application has been received.  A pre screening team will decide which companies will be considered for the competition.

Step 3 – If your application is approved you will be contacted to participate in a pre- screening conference call.  If your application is not approved you will be contacted as well

Step 4 – The companies that are selected to compete for the 12 finalist positions MUST ATTEND the screening and coaching session that will be scheduled.

You must submit online the 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 to attend the competition. Registration gives you full access to the entire event program.

Judging and winning

Pitches must be up to 90 seconds, including any self-introductions and remarks. During the competition, on the 91^st second, your pitch WILL BE CUT OFF. The microphone will be turned off.   The judges will ask questions and make comments following your pitch. You will be allowed brief answers.

The competition's judges will score each pitch immediately after their questions.

Scoring is on a 1-10 scale (1=lowest, 10=highest) for each of two criteria: funding opportunity and presentation quality. There will be two winners.  Best Presentation and Best Investment Opportunity.  The Best Investment Opportunity winner 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.

Judges are asked to:

• Suggest improvements candidly but phrasing criticism constructively.
• Cut in with next their comment (or the moderator will!) if a presenter rambles.
• Be concise and considerate of the other judges.
• Publicly disagree with other judges in the interest of healthy controversy…Think American Idol.