One of the critical skills startup founders need to develop is the ability to present their companies in front of an investor audience. It doesn’t come naturally to most, so practice opportunities are a critical success element in our entrepreneurial ecosystem. Thankfully, two startup pitch events are coming to Sacramento over the next two months. The first is Mark Tank on August 22 at Allegiant Innovation Center in McClellan Park. The startups have already been selected — Sircles, Taks, Lifograph, Apollo VR and Sparck — but the HaneyBiz team invites select entrepreneurs to attend to observe the pitches and participate in the networking. Request an invitation to this event from monique@haneybiz.com. Be sure to let her know what you hope to get out of it!
The second is StartupSac Warm-Up Pitch, happening on September 12. The startups have not yet been selected and there is still time to apply. If you have a working MVP and have revenue or are very close to it, this competition will hone your presentation skills and teach you what investors are looking for in potential portfolio companies. In addition to the opportunity to present on stage in front of coaches and investors, qualified candidates will attend 3 pitch workshops prior to the Warm-Up Pitch. Applications are due by August 6. Apply here.
You can also see two startup companies present every Wednesday morning from 9-10 am at 1 Million Cups. Typically, the presenting companies are not yet investment ready, but they receive valuable feedback from an audience of their peers and mentors. It’s free to attend and this week’s event is hosted by Uptown Studios in Sacramento. RSVP here. If you’re interested in presenting at a future 1 Million Cups, apply here. We still have spots open most Wednesdays in August, except 8/7.
This Week’s Best Bets
The Lean Innovator,Dan Casas-Murray, has a workshop, Traction Testing for Startups, on Wednesday at InnoGrove in Elk Grove. Dan is a fantastic coach for early stage startup founders. This event is free to attend. RSVP
Also on Wednesday, the Sacramento Female Founders meetup group is celebrating its 1 year anniversary at The Bank in Downtown Sacramento. Their special guest is Lisa Thee. Lisa will share her story as the CEO and founder of Minor Guard and how she was acqui-hired by the largest player in the child safety market, Bark. This event is free to attend. RSVP
Plan Ahead
Startup Grind’s August 13 guest is Irma Olguin, Jr., CEO and cofounder of Fresno-based Bitwise Industries. She and her team just secured $27 million in funding, among the largest Series A raises ever by a female Latinx founder. The capital supports the company’s goal of activating human potential for the technology industry in underdog cities. Bitwise has made great strides in Fresno in advancing diversity and equity and this funding will help them expand to Bakersfield. If you get your ticket before August 2, it’s just $10 and you can save $5 by entering “digest” in the promo code field. Prices go up to $15-$25 after. Get tickets.
We’re building community! The StartupSac Community Facebook Group has over 400 members. Now we need you! Request to join here.
Do you want free business mentorship, advising, or consulting? StartupSac and the Capital Region SBDC have partnered to provide free business support mentorship to help Sacramento region entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Learn more and sign up!
There’s lots of great stuff going on in the tech startup community–check out the details in this week’s Startup Digest. If you’d like to receive the digest in your inbox every Monday morning, sign up for free here. And for even more startup information, happenings and resources, browse the StartupSac Website.
If you’ve organized (or know about) an event you think belongs in the Startup Digest, please submit it here for consideration.
