As the Okanagan tech community and companies within it continue to grow, so does Accelerate Okanagan’s support model. Coined “Continuous Acceleration”, we deliver unique programming for various stages of growth. The reality is, each stage of the entrepreneurial process demands a different set of tools and we are constantly iterating in an effort to meet those demands.
“The OKGN Angel Summit was designed to bridge the gap between companies looking for growth capital and investors looking for investable companies”, says Thuy Tran, Programs Manager at Accelerate Okanagan. Through her initiatives in the community, Tran has seen the result of limited access to capital pop up regularly within the startup ecosystem and believes the Summit will continue to help address this problem.
The OKGN Angel Summit is a 10-week program that trains new angel investors using a guided process. This provides participants with a chance to actively learn how to vet companies, provide feedback, and perform due diligence in helping to support early-stage companies. Participating companies will learn about the capital raising process and how to effectively build relationships with prospective investors. At the end of the 10 weeks, the 6 finalists pitch to an audience of community members. During this finale, a winner will be chosen to receive a minimum investment of $100,000.
Accredited investors who are both curious and passionate to learn about angel investing would benefit the most from applying for the OKGN Angel Summit. The goal is not to find the next unicorn; instead, we want to focus on the process of how to become a structured angel investor. Through this process, we can increase the numbers of angel investors within our community and grow the sophistication of angels as deal leads.
OKGN Angel Summit is ideal for early-stage companies where an investment of $100 – $200k will make an impact in moving their business forward. Entrepreneurs that may apply should be based within a day’s drive of Kelowna, operate in any industry, and have the potential for a 10x return on investment in 5 years. This is a great program to improve your company, get valuable feedback, build relationships with investors and, ultimately, increase your chance of building a successful business.
“There is so much investment potential right here in our own community,” says Tran. “The OKGN Angel Summit is a chance for us to connect companies, who are innovating and building the future, with investors passionate about making a difference. That’s how we start changing the world.”
