On Thursday, February 9th, the Angel Capital Association in collaboration with Tech Coast Angels, held their Western Regional Forum at the Cove.
The daylong event gathered angel investment groups from across the United States to discuss industry trends, best practices, and the current investment climate. Richard Sudek, Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer for Applied Innovation, served as moderator for the day. Panels in the morning included seasoned investors discussing changes in due diligence as it pertains to long-term capital structuring. Panelists also mentioned a greater emphasis on screening for proven business models in conjunction with user growth as a way to determine which companies are able to scale and monetize. Topics later in the afternoon covered trends around instruments such as SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and KISS (Keep It Simple Security). Discussions about the climate for investor groups to interact with universities and other innovation also took place throughout the day.