Thank you to all of the entrepreneurs, angels and students that gave us a great birthday party tonight.
Wildcat Angels turned one today with its fourth investor meeting since it was founded in May 2010 by alumni, faculty and teachers from Northwestern University. Wildcat Angels is a group of investors and mentors dedicated to increasing the quality and quantity of startups in the Northwestern University and Chicagoland ecosystems. Of the 9 companies that have presented at Wildcat Angels, 6 have received funding from a member of the group. The four companies that presented tonight should continue that success:
- MentorMob: Online community of enthusiasts and experts helping you learn the things you want to learn for free! Crowd-sourcing of your guitar/basketball/gardening/knitting lessons. Just won the ITA New Concept award.
- Koala Deal: Personalized deal finder for big discounts automatically based on your preferences and past purchases. Consolidating and customizing eCommerce.
- AccuFlow Diagnostics: Healthcare diagnostics company that replaces expensive, slow, inaccurate medical tests with simple, highly accurate, low-cost, fast tests using a patented device that resembles a home pregnancy test.
- Koa Water: Premium, branded bottled water that according to an FDA test has more minerals and vitamins naturally occurring in it than any other water they have ever tested.
David Beazley of Synergy Financial Partners remarked, “These were four of the best presentations I’ve seen this year.” Wildcat Angels co-founder, Kellogg teacher and attorney Craig Bradley added It was another banner event for the organization. We are seeing great deal flow.
Wildcat Angels events feature a cocktail hour and dinner followed by 3-4 startup presentations and an executive session for discussion.
Wildcat’s board and student associates have worked hard to improve the event and the presentations for every meeting. Implementing coaching and practice presentations have helped the companies improve their pitches. Angel and Mentor Steve Farsht said, “I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the pitches. I was impressed with the diversity of businesses and the preparation of the teams.”
Aspiring entrepreneur and Kellogg student Steven Szaronos commented, “More investors are talking about these companies than ever before. Everyone seemed to see at least 1 or 2 opportunities that resonated.” Steven’s work with Wildcat Angels has helped in other ways too. His startup was just accepted into a summer incubator program in New York. Northwestern students volunteer as Associates with Wildcat Angels to aid in investment selection and presentation coaching. This helps Northwestern students as they prepare for careers with startups and venture capital firms.
If you are interested in learning more about presenting to Wildcat Angels, please check us out online at WildcatAngels.com. If you are an accredited investor and angel you can apply online at WildcatAngels.com to get more information on additional events. Angels come from all backgrounds and do not have to have any affiliation to Northwestern University. You can also follow us on Twitter @WildcatAngels.
Thanks again to all of the entrepreneurs, investors, mentors and students that made our first year successful. It’s exciting to be a part of the dynamic and growing community of entrepreneurs in Chicago and at Northwestern!
