TMCnet News
Tech Startups in New Contest like "American Idol"SACRAMENTO, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Velocity Venture Capital, the premier venture capital firm in the Sacramento / Northern California region, today launched its Fifth annual Entrepreneurs Showcase which is held at its non-profit Entrepreneurs Campus in Folsom, CA (News - Alert). The Showcase is an exclusive accelerator boot camp to help tech startups polish their ideas and their teams to make them more attractive to investors and more successful as a business. "The Showcase has grown tremendously in popularity," said Jack Crawford, Jr., General Partner of Velocity Venture Capital. "Last year we had hundreds of applicants for ten slots. This year we expect even more, demonstrating how much creativity and entrepreneurial spirit there is here." "To help narrow the field, this year for the first time we are seeking participation from a broader audience," said Gary Simon, Venture Partner for Velocity. "To make it fun, and to encourage as many companies as possible to apply, the top 40 applicants will prepare a short video and use it to solicit votes, similar to the popular TV show 'American Idol'. The votes along with the votes of expert judges will determine who gets the limited number of spots available in the accelerator program" The accelerator program is an eight-week intensive boot camp where the participating teams receive training, coaching, professional help, and introductions to investors, customers and partners In prior years, graduates of the accelerator have gone on to raise capital and become profitable. Many of these companies including Emtrain, CirrusMD, SmartCase, HomeZada, Apptology, Mindful Meal, Pondera, Snippet, and others are positioned for significant growth this year. Applications are available at www.velocityvc.com/entrepreneurs-showcase. The deadline is May 31. The 40 best applications will be selected to advance. They will be matched with a group of sponsors who will help them get out the vote. By mid-July, Velocity will announce 18 of the 40 by presenting at the Entrepreneurial Drive Golf Tournament, July 28 at Serrano Country Club in El Dorado Hills. In September, 10 finalists will be selected and in December the 10 will present to investors and the general public. The public is invited to go to the Entrepreneurs Showcase website to view the videos from the Top 40 starting June 25. Each vote is a one dollar tax-deductible contribution that goes to support the mission of the Entrepreneurs Campus to inspire and educate tech entrepreneurs. There is no limit on how many votes one can cast. The contest is powered by VotDo.com. Partners and sponsors of the Entrepreneurs Showcase and Campus include: National Venture Capital Association, Kauffman Fellows Program, Samsung, Dell, Oracle (News - Alert), Silicon Valley Bank, AT&T, Bank of America, Cal Innovates, TriNet, and the University of the Pacific as well as a number of other key influencers in the California technology ecosystem. About Velocity Venture Capital Velocity Venture Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm that invests in information technology companies as they converge with key market sectors like Security, Medical, Energy, and Education. Velocity works to identify and partner with smart, persistent and bold entrepreneurs to build world-class companies in the US with a concentration on Sacramento / Northern California. The firm is headquartered in the Sacramento region just east of the Silicon Valley. For more information, please visit www.velocityvc.com.
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