The #VegasTech community are invited to The Innevation Center on December 7, 2016 to learn more about raising capital for their startup.
The “How to Raise Money Seminar” hosted by UNLV Office of Economic Development, InfoSiftr, and VentureCapital.org is a 2-hour event featuring venture professionals giving advice and up-to-date information on what entrepreneurs need to successfully raise money. The presentation will include an extensive Q&A session with the speakers. The seminar will discuss current trends, the basics of the fundraising process, finding the right investor, and how to raise capital from the perspective of a seasoned entrepreneur and an investor.
“The funding landscape of Las Vegas has had its highs and lows and currently I would say it is confusing and disjointed,” said Justin Steele, Organizer and Sponsor of this event. “We see and hear about possible activity going on here in the Vegas Valley but there is no single place here startups can go and learn about the different possible source of funding. This is why a few of us, myself, Judi Dohn with VentureCatalysts LLC, and Zachary Miles and John Minnick with UNLVs Economic Development Office decided to partner with the Wayne Brown Institute (WBI) to help build a single source like they did in Salt Lake City and Boise.”
Steele explains that the Wayne Brown Institute acts as a central hub for the startup community in Salt Lake City and Boise.
“Startups can reach out to WBI and learn about different funding sources that best fit their kind of venture. Additionally, WBI helps groom startups to be ready to meet and talk to investors through events like we are offering at the December 7, 2016 event,” explained Steele. “They also help direct entrepreneurs to incubators if they are not at a stage in their development to present to investors. WBI has been operating for 33 years now and has helped startups raise billions in dollars in venture funding. So, with that kind of success, we figure that WBI would be a perfect fit for our startup community here in Las Vegas.”
The December 7, 2016 panel will include the following participants:
- Jerry Henley from Rubicon Capital
- Bill Botts from Rebel Venture Fund
- Brad Bertoch from Venture Capital.org
- Don Sanborn
- Chris Anderson from Durham Jones & Pinegar
- Moderator: Justin Steele from InfoSiftr
Steele says that the type of startup being founded in Las Vegas effects the level of access to capital in Las Vegas.
“If you are a very early stage company yes, there is access to capital. If you are looking for funding for later stages, then there is less access to capital,” said Steele. “We have a bunch of sources and incubators that will help get you off the ground, but when you hit a growth mode and need funding for that, finding sources for that kind of funding is very challenging for our community. More mature companies are moving or being purchased. So, we as a community lose out on the long term benefits these startups could provide.”
Steele cites this lack of access to capital for growing local startups as another reason why he and community partners aim to partner with the Wayne Brown Institute.
“They have access to later stage funding source in Salt Lake City and in Boise and they are willing to help syndicate deal flow from here to those cities,” he said. “Also, by leveraging the WBI network, this will work in reverse where deal flow will come back to help Las Vegas build up local later stage investment sources. The challenge with these kind of investment sources is attracting the right kind of deal flow, so using this large network we can look to build our own new local later start venture firms or angel groups, while supporting our current investment firms and angel groups.”
The goal for the panel event is to attract entrepreneurs and discover the different types of startups that call Las Vegas home.
“Are they high tech, drones, entertainment, or environmental? Are they small business or high growth businesses?” said Steele. “We welcome all types of entrepreneurs. This is a kind of event where we will be covering many different funding sources and provide some understanding of why some funding vehicles may work for some business vs. others. We are welcoming everyone that is a part of startup community here in Vegas and the surrounding areas. That goes from VCs, Angels, entrepreneurs to even someone that is just thinking of starting their own company. We have to learn who is here and what they are doing.”
This event boasts community support from many areas of the Las Vegas valley:
- UNLV Office of Economic Development
- UNLV Center of Entrepreneurship
- Rebel Venture Fund
- InfoSiftr
- Iron Yard Ventures
- Switch SUPERNAP
- The Innevation Center
- Bluemoon Advisors
For more information, visit the event registration page.