Personal Invite: SplashX in 2 days 7/28, join us!

Sponsored Story · July 26, 2016 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/46a1

Use code:vatormember for 15% off TIX

With venture investments slowing down this year, what can we anticipate for the future?

WHAT: SplashX 2016 startup and investor happy hour
DATE: July 28, 2016
PLACE: Executive Inn & Suites, 1755 Embarcadero, Oakland, 94606
TIME: 5:30PM - 8:30PM
PRICE: $35
Get tickets here: https://events.vator.tv/splashx
Discount code: vatormember for 15% off TIX

On Thursday, July 28, SplashX will present local entrepreneurs, media, civic leaders and world-class investors representing more than $40M of capital under management to the cozy bayside Executive Inn & Suites in Embarcadero Cove in Oakland.

SplashX is basically a mini-Splash. It is a short-and-sweet, intimate three-hour evening program with two Keynote Splash Talks given by entrepreneurs from a particular area, in this case - the East Bay, as well as a panel of local VCs talking about the funding environment. Splash Talks are 20-minute TED-like talks about building, scaling and fundraising. TED Talks are "ideas worth spreading" whereas Splash Talks are "lessons worth learning.

With venture investment slowing down this year, what can we anticipate for the future? A select panel of VCs will be on hand to share their concerns and their hopes. Some reality-check questions to be discussed: Are VCs asking startups tougher questions? Have valuations been slashed in half? Aren't the best startups born in the down times?

The event will be a reality check and an enlightening discussion on innovation, as Oakland-based startups share their success stories on stage. As business continues to gravitate towards Oakland's growing tech community, there are considerable business opportunities for venture capital investors and startups because of our central location, diversity, and affordable rents. Though hindsight may be 20 x 20, foresight is invaluable!

Stay informed about your community, your competition and your resources!

Save 15% off TIX using code "vatormember":
Register here: https://bit.ly/2a18CRy

Program highlights include:

VC funding has dried up, so how do you raise a round in this environment?

Speaker: David Kaplan, CFO of 99designs, a fast-growing on-demand marketplace for freelance graphic designers. David helped raise $45 million in financing. M&A is on the rise; How to tee your company up for an acquisition.

Speaker: John Hubinger, Managing Director, Hub and Spokes Ventures. John, whose former company AmberPoint was acquired by Oracle, will share his lessons about the M&A mating game and process.
Highlights of Investor/Investing panels (estimated 4 investors to gather)

What's the state of the venture landscape and funding environment?
With VC investments slowing down, how long will the slump continue and how many more startups and
venture firms will die before year end; How are venture models changing? Is there anything being funded? Now that there isn't a glut of seed-stage startups looking for Series A, what's the role of the Post Seed investor? Is FinTech the only hot sector in 2016?

VCs from the following firms will share:
Wes Selke (Managing Director, Better Ventures), Cindy Padnos (Partner, Illuminate Ventures), Nat Goldhaber {Managing Director, Claremont Creek Venture), Ruben Hernandez (Co-Founder, DevLabs) and moderator: Erin Flynn (Managing Partner, Vator Investment Club)

All this, plus drinks, pizza and Cash Bar. Ticket prices are practically free at $35

You don't want to miss this. See you at the show!

REGISTER NOW: https://bit.ly/2a18CRy
Last chance to save 15% off. Use promo code: vatormember
Offer expires tomorrow 7/27

Related Companies, Investors, and Entrepreneurs

Illuminate Ventures

Angel group/VC

Joined Vator on January 15, 2010

Illuminate Ventrues is a Micro VC focused onEnterprise/ B2B cloud and mobile computing. Our team is made up of experienced investors with significant operating and investment track records, complemented by a world-class Business Advisory Council. We invest in US-based high growth, capital efficient companies, typically as the first institutional investor. Specific areas of interest include cloud computing, SaaS applications, Big Data , enterprise mobile, IIoT. Our portfolio includes game changing business solutions from companies like Bedrock Analytics, BrifhtEdge, Influitive, Yozio, Peerlyst, ChannelEyes and LitBit. Our recent exits include companies like Xactly (IPO), Opsmatic (acquired by New Relic), Sense Platform (acquired by Cloudera) and SimOPs Studios (acquired by Autodesk).

Illuminate Ventures is different - we don't rely on "pattern recognition" or following the herd. We seek new and innovative business ideas led by committed, talented teams. We recognize that great investment opportunities come in a variety of packages - sometimes looking a bit different from the norm.

Illuminate works closely with founders to support them in building truly great companies and teams. We've been there ourselves and know that teams made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills deliver innovative thinking with outstanding results.

Claremont Creek Ventures

Angel group/VC

Joined Vator on January 26, 2010

Claremont Creek Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early stage information technology companies. Our investment professionals are experienced managers and proven venture investors. Our team shares a deep commitment to helping entrepreneurs build successful companies from the ground up. We focus on IT sectors where we have deep domain expertise, including – but not limited to – energy efficiency, IT healthcare, sensor based systems and security markets.

Claremont Creek Ventures is based in the East Bay. It is the premier funding source for early stage technology opportunities in the local area. We strive to reach a wider population of entrepreneurs – from Silicon Valley to the East Bay Area and beyond. Our East Bay location allows us to work closely alongside a strong entrepreneurial community and excellent research-driven "incubating institutions", such as UC Berkeley, UC Davis and the Lawrence Livermore and Berkeley Laboratories.

99designs, Inc.

Startup/Business

Joined Vator on July 18, 2016

99designs is the world’s largest online graphic design marketplace, connecting passionate designers with customers who need quality graphic design services. 99designs has facilitated 500,000+ crowdsourced design contests for small businesses, startups, agencies, non-profits and other organizations, and has paid out $150 million to our community of 1,000,000+ graphic designers around the world. Customers and designers can access localized versions of 99designs in English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Japanese.