Last Friday, stakeholders from Innosphere, Kereitsu, Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, and Colorado Mountain College (CMC), gathered for an investor forum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The 30+ attendees learned about the newly-established Rocky Mountain chapter of Keiretsu Forum and Innosphere’s incubator program. Five startup companies then presented their investment opportunity to a room of investors. The featured companies included Vartega, Telespine, Echovo, QuietKat, and Click Medical.
The Economic Development Director in Steamboat Springs, Jane Blackstone, asked Innosphere to organize this forum after she heard about the investor event put on by Innosphere in Estes Park a few months ago. Blackstone recognized the value in forming an alliance between the new Keiretsu chapter in Steamboat Springs and Innosphere in order to spur economic activity in the mountain town. Both the Estes Park and Steamboat Springs investor forums have been successful Innosphere events because they generated interest from relevant stakeholders.
“This event provided a connection between investors from the community and emerging local and regional businesses,” commented Randy Rudasics, Manager of CMC’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Discussions during the event focused on how more organized angel activity in Colorado can lead to increased deal flow, and syndication of quality technology venture investments.
Innosphere program director, Bud Michael, was the Innosphere lead in organizing the investor event. “Great events that connect entrepreneurs with investors is why I do what I do,” said Michael. “The client companies at Innosphere are changing lives with their solutions and technologies.”
Innosphere will continue to organize investor events in the future.