INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 23, 2016) – Mark Throdahl is very familiar with angel investors. His company, Warsaw, Indiana-based OrthoPediatrics, whose orthopedic devices for children are in use the world over, received $1.9 million in start-up capital from angel investors in 2009. VisionTech Partners I VisionTech Angels provided more than money to fuel OrthoPediatrics’ growth. They provided people.
Throdahl, whose company is on track to generate $40 million in revenue in 2016, says VisionTech has had a seminal influence on OrthoPediatrics. “We have two VisionTech Angels on our board of directors; another angel investor who was a CEO of a major company serves in an of counsel role. The role angel investors have played in our success can’t be overstated.”
In a few short weeks, entrepreneurs and start-up companies in search of angels of their own will have a unique opportunity. VisionTech is hosting the E3 Summit, Empoweringing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, the educational component of the two-day Innovation Showcase, July 13 and 14 at the Dallara IndyCar Factory. VisionTech’s E3 Summit kicks off the event, which is billed as “Indiana’s premier event for connecting fundable companies with capital sources.”
While education and insight into angel investing is the focus of VisionTech’s E3 Summit, attendees will also meet and network with VisionTech’s leadership, representatives of its portfolio companies, and CEOs of five startup companies that will pitch their respective investment opportunities.
“The E3 Summit is intentionally designed to connect people, ideas and knowledge,” explains VisionTech’s managing partner Oscar Moralez. “We’re asking attendees to complete a survey on their background and interests so we can tailor the day around this feedback. Attendees will be given the opportunity to assess, conduct due diligence and invest – with play money – in pitch companies. We’ll start with lunch and end with a VIP Reception hosted by Elevate Ventures so there will also be plenty of time to make valuable connections.”
One of those attendees is Howard Bates, a serial entrepreneur and now CEO and co-founder of WorkHere, a VisionTech portfolio company. He personally invested in ten start-up companies before approaching VisionTech in 2015 on behalf of WorkHere. “Our company is very exciting; a mobile/social app that builds a talent pipeline around employer locations. We needed capital, but we also needed access to the business skills and expertise of angel investors. We were excited to receive funded through VisionTech, and as a result, we are able to draw on the talent of their members.”
VisionTech’s “talent pool” is growing. In the last three years, the company has added angel-investing chapters in Bloomington and Fort Wayne, bringing the total to five chapters (the others are in Indianapolis, Lafayette and Warsaw.) Membership is nearly 100 angel investors and its investment portfolio includes 18 companies reflecting a diversity of markets. Rest assured these savvy angel investors will have their eyes open for promising start-ups participating in the E3 Summit and The Innovation Showcase.
The E3 Summit and The Innovation Showcase are ticketed events. Space is limited so those interested are encouraged to purchase tickets on The Innovation Showcase website.