Technology Companies Shine at 4th Silver and Gold Conference, ETwater Takes Best of Show
Corte Madera, Calif., (10–08–2004) — Golden Capital Network (GCN), in association with the Sierra Angels, Nevada Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET), and Nevada Commission on Economic Development, presented the 4th Annual Silver and Gold Venture Capital Conference, at the Atlantis Hotel in Reno on October 5-6, 2004. The sold-out event featured 28 emerging growth companies from the Life Sciences, Emerging Technologies, Software/IT and Communications Technology sectors.
SoundPix, based in Incline Village, won the award for the Best Nevada Startup. Their new venture allows digital photography enthusiasts to easily enrich digital still images with sound and then share those rich images across virtually all device types including mobile phones, the Internet, and other enabled communication devices.
Best of Show award went to ETwater, a firm based in Corte Madera, California. ETwater produces an irrigation control system that combines weather data and automated sprinkler and irrigation control to precisely regulate the amount of water plants require, as well as reduce runoff and pollution.
The GCN Conference included the largest contingent of active angel and venture capital investors for any event outside Silicon Valley. Each year, this highly attended annual conference serves as the leading hub for entrepreneurs, investors, executives and professional service providers.
"The Sierra Angels considers the annual Silver and Gold Conference as the most effective conference of its kind in the region. Prior GCN conferences have provided the source of much of our deal flow that resulted in subsequent investments," said Bob Goff, founder/president of the Sierra Angels investment organization in Incline Village, NV.
"If you are an entrepreneur with a solid business plan, an investor looking to check out high quality start ups in the West, or simply interested in networking with leading Silicon Valley–based venture capitalists and angel investors from across the Western U.S., the Silver and Gold Venture Capital Conference is the place to be," said Jon Gregory, president of GCN.
28 early—stage companies from across the 11 western states gave eight—minute presentations to panels of leading investors who are actively seeking investment opportunities. The investor panelists then selected 8 finalists who competed in the final "showdown" for "Best of Show" honors. Gayle Crowell from Warburg Pincus moderated the showdown, Warren Packard from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Ronald Weissman from Apax Partners, John Kunhart from American River Ventures, David Eastman from Prospector Capital and Brian Frenzel, a member of the Band of Angels in Silicon Valley formed the panel that chose the winners.
Guy Kawasaki, noted author and founder of Garage Technology Ventures, gave the keynote address during the luncheon. Guy was one of the key individuals responsible for the success of the Macintosh computer. His highly entertaining presentation was about his new book called "The Art of the Start", which provides key lessons learned and observations for entrepreneurs seeking to start and build great companies.
Golden Capital Network (GCN), established in 1999, is a nonprofit corporation with the mission of educating and showcasing promising entrepreneurs to its growing network of active angel, corporate and venture capital investors to facilitate quality economic growth. Since its inception, companies featured at GCN events have gone on to raise over $700 million in investment capital. GCN also facilitates the Silver and Gold Venture Club, an exclusive investor-only networking group that connects investors across western U.S. regions for deal sharing and discussion on topics of interest. GCN has also launched a number of other innovative initiatives including the V3 Economic Accelerator Program, the Entrepreneurs Grill, and the Two-Minute Drill and Accelerate It! The network is also a co-founder or founding sponsor of SARTA, Company X and the UC Davis Big Bang Business Plan competition.
DBG Communications is the "agency of record" for GCN, and provides marketing, advertising, and public relations services for many businesses in the Sacramento area.
Press Contacts
Steve Snow, ETwater Phone: 415-357-5146 Email: ssnow@etwater.com
Jon Gregory, Golden Capital Network (GCN) Phone: 530-893-8828 Email: jon@goldencapital.net