Seattle Angel Conference

What Seattle Angel Conference does

Seattle Angel Conference (SAC) is a semi-annual angel-investing education and startup funding program founded in 2012 by John Sechrest and operated as a production of Mossy Ventures. The program serves two primary constituencies: pre-seed and seed-stage startups seeking early capital and pitch refinement, and accredited investors (net worth over $1M or annual income over $200K) seeking a structured, "learning by doing" introduction to angel investing. Each cycle combines public workshops, mentorship matching, multi-stage elimination pitches (1-minute, 3-minute, and 10-minute rounds), team-based due diligence, and a culminating Demo Day where a pooled investment of $150,000–$200,000 is awarded to the winning company through a dedicated LLC.

SAC's product portfolio includes the flagship competition, Startup Workshops delivered through the Seattle Angel Meetup group, a Mentorship Program that pairs early registrants with experienced advisors, Due Diligence Training modules for investors, and a health/life-sciences vertical extension called Apis Health Angels. The program processes all startup applications through the Gust platform and runs primarily over Zoom, enabling participation from across North America. Underlying technology is intentionally light — the IP is the 14-year playbook, the regional brand, and the alumni network rather than a proprietary software platform.

The business model combines three revenue streams: a $1,000 per-investor program registration fee (on top of $5,000–$6,000 pooled into the investment vehicle), a $100 non-refundable startup application fee, and tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $2,000 Community Partners up to a $75,000 Institutional Partner. Sponsorship and partner relationships — including core partners SVB and Gust, plus a network of regional GTM partners (Holland & Knight, Symphysis Marketing, CityU, Zccounting, Briarwood Group, Angel Gen, Keiretsu Forum, Innovare AI) — constitute the primary commercial distribution channel. SAC reports $6M+ deployed across 29 funds, 55+ companies funded, 24 winners, and 600+ investors educated over the program's lifetime.

Name

Seattle Angel Conference

Legal name

Seattle Angel Conference

Website

https://seattleangelconference.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seattle Angel Conference is a semi-annual angel-investing education and startup funding program that runs a structured, "learning by doing" cohort for accredited investors and pre-seed startups, culminating in a $150K–$200K pooled investment in one winning company per cycle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Angel Investing Education and Startup Funding Program

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

Keywords

• Angel investing education
• Startup funding program
• Pitch competition
• Investor due diligence
• Pre-seed investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Renton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor Program Fees: Each investor contributes $6,000 to a pooled investment fund plus a $1,000 program registration fee. The $6,000 is invested directly into the winning startup via an LLC created for the program.
2. Startup Registration Fees: Startups pay a $100 non-refundable registration fee to apply to the program.
3. Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate sponsors support the program at various tiers ranging from $2,000 (Community Partner) to $75,000 (Institutional Partner) per cycle or annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Seattle Angel Conference (SAC) is a semi-annual angel investing education and startup funding program that uses a structured 'Learning by Doing' approach to connect early-stage startups with new angel investors. Through workshops, multi-round pitch competitions, mentorship, and due diligence training, the program culminates in a Demo Day where a pooled fund of $150K-$200K (created via an LLC) is invested in a single winning startup.

Product overview

Seattle Angel Conference is a structured angel investing education and startup funding program running semi-annually (Spring and Fall cohorts). The program combines several integrated components: the core SAC conference featuring a competitive pitch process that narrows 60+ applicants to six finalists through multiple elimination rounds; hands-on Startup Workshops providing practical education for founders; a Mentorship Program matching early registrants with experienced advisors; Due Diligence Training that teaches investors how to evaluate companies; and a culminating Demo Day where investors pool funds (typically $200,000) to invest in the winning startup. The organization also operates Apis Health Angels as a sector-specific variant focused on health and life sciences companies. Programs typically run 12 weeks with 5-10 hours of activity per week, including Tuesday evening sessions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seattle Angel Conference (SAC) Program A semi-annual angel investing education and startup funding program that teaches accredited investors how to evaluate early-stage startups through a 'learning by doing' approach, culminating in a pooled investment of up to $200,000 in one winning startup.
• Apis Health Angels A health and life sciences sector-specific angel conference and mini-MBA program focused on due diligence training for health investing, enabling more informed investors and more investable healthcare startups.
• Startup Workshops Hands-on workshops preparing founders for early pre-seed investment through practical education, mentorship, and feedback to help them build a strong foundation and prepare for seeking investment.
• Mentorship Program Early registrants are matched with experienced mentors who help prepare them for the investment program, reviewing company materials and providing feedback.
• Pitch Competition A multi-stage elimination competition featuring 1-minute, 3-minute, and 10-minute pitch rounds, progressing from quarter-finalists to semi-finalists to six finalists, with final Demo Day selection.
• Due Diligence Training for Investors Investor education through hands-on due diligence practice, where participating investors evaluate startup companies as teams and learn the process of investment analysis as part of the program.

Quantifiable outcome

• $200,000 investment awarded to winning company per conference cycle
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Mossy VenturesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMossy Ventures is the parent organization producing the Seattle Angel Conference. SAC is described as 'a program of Mossy Ventures.' Mossy Ventures also runs Startup Investor Accelerator and Apis Health Angels, sister programs to SAC.
• Apis Health AngelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA health/life sciences sector-specific angel conference created by the same team to address the unique due diligence components important for health investments including regulatory, reimbursement, business models, and intellectual property.
• Trans-Atlantic Startup Investor AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnother Mossy Ventures program that complements the Seattle Angel Conference ecosystem.
• The Briarwood GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - business consulting company supporting early-stage companies and developing new investors.
• Innovare AIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - AI sales team company.
• SVB (Silicon Valley Bank)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - major financial institution serving the startup ecosystem.
• Angel GenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - investment program supporting angel investors.
• Holland & KnightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - law firm actively engaged in the startup ecosystem.
• Symphysis Marketing SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - marketing firm in Seattle providing web design and SEO services.
• City University of Seattle (CityU)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - educational institution supporting early-stage companies and developing new investors.
• ZccountingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCurrent partner - accounting services for startup ecosystem.
• GustcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform used for startup company profiles, applications, and public profiles. All startup registrations are processed through Gust.
• Keiretsu ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of angel investors that SAC has introduced participants to. Edward Un, a SAC participant, became actively involved in Keiretsu Forum after his SAC experience.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Gust: Global platform used by SAC for startup applications and profiles, also used by hundreds of other angel networks worldwide. Functions as an enabling/infrastructure partner to the angel ecosystem rather than a competitor.
• Angel Capital Association: Industry trade association for angel groups in North America. Serves as a peer network and best-practice body rather than a direct competitor, but its members include SAC and its competitors.

Direct peers

• Alliance of Angels: Seattle-based angel investing network with monthly pitch sessions and a member base of accredited investors, directly competing with SAC for the same Pacific Northwest startup pipeline.
• New York Angels: Established angel network running structured pitch and due diligence cycles similar to SAC's, with a member base of accredited investors funding early-stage companies.
• Keiretsu Forum: Large global angel network with a strong Northwest chapter, running regular pitch forums and investing in early-stage companies. Already referenced by SAC alumni as a complementary/competing destination.
• Bend Venture Conference: Central Oregon angel/venture conference combining pitch competition with investor education. Similar in structure to SAC and listed as an inspiration.
• Tech Coast Angels: One of the largest U.S. angel networks, operating regional chapters with structured deal screening and due diligence processes that overlap SAC's investor education model.
• TiE Seattle: Seattle chapter of the global TiE network, running mentor-driven programs for founders and connecting them to angel and early-stage capital in the Pacific Northwest.
• Angel Oregon: Oregon-based angel investment conference that runs a similar elimination-style pitch process and pools investor capital to fund early-stage startups. Listed as a direct inspiration for SAC's founding model.
• Willamette Angel Conference: Oregon angel investing conference operating on the same elimination-based, pooled-investment model as SAC. Cited as one of SAC's founding inspirations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nwangelconf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@seattleangelconference
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeattleAngelConference
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seattle-angel-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments17 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Seattle Angel Conference