HVCA

What HVCA does

HVCA (Hawaii Venture Capital Association) is a private nonprofit professional association founded in 1998 that represents entrepreneurs, private equity firms, and venture capital firms with investment interests in Hawaii and the broader Pacific region. The organization operates as the primary community convening body for Hawaii's startup and venture ecosystem, hosting monthly luncheons, breakfast panels, networking events, and the annual Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards Gala — now in its 25th+ year — which recognizes excellence across categories including Deal of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Investor of the Year, sector-specific awards (Agriculture/Clean Tech, Tech, CPG, Social Impact), and a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The association sells a tiered membership structure with six products: Individual tiers at Silver ($125/year), Gold ($375/year), and VIP ($425/year), and Corporate tiers at Silver ($275/year), Gold ($675/year), and VIP ($1,025/year), all billed annually. Members receive benefits ranging from event pricing and Hawaii Business Magazine subscription (Silver) to complimentary breakfast/luncheon admittance (Gold) and reserved seating plus complimentary gala access (VIP). HVCA generates additional revenue from corporate event sponsorships, where sponsors receive display tables, complimentary seating, speaking opportunities, VIP access, and newsletter/web recognition. The organization is governed by a board including President Meli James (cofounder of Mana Up), Donavan Kealoha (Startup Capital Ventures), Chenoa Farnsworth (Blue Startups/Hawaii Angels/Kolohala Ventures), Rob Robinson (Hawaii Angels founder), Peter Rowan (Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship), and Former President Bill Spencer (1999–2013).

HVCA has no proprietary technology platform; its "product" is community, brand, and event programming. It markets through email newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and distributes membership and event access exclusively direct-to-buyer via the hvca.org website. The operating footprint is regional (Hawaii, USA), with no disclosed geographic expansion plans, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity. Revenue and membership counts are not publicly disclosed.

Name

HVCA

Legal name

Hawaii Venture Capital Association

Website

https://hvca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hawaii Venture Capital Association (HVCA) is a Honolulu-based nonprofit founded in 1998 that convenes Hawaii's startup and venture ecosystem through tiered memberships ($125–$1,025/year), monthly events, and the annual Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards, serving entrepreneurs, angel and VC investors, and ecosystem supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Industry Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Venture capital association
• Startup networking events
• Entrepreneur awards program
• Angel investor network
• Innovation ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: HVCA generates revenue through tiered membership fees ranging from $125 to $1,025 annually depending on individual or corporate membership level.
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship of HVCA events including breakfast panels, luncheons, and the annual awards gala. Sponsors receive display tables, complimentary seating, speaking opportunities, and VIP access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HVCA operates a nonprofit professional membership association for Hawaii's venture capital and startup community, selling tiered annual memberships (individual and corporate Silver/Gold/VIP from $125 to $1,025) and producing recurring networking events, topical panel discussions, and the annual Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards gala that recognizes entrepreneurs across multiple categories. Membership and sponsorship fees fund community programming that connects Hawaii-based founders with angel investors, venture capital firms, and private equity investors focused on the Pacific region.

Product overview

HVCA offers a tiered membership structure consisting of six membership products across Individual and Corporate categories at Silver, Gold, and VIP levels ranging from $125 to $1,025 annually. These memberships provide access to events, networking opportunities, and member pricing. HVCA also operates the Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards (annual gala established 1998), an events program featuring luncheons and panels on innovation topics, sponsorship packages for events, and a newsletter subscription. The organization functions as a professional association for Hawaii's startup ecosystem rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVCA Membership Annual membership in the Hawaii Venture Capital Association available in individual tiers (Silver $125, Gold $375, VIP $425) and corporate tiers (Silver $275, Gold $675, VIP $1,025). Members receive HVCA event pricing or complimentary event access, a Hawaii Business Magazine subscription at Silver individual, and reserved seating and Awards Gala access at VIP levels. Targeted at Hawaii-based founders, angel and venture investors, and corporate ecosystem supporters.
• Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards Annual gala program recognizing Hawaii's top entrepreneurs and innovators across multiple categories including Deal of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Investor of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Student Entrepreneur, Island Innovator, Agriculture/Clean Tech, Tech, Consumer Packaged Goods, Corporate Intrapreneur, Social Impact, and People's Choice. Targets founders, investors, and ecosystem supporters who participate as nominees, awardees, sponsors, and ticket holders.
• HVCA Events Program

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Angel Capital Association: Trade association for angel investors and angel groups in North America. Closely comparable to HVCA's angel-investor orientation (HVCA board includes founders of Hawaii Angels), serving a similar member base of early-stage investors via dues, events, and annual programming.
• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): Global nonprofit fostering entrepreneurship through local chapter programming, mentorship, and events. Comparable to HVCA's entrepreneur/investor convening model with tiered membership and regular chapter events; operates multiple regional chapters in a similar chapter-based format.
• American Investment Council: National trade association for the U.S. private equity industry. Directly comparable as a private equity advocacy and member-services organization, though focused on buyout/PE rather than venture capital and operating at much larger scale than HVCA.
• National Venture Capital Association: The U.S. national trade association representing the venture capital industry. Directly comparable to HVCA as a VC industry membership body — same mission of representing VC/PE professionals, but operating at national scale and with substantially larger resource base.
• Small Business Investor Alliance: Trade association representing lower middle market private equity, private credit, and mezzanine investors. Comparable to HVCA as a PE-focused membership organization with tiered dues, events, and policy advocacy, but serving a different market segment.
• Keiretsu Forum: Global angel investor network with regional chapters hosting regular pitch and networking events. Comparable to HVCA in hosting recurring investor events and serving both angels and entrepreneurs, though with a global footprint rather than single-state focus.

Emerging players

• Startup Capital Ventures: Hawaii-focused venture capital firm whose Director (Donavan Kealoha) sits on HVCA's board. Comparable as a Hawaii VC ecosystem participant, but operates as an investment firm rather than a member-services association.
• Hawaii Angels: Hawaii's only angel capital investment network, founded by HVCA board member Rob Robinson. Comparable as a Hawaii-based investor convening body, but focused on deal-making rather than industry-wide membership and awards programming.
• Blue Startups: Hawaii-based accelerator run by HVCA board member Chenoa Farnsworth. Comparable as a Hawaii ecosystem participant supporting entrepreneurs, but operates a cohort-based accelerator rather than a membership/association model.

Others

• Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE): University-based entrepreneurship center at UH Manoa led by HVCA board member Peter Rowan. Comparable as a Hawaii entrepreneurship ecosystem institution, but academic rather than an investor-led association; functions as a feeder and partner for HVCA programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hvca808
• Facebookfacebook.com/hvca1
• Instagraminstagram.com/hvca808
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawaii-venture-capital-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HVCA