Santa Monica, California (PRWEB) September 23, 2015
Leaders of LA’s startup tech scene and civic leaders take the stage at the 5th annual Vator Splash LA 2015 startup event on Oct. 15 at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
The tech startup scene is booming as LA venture investments skyrocket 5x in five years. In the first half of 2015, 105 deals have received $3.2 billion in venture investments, according to Dow Jones VentureSource, up from $373 million in the same period in 2010.
Much of the growth and increased investments have come from a maturing startup ecosystem. Dollar Shave Club, launched just three years ago, has raised $150 million in total and is valued at some $600 million. Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company recently raised another $100 million in financing, bringing its valuation to $1.7 billion. JustFab has raised some $250 million in financing and is valued at more than $1 billion.
Founders and CEOs of all three companies – Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave Club, Brian Lee of The Honest Company and Adam Goldenberg of JustFab - will be on stage at Splash LA.
LA’s most prolific investor – Jeremy Liew, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners - will also take the stage to share his views on LA trendspotting. Liew was the seed money in SnapChat and the first institutional money in The Honest Company and Whisper.
Some topics we’ll cover:
- Bubbles and a guide to LA fundraising: Erik Rannal (Mucker Labs), James Conlon (Partner, Bulklpen), TX Zhuo (Karlin Ventures); Moderator: Rob Kornegay (Partner, WSGR)
- Unveiling of top 8 Finalists in the Splash Startup Competition: Judges – Kara Nortman (Upfront Ventures), Alex Gurevich (Javelin Venture Partners, Eric Manlunas (Wavemaker), Bill Woodward (Anthem Venture Partners), Eva Ho (Partner, Susa Ventures), Brian Lee (CEO, TheHonest Company), Larry Marcus (Partner, WaldenVC), Hilary Perchard (Partner, Sky Media)
- VC and Entrepreneur Breakouts: The Art of Angel Investing (Paige Craig – Arena Ventures), How to win a deal (Peter Pham – Science), How to know when you’re ready to launch (Amir Banifatemi, Tech Coast Angels); Investor Lessons (Brian Garrett, Crosscut Ventures)
For the last 5 years, Vator has produced Splash events and startup competitions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland and London. Vator Splash events have increasingly focused on critical conversations about the culture and community of tech ecosystems, attracting prominent civic leaders. The 170 Splash finalists over the last fives year have gone on to raise $550 million in venture financing, after being on stage.
Current sponsors and partners for Vator Splash LA include Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, KPMG, Sky Media, Wavemaker Partners, Javelin Venture Partners, Scrubbed, Rackspace, Bixel Exchange, Los Angeles Economic Development Corp, All Good Living Collection, and Bread and Butter Wine.
About Vator: Vator (short for innovator) is a professional network for entrepreneurs and investors. Founded and run by veteran and award-winning journalist Bambi Francisco, the Vator properties consist of Vator, one of the largest business networks dedicated to entrepreneurship, VatorX, a platform to find and manage startup deal flow, and Vator Media, which consists of VatorNews, its news site focused on the business and trends of high-tech entrepreneurship and innovation, and Events, which include the Splash Series and an annual VC event, Post Seed.
Press contacts: press(at)vator(dot)tv.