SWS Venture Capital Joins Tech Coast Angels as Affiliate Member
LOS ANGELES, and PASADENA, Calif. (PRWEB) November 28, 2018 -- Tech Coast Angels (TCA) today announced that Pasadena-based VC firm SWS Venture Capital (SWS) recently became an affiliate member of Tech Coast Angels. General Partner and chairman of SWS, Steve Streit, is also founder of Green Dot, which received capital and mentorship from TCA when the company was in early stage development. The company, now a multi-billion-dollar NYSE company, went on to be one of TCA’s most successful investments.
TCA is one of the country’s largest and most influential angel networks. SWS is a firm focused on both active and passive investments in early stage companies within the consumer products and technology sectors. The affiliation of the two entities provides startups with an opportunity for introduction to more investors who support the entrepreneurial ecosystem at all funding and maturity levels, so that young companies can transition from angel-to-VC capital and organizational needs.
“This is truly a full-circle story,” said Greg Jones, President & CEO of SWS. “TCA provided support and backing to Green Dot, and now, 17 years later, we are able to partner with TCA again, albeit in a different role.”
“Our relationship with SWS is one of many steps we’re taking to grow partnerships and develop a truly strong small –and large—entrepreneurial and funding ecosystem for exceptional young companies,” said David Friedman, TCA Orange County Vice President and creator of the TCA Affiliate Member program.
Kirby Ryan, COO of SWS, agrees. “TCA provides a great bellwether for the startup ecosystem, allowing us to see patterns early on in the maturation process. Its relationships with other angel networks and the UC System are second to none. Working with TCA helps us make connections with remarkable entrepreneurs earlier than we normally would.”
“TCA members have such a broad spectrum of expertise – there are medical professionals, engineers, scientists, CEOs of companies from all areas as members – with so much diversity and different careers,” said Mr. Jones. “As professional investors, we would normally have to outsource to find this caliber of qualified people outside our field.”
“Green Dot was one of our portfolio companies and went on to achieve huge success. It is our belief that cultivating companies and solidifying relationships with a flexible VC firm like SWS provides our region with a stronger, more unified, and robust investment community, with better deal flow -- and through these affiliations, grow an even more vibrant startup community so that there are more Green Dot-type successes,” concluded Mr. Friedman.
TCA affiliate membership is available to family offices, foundations, corporate venture, non-profits, and venture capital funds. Affiliate members are not required to be located in Southern California. Visit https://www.techcoastangels.com/angels/ for information about TCA’s membership programs.
About Tech Coast Angels:
Tech Coast Angels (TCA) is one of the largest and most active angel investor networks in the nation, and a leading source of funding for seed-stage and early-stage companies across all innovation industries in Southern California. TCA members are accredited investors who individually invest in startup companies, and as a group, TCA has invested up to $6M in a single company. Companies in which TCA invest go through well-structured, transparent, and time efficient screening and due diligence. TCA members are themselves founders and executive-level business leaders who have extensive knowledge in the investment process and world-class business practices. TCA members thus provide companies with more than just capital; they also contribute counsel, mentoring and access to an extensive network of investors, customers, strategic partners and management.
TCA is a catalyst in the growth of the thriving Southern California entrepreneurial ecosystem of innovation, funding mostly emerging technologies and life science companies. A recent Halo Report rated TCA as #2 nationally in a number of funded deals, and a recent analysis by CB Insights ranked TCA #1 out of 370 angel groups on “Network Centrality” and #5 overall in “Investor Mosaic.” Since its founding in 1997, TCA has invested over $200 million in more than 350 companies and has helped attract more than $1.6 billion in additional capital/follow-on rounds, mostly from venture capital firms. For more information, please visit http://www.techcoastangels.com.
About SWS Venture Capital:
SWS Venture Capital is a Pasadena, California-based venture capital firm founded by American entrepreneur and Green Dot Corporation Founder/CEO, Steve Streit. The firm is focused on both active and passive investments in early stage companies within the consumer products and technology sectors. SWS employs a two-pronged investment strategy; first, as an active investor, SWS seeks to partner with passionate entrepreneurs to provide the strategic, operational, and financial support needed to help incubate their business from a pre-revenue concept into a growing, profitable enterprise. Second, as a passive investor, SWS focuses on partnering with leading, established venture capital firms to provide fast-track funding for co-investments where our domain expertise and deep network provide a strategic advantage.
Kimber Smith Fidler, for Tech Coast Angels, http://www.techcoastangels.com, +1 (775) 298 5260, [email protected]
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