If you’ve ever lived in Silicon Valley or spent time pitching there, you realize the huge contrast in pitching local Southern California venture capitalists and the usual run through Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. I used to bicycle my way through Sand Hill Road every weekend after work (I was living in Mountain View, working in Palo Alto) and I was always amazed at the density of all the venture capital in town. You could practically hit every venture investor in Silicon Valley all within a few blocks. Contrast that to the drive, park, sit in traffic, drive, park, etc. that is life in Southern California, and you understand sometimes why companies find it easier to sometimes just do the Sand Hill Road tour than talk with local investors.

That said, your odds of getting committed investors interested in your company in Southern California are much lower on Sand Hill Road than talking to the folks here who care and can help your firm on the ground. So, how to solve that friction? Well, one way is to take advantage of the “mini Sand Hill road” which happens every year with Los Angeles Venture Association‘s annual Meet the VCs event. The event–occurring next Tuesday (October 11th) in Santa Monica, allows companies to talk to 25 venture capital investors and angel groups in the same room, all on the same night. Entrepreneurs have to apply to be invited, but if you are, it’s well worth getting to know folks in town who might be your future investors. We’re supporting the event, but I’d also recommend it anyway as a way to start establishing a relationship with possible investors and advisors to your company.

More details on the event itself can be found on LAVA’s website — as an entrepreneur, it really does make it easy for you to connect with investors here…

Filed under:
Venture Capital by Benjamin Kuo