SDSI MISSION


SD Sport Innovators is the heartbeat of the Southern California sports business community. We inspire sports innovation through connections & networking, mentoring & education and access to capital.


As a non-profit, business accelerating, trade organization SDSI connects and drives the growth of Southern California's vibrant sports economy by offering innovative programs and services for start-ups, mature companies and service providers. We offer mentoring, education and capital funding opportunities for start-ups; best practice collaboration, access to new technology and public policy advocacy for mature companies; as well as deal flow to our service providers and the Southern California Investment Community.

VENTURE ROUNDTABLE

To help venture ready companies more easily connect to active investors, CONNECT hosts four Venture Roundtables (VRT) each year: Life Sciences, Clean Technology, Digital and Convergence. Each showcases five pre-screened San Diego innovation companies seeking financing. SDSI refers investment ready sport companies into the application pool for appropriate VRT. Convergence VRT is the most likely opportunity for SDSI companies however many sport companies have crossover applications to the Life Science, Clean Technology as well as Digital VRT.


The CONNECT Venture Roundtable has five phases:

  1. Call for applications;
  2. Pre-screening Committee review: CONNECT Entrepreneurs-in-residence review applications to evaluate venture-readiness. EIRs also provide follow-up coaching where necessary;
  3. Screening Committee Meeting: Industry experts and CONNECT Entrepreneurs-in-residents review applicants and select the top ten companies to move on to the next round;
  4. Distinguished Judges Panel: Industry experts review the list of finalists and select five companies based on the commercial viability of the innovation;
  5. Presentations to VCs: The five winning companies present to a group of 25 investors followed by a networking reception that includes screening committee members, judges, sponsors, VCs and presenting companies.

Full Program Details here


Program contact


Ruprecht von Buttlar

CONNECT
Director, Business Creation & Development
Email: rvonbuttlar@connect.org
Phone: (858) 964-1309
Fax: (858) 964-1301


Orlee Dykan

CONNECT
Senior Program Coordinator
Email: odykan@connect.org
Phone: (858) 964-1330
Fax: (858) 964-1301