Welcome back to the Sunstone Way.
Are you ready for some baseball? Major League Baseball’s spring training began last week, and the first games in the Cactus League and Grapefruit League (spring training sites in Arizona and Florida, respectively) are tomorrow!
Closer to home, college baseball season actually began last month. Some of you might be aware that I have a personal interest here – my son Ben is leading the Cypress College Chargers in homeruns and RBIs!
There’s probably a Dad Joke in there somewhere, but for now, just count me proud!
Growth Phase
Last year at this time, Ben was preparing for his last baseball season at Millikan High School. He has grown both physically and in skill pretty much every year he has played baseball, and it shows.
Pretty much the same thing can be said about Sunstone Investment Group Inc.
When the company was formed 10 years ago as Sunstone Management, investing venture capital in primarily startup phase companies was a primary business approach. Over the last decade we have grown to include other activities, but venture capital remains a key.
Which is exactly why we formed Sunstone Venture Partners LLC.
Experts at Work
Today, Sunstone has more than 100 companies in its portfolio. There are some big names – we partnered with them before they were “big” – such as Boom Technologies and Syntiant Corp. There are more who have made it for several years and are on the verge of truly breaking out – Seatrec, Evolectric and 123 Baby Box come to mind.
But most of our portfolio companies are in what we call the startup phase. There’s a wide range of business evolution within that phase, but for the most part startup founders still want and need help.
That’s one role the Sunstone Venture Partners team plays. They also are the private capital fund manager at Sunstone, but that includes taking care of the companies.
Suite of Tools
As I said, Sunstone has grown over the years, and that includes the number and kinds of assistance we can offer our startups. Top on that list for most founders is access to capital, whether that’s connections to private investors or introductions to the many government programs capable of helping. That runs from the very local like the Long Beach Small Business Development Center to the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) and its many financial assistance programs.
Many of these innovative entrepreneurs have incredible ideas and technical expertise, but need help navigating the world of business. Again, Sunstone can make the connection to resources many founders don’t know about, helping with everything legal issues to marketing plans.
All About Learning
Growth is essential to business success and, more often than not, knowledge is the path to growth. That’s why the Sunstone team stresses involvement in accelerators, incubators and workshops for founders to learn.
In fact, many of our portfolio companies have come from accelerators we support – particularly the Long Beach Accelerator (LBA). You might recall that Sunstone is a founding partner of the LBA, and we continue to be involved in the organization.
You’re going to be hearing more about the LBA this year. Some exciting plans are in the works, but I’ll wait until the amazing Vivian Shimoyama, now LBA Executive Director, is ready to tell us about them.
Personal Touch
For me, the greatest thing about Sunstone Venture Partners is the personal touch they maintain with our portfolio companies. From the leader, Jasmine Jiang (senior vice president of investment operations) to Clark Hsu (investor relations manager) and Angie Zuo (founder community manager), Potter Peng (founder community associate) and our analysts Sabrina Li (research analyst II) and Steven Jiang (investment analyst intern), there is an ongoing emphasis on personal engagement.
It’s all about community – the community of innovation and entrepreneurship – seeking stability and success. That’s what we call the Sunstone Way!
And remember, always be a Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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Sunstone Investment Group, headquartered in Southern California, is the holding company for the Sunstone family of entities, including: Sunstone Investment Management Services, responsible for administrative services; Sunstone Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which oversees Sunstone Venture Partners LLC, a private capital fund manager; Sunstone Cities, a government economic development consulting firm; and Sunstone Community Fund, a charitable organization that supports entrepreneurship. Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community. Email us at contact@sunstoneinvestment.com.
©Sunstone, 2026