
Welcome back to The Sunstone Way.
We talked last week about the Sunstone How of supporting early-stage entrepreneurs. This week, I want to explain how we continue to walk with our Founders.
As the summer winds down our partner accelerators, the Long Beach Accelerator and Lair East Labs in New York City, begin wrapping up the latest cohorts of early-stage startups. Preparations are underway for the oh-so important Demo Days for the Founders. A Demo Day is a showcase day for the startup Founders, giving them a chance to explain their business and pitch to potential investors and the rest of the Founder community.
Why It Matters
Who doesn’t want to show what they can do in front of people who can help them succeed? A Demo Day is just that. After months of refining business plans, improving products and or services, and preparing ways to prove the value of their ideas in the accelerators, the Founders show why they can be The Next Big Thing.
The Demo Days organized by Lair East Labs and the Long Beach Accelerator are known to be quality events, with quality presentations. They often draw investors, industry experts, mentors, and other Founders. That means exposure, connections, feedback and sometimes even investment.
Our Sunstone experts will be there, both supporting and evaluating each Founder. We became their partners when they were accepted to the accelerator, and now will evaluate whether we will continue in that partnership.
Other Ways To Help
In addition to our direct support, we are able to help our Founders connect in other ways. For example, Sunstone-supported startups are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in Amazon Web Services Cloud credits, valid for two years, as well as a full year of AWS Business Support, worth up to $10,000.
That program is sponsored by Sunstone. Our economic development experts also help startups apply for grants and government loans or matching funds, as I explained in the July 27 Sunstone Way. And we’re always working with our accelerator partners, looking for other ways to support our Founders both during and after their accelerator experience.
Perhaps most importantly, we work to maintain connections amongst our Founders – to build the community. Being part of an entrepreneurial community enriches Founders’ lives (The Sunstone Why) and provides access to a lifelong community of startup Founders who can support each other with personal and professional support throughout their lives.
Important Dates
Lair East Labs started its summer cohort before the Long Beach Accelerator, and the Lair East Labs Demo Day comes first, on Sept. 14, in the heart of New York City. Long Beach’s Demo Days come a month later, on Oct. 17 and 18, with the second day being a virtual Demo Day. Check with the accelerators for more details if you are interested in attending. We’ll be there.
That’s how Sunstone helps our Founders. That’s The Sunstone Way.
And as always, be a Sunstone!
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone Management, Inc.
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More About Sunstone Management
Sunstone Management is a diversified private capital sponsor firm located in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology entrepreneurs who seek to build great companies. We believe in the aspirational power of the American economy to attract and inspire investors and entrepreneurs from throughout the world. We deliver new and exciting opportunities for economic growth through the creation of innovative public-private partnerships, and our unique experience across government, education, and private sectors. Identified by Financial Times as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies three years in a row. Ranked 18th in the United States on the list of most active venture capital firms by PitchBook.
© Sunstone Management Inc.