6 Central Coast startups try to woo angel investors — and one came away with $125,000

Six startups competed for a big funding boost in San Luis Obispo on Thursday, pitching their business to 17 angel investors — and one came away with a $125,000 investment.

Cal Poly’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Small Business Development Center hosted its eighth annual AngelCon pitch competition at Rod & Hammer Rock, with local startups given the chance to win over $100,000 in the span of less than three hours, according to a news release.

The standout winner was GreenSight Technologies, a startup that provides a solution for companies needing to dispose of or resell old electronics in a sustainable and time effective manner.

The startup walked away with $125,000 in equity investment, according to Donica Forensich, CIE senior economic development director.

“This year’s AngelCon finalists truly raised the bar,” Forensich said in a news release. “It is incredibly inspiring to witness such mission-driven entrepreneurship thriving here in Central California.”

ODIN Diagnostics, a business focused on changing concussion care using artificial intelligence to detect it early, also competed for a prize and won the Audience Choice Award, including $2,030 in prize money.

AngelCon was live streamed on YouTube, with the recording now live.

The Cal Poly CIE Small Business Development Center is a partnership between Cal Poly CIE, UC Merced and the City of San Luis Obispo. The program offers assistance and guidance for technology businesses, whether they are startups or established companies, according to the press release.

As for what’s next for the AngelCon investors and startups, a panel with the investors will be held on May 7 at 8:30 a.m. to offer advice for next year’s cohort of businesses looking to compete.

For more information about Cal Poly CIE Small Business Development Center, visit its website.