Capital Accelerator Programs

The Florida Venture Forum and the Florida Venture Education Foundation, invite you to attend the 14th annual Early Stage Capital Conference on October 7-8, 2021. This year’s conference will offer top company presentations, guest speakers, breakout panel discussions, one-on-one meetings, networking with investors and more! The conference also will feature the 11th annual Statewide Collegiate Start-up Competition, attracting the “best of the best” competitors, representing Florida’s major colleges and universities.

Additionally, $100,000 in cash prize money provided by Space Florida, will be awarded to the top early stage companies at the conclusion of the conference.

For More Information, visit our Press Release

2021 Early Stage Capital Conference

Apply to Present: https://bit.ly/ES21Apply
Presenter Application: https://bit.ly/ES21ApplyNow
Registration: https://bit.ly/ES21Register
Sponsorship: https://bit.ly/ES21Sponsor
Statewide Collegiate Startup Competition: https://bit.ly/ES21Collegiate

The Florida Venture Forum and Space Florida will host the annual Aerospace Innovation & Tech Forum on June 10, 2021. This virtual half day event will feature aerospace and innovative tech companies from related industries.

Companies are invited to apply to present and compete for the Space Florida’s “Accelerating Innovation” (AI) awards, totaling $100,000. Selected presenting companies must have a focus in aerospace and related innovative technologies to be eligible to compete for up to $100,000 in total allocated awards. The Grand Prize* winning company will receive $40,000. The first-place runner-up company will receive $30,000 and two second-place companies will receive $15,000 each. NOTE: Prize determination by the judging team is final.

For More Information, visit our Press Release

AITF APPLY TO PRESENT

Aerospace and innovative tech companies from related industries are invited to apply to present in a web-based competition for the Space Florida Accelerating Innovation (AI) awards, totaling $100,000. Selected presenting companies must have a focus in aerospace and related innovative technologies (see commercial markets listed below) to be eligible to compete for up to $100,000 in total allocated awards. The FIRST PLACE* winning company will receive $40,000, and TWO RUNNER UP prizes of $20,000 will be awarded to each runner up winner.  Additionally, ALL selected presenter companies will be awarded $1,000 each.

Aerospace Innovation and Tech Forum Virtual Event

Presenting Companies

The Florida Venture Forum has selected 22 companies to present at its 13th annual Florida Early Stage Capital Conference, which will be hosted virtually, October 14-15. The conference also will feature the 10th annual 2020 Statewide Collegiate Startup Competition, attracting the “best of the best” in collegiate competitors from Florida’s leading innovation-focused colleges and universities.

“We were overwhelmed with applications to present at the 2020 Florida Early Stage Capital Conference, despite the current market challenges,” said Mark Volchek, founding partner of Las Olas Venture Capital and chair of the Early Stage Conference selection committee. “The quality and market traction of the companies competing for limited presenter slots was extremely high and our committee did a great job with its final selections. Thankfully our all-virtual format will allow us to feature a record number of presenters and exhibitors, along with a host of other programming.”

In addition to company presentations and other educational programming, the conference will feature a total of $100,000 in cash awards distributed between early stage and seed stage companies, provided by Space Florida. To date, past early stage presenters have attracted over $460 million in equity funding.

Online registration for the Early Stage Capital Conference is available through October 13, 2020. Conference attendees will hear pitches from selected companies and network with attendees including every major seed and angel fund in Florida, as well as venture investors from throughout the state and beyond.  On October 14, 2020, conference attendees may also pre-register for the “Knowing When Your Company Is Investable” workshop led by Ross Finlay, of the Angel Resource Institute.

Presenters were selected from a pool of over 150 applicants by a committee of active Florida venture capital investors.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Space Florida and the Florida Venture Forum, Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, are pleased to announce the Florida Aerospace Capital Forum, taking place on November 6th at the Guidewell Innovation Center in Lake Nona, Florida.

The Florida Venture Forum is actively reviewing applications from companies in the following industries that are interested in presenting: Aircraft and spacecraft design, parts and assembly, advanced materials and new products, engineering design and construction, life sciences, medical research, healthcare, structural materials and electronic assembly, artificial intelligence, information technology, data analytics, satellite communications, bio-agriculture research, water issues, payload development, robotics – parts, design and assembly, unmanned aerial vehicles, cyber security, surveillance, 3D printing and innovation, radiation protection, reconnaissance and missile development.

In addition to the opportunity to present before an audience of active equity investors, selected and eligible presenting companies will be considered for the Accelerating Innovation (AI) Award offered by Space Florida, a cash prize totaling $100,000.

For more information on the 2019 Florida Aerospace Capital Forum, including information on applying to present, visit www.flventure.org

2019 Florida Early Stage Capital Conference, held at Omni ChampionsGate in Orlando. A total of 20 Florida-based companies from a variety of industry sectors were selected to present before an audience of investors, deal professionals and entrepreneurs.

A panel of judges reviewed each selected company’s presentation and supporting materials. The top Early Stage companies, SaferWatch and SegAna LLC will receive $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, of Space Florida’s Accelerating Innovation (AI) Award. Seed companies STAT3 Therapeutics and Capacitech Energy LLC will receive $15,000 and $10,000 of the AI Award, respectively.

Space Florida and the Florida Venture Forum, in partnership with Harris Corporation, are pleased to announce Axion Technologies, Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc., Spintech, LLC as the top three winners, respectively, of the inaugural Florida Aerospace Capital Forum. Held at the Guidewell Innovation Center in Lake Nona, the event featured 17 presenting companies and an opportunity to engage with the Florida Venture Forum investment community.

A panel of judges reviewed each selected company’s presentation and supporting materials. Axion Technologies was named the top company and received $50,000 of Space Florida’s $100,000 Accelerating Innovation Award. Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc., and Spintech, LLC were awarded the $30,000 and $20,000 cash prizes, respectively.

2018 Florida Early Stage Angel Capital Conference, held at the Westshore Grand in Tampa. A total of 19 Florida-based companies and one California-based company from a variety of industry sectors were selected to present before an audience of investors, deal professionals and entrepreneurs.

A panel of judges reviewed each selected company’s presentation and supporting materials. The top companies, Tomahawk Robotics and Gridics will each receive $25,000 of Space Florida’s $50,000 Accelerating Innovation Award.