The Investors Guide to SXSW 2019
I know lots of investors from Texas and from around the world who are visiting Austin for SXSW and want to know where to go and how to plug in. Here are the lounges, parties, pitches and panels I can share publicly. I also have a list of invite-only events that I can share if you contact me directly.
Step 1. Sign up for the CF VIP List. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. Immediately sign up for the Capital Factory VIP List.
Meet the Locals
Here are the most active early stage investors in town that you should meet while you’re here and do deals with. It’s a robust ecosystem so I’m only listing the ones we’ve done the most deals with here but Capital Factory is the most active early stage investor in Texas so this is a good sampling. You can see a much larger list at the end.
Capital Factory VIP Lounge
Time: Friday, March 8 — Wednesday, March 13
Every day 10:00am-5:00pm.
Location: Capital Factory, 701 Brazos Street, 16th floor
Register: Apply for the guest list
The best place to meet the local investors is at the Capital Factory VIP Lounge.
Investors visiting from out of town can apply for access here. Capital Factory members and mentors are always VIP’s and can bring in a +1 with them so if you know someone at Capital Factory you’re a VIP, too. You never know who might roll through while you’re in there — it could be your next investor or a big customer or the next president of the U.S. or maybe just #GrumpyCat.
The 16th floor kitchen and coworking area will be buzzing with even more energy and excitement than normal. It’s stocked with free food, drinks and wifi but the real reason you want to be there is because we’ve curated all of the top entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators at SXSW and invited them to stop by. Sure, there will be celebrities and TV cameras but the real action will be the serendipity of the people you meet. You never know who you might bump into and how that might change your life!
Serendipity is what SXSW is all about.
Engineering Serendipity
Making real connections starts with having the right people in the room. We start by doing our homework and researching all of the most interesting people and companies coming from all over the world and add in all of the local entrepreneurs and investors that we know. Then we reach out to all of the venture capitalists, accelerators and coworking spaces to spread the word. We ask everyone to tell us when they are coming and who they want to meet. We pull that all into a big spreadsheet, share it with everyone, and offer to make introductions between everyone on the list and book a conference room. Our goal is to make 1,000 introductions in one week!
The person you want to know who is coordinating the investor introductions is Nick Spiller. He does this all round for the Capital Factory portfolio but this week he’ll be in high gear making hundreds of introductions and arranging hundreds of in-person meetings at Capital Factory.
You can register for our year-round Investor Relations updates here:
SXSW Startup Crawl
Time: Friday, March 8, 4:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Capital Factory, 701 Brazos Street
Register: SXSW Badge OR register at atxstartupcrawl.com
Kick things off at the biggest party of SXSW — The SXSW Startup Crawl! Grab a group of friends and tour the latest and greatest of Austin’s startup community. You’ll take the shuttle from stop to stop for a free beverage, to drop off a resume, see office space or explore Austin’s startup scene. For more information, visit atxstartupcrawl.com
SXSW Pitch (formerly SXSW Accelerator)
SXSW Pitch is the official SXSW platform to allow early stage technology startups to pitch their product and/or services to industry technology experts, high profiled media personnel, and Venture Capitalists / Angel Investors. Five companies will dazzle a live audience, panel of judges with their ideas, innovations, product and/or service on Sunday, March 10th in Salon DE on the 4th floor of the Hilton Hotel. We will announce the winner of the Artificial Intelligence Technologies category at the SXSW Pitch Awards Ceremony on Sunday, March 10th at 6:30pm in Salon H on the 6th floor of the Hilton Hotel.
SXSW Defense Innovation Lounge
Time: Saturday, March 9 — Tuesday, March 12
Every day 10:00am-5:00pm
Location: Capital Factory, 701 Brazos Street, 8th floor
Register: Open to the public
GEAR UP, Y’ALL. THE FUTURE IS NOW.
Come check out tech through a military lens. Whether you’re a veteran, active duty, family member, or not involved at all — don’t worry — we’ve got your six. Get ready to experience hands-on, cutting edge technology demos (and some wild future science stuff you never thought was possible). There will also be a constant stream of programming including official SXSW panels.
The Capital Factory Center for Defense Innovation is an unprecedented collaboration between the public and private sector that brings together entrepreneurs and government innovators shoulder-to-shoulder in a coworking environment where they can learn from each other.
We don’t know of any other location in DC or elsewhere in the country where multiple government innovation groups are colocated together with startups to create their own center of gravity.
We also don’t know of any other location where anyone can just walk up and talk to real soldiers from the Army, Air Force, and DOD. There are no secret rooms or classified materials at Capital Factory because we want this to be a place that’s open and accessible to innovators of all kinds. This is a place for collaboration, not for secrets.
The Trade Show
Time: March 10–13
Location: Austin Convention Center
Register: SXSW Badge Required
Make sure to leave yourself at least 2 hours to wander around the SXSW trade show floor — it’s always eye opening. See hundreds of exhibitors and demonstrations across every industry and technology. Bring a bag for collecting swag!
Official SXSW Panels and Speakers
SXSW Badge Required
Watch Out Silicon Valley: Rising LATAM Tech Scene
MAR 8, 2019 | 12:30PM — 1:30PM
HILTON AUSTIN DOWNTOWN, SALON K
SIMÓN BORRERO, Rappi
RODOLFO GONZALEZ, Foundation Capital
COURTNEY MCCOLGAN, Runa HR
DANIEL VOGEL, Bitso
Latin American startups are attracting a record amount of venture capital funding. A new generation of Latam entrepreneurs who are proficient with the startup toolkits available to their North American counterparts are building tech companies that play to the advantages and preferences of their region. As a result, Latin America has emerged as a new hotspot for tech startups, alluring some of the top investors from the Silicon Valley and China.
To discuss this seismic shift, Rodolfo Gonzalez, partner at Foundation Capital and one of the only major Silicon Valley investors from Mexico, will be joined by the CEOs of Rappi, Bitso, and Runa HR — three entrepreneurs who are part of this vanguard of Latam founders.
PitchTexas: Graduate Startup Pitch Competition
MAR 8, 2019 | 5:00PM — 6:00PM
HILTON AUSTIN DOWNTOWN, SALON J
HEATHER BRUNNER, WP Engine
ROD FAVARON, Spredfast
GREGORY L. FENVES, University of Texas at Austin
TRENT SEGERS, University of Texas at Austin
Best-in-class student-led startups from across the United States will compete live on stage to win over entrepreneur & venture capitalist judges for cash prizes, bragging rights, and a chance to impress and inspire the SXSW crowd. Startups are leveraging the cutting edge in terms of technology, offering solutions build with AI, block chain, and cloud computing. Previous year’s contestants come from a wide variety of industries, including medical devices, fin-tech, and CPG.
Mainstreaming Impact Investing
MAR 9, 2019 | 9:30AM — 10:30AM
THE LINE, TOPAZ BALLROOM 1–2–3
ARJUNA COSTA, Omidyar Network
IRA EHRENPREIS, DBL Partners
ALFREDO SILVA, Morrison & Foerster LLP
MEGAN STARR, Goldman Sachs Asset Management
“Impact” investing can mean different things to different people — public, private, debt, equity, market return, concessionary capital, etc. Recently, “impact” has moved from its original philanthropic focus to mainstream investors who believe that a focus on environmental and social factors is good for business. This panel of leaders in the impact investing space will explore what impact means to a variety of different investors and describe how fund structures, financing instruments, and corporate form can help advance environmental, social, and governance goals in addition to profit.
Trailblazing Women: Igniting Inclusive Innovation
MAR 9, 2019 | 5:00PM — 6:00PM
COURTYARD MARRIOTT, RIO GRANDE BALLROOM
KRISTINA BERGMAN, Integris Software
VANESSA DAWSON, The Vinetta Project
SUSAN PENFIELD, Booz Allen Hamilton
SHELLY PORGES, Billion Dollar Fund for Women
Investors make more money when they finance women entrepreneurs, and companies with greater gender diversity on their executive teams are more likely to earn above average profits. Yet female founders received only 2% of venture capital dollars in 2017. What gives? Join Booz Allen Hamilton’s Chief Innovation Officer, Susan Penfield, Vinetta Project C.E.O. Vanessa Dawson, Integris Software C.E.O, Kristina Bergman, and serial entrepreneur and investor, Shelly Porges on lighting a new path.
Entrepreneurship in China: Will they Eat Your Lunch?
MAR 10, 2019 | 3:30PM — 4:30PM
AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER
TRADE SHOW — NEXT STAGE — EXHIBIT HALL 4
WILLIAM BAO BEAN, SOSV
KAISER KUO, SupChina
RUI MA, Triller
OLIVIA WANG, Zhenfund
This panel will discuss the rise of China’s billion-dollar tech startups, some of whom have IPOd recently with mixed success The business climate in China has evolved rapidly in recent years, throwing up new challenges and threatening a new tech “cold war” between the U.S.and China, but tech entrepreneurship charges ahead in the Middle Kingdom. Expect a brief overview of the recent history of tech entrepreneurship, laying out the major issues and the sources of China’s innovative surge, with an expert class on what the future still has in store. Learn more about the cross-border investments occurring and the reshaping of the tech universe.
Featured Session: Arlan Hamilton
MAR 11, 2019 | 5:00PM — 6:00PM
HILTON AUSTIN DOWNTOWN, SALON H
ARLAN HAMILTON, Backstage Capital
KC IFEANYI, Fast Company
It’s About Damn Time… Arlan Hamilton shares the story of how she built a venture fund from the ground up. She talks about the competitive advantage of diversity, scaling and managing a fully remote team, and investing in startups with humanity.
Angel Investor Meet Up
MAR 11, 2019 | 5:00PM — 6:00PM
FAIRMONT, WISTERIA ROOM
CLAIRE HANSEN, Central Texas Angel Network
SAMANTHA LEWIS, GOOSE Society of Texas
Are you an angel investor or considering becoming one? We invite you to join member representatives from Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Alliance of Texas Angel Networks (ATAN) groups for a conversation about the topics impacting angel investing today. Will ICOs make a comeback? How will crowdfunded investments impact your portfolio? Will SAFE agreements replace convertible notes? Whether you’re making your first investment or your 50th, we want to meet you. If you’re newer to angel investing, angel groups are a great avenue to build your understanding and confidence as an investor. Join your peers to discuss these topics, make connections, and exchange ideas about the future of angel investing.
Geography vs. Investing: Should Location Matter?
MAR 12, 2019 | 11:00AM — 12:00PM
HILTON AUSTIN DOWNTOWN, SALON E
BRANDON BRYANT, Harlem Capital
RACHEL CARPENTER, Intrinio
JAY CLOUSE, THE UP COMPANY LLC
ANDY SPARKS, Holloway
It’s never been easier for entrepreneurs everywhere to start a company. But even with world-changing companies being built all over, access to capital is still concentrated in Silicon Valley. But we’ve found investors inside the coasts investing in Silicon Valley, as well as Silicon Valley investors funding companies inside the coasts. This panel examines the role geography plays in investment, what role it SHOULD play, and how investors can find companies with upside regardless of geography.
VCs Reality Check for AI Hype
MAR 12, 2019 | 12:30PM — 1:30PM
HILTON AUSTIN DOWNTOWN, SALON K
DAVID BLUMBERG, Blumberg Capital
ALASTAIR GOLDFISHER, Venture Capital Journal
AARON JACOBSON, NEA
KRISTINA SERAFIM, Verizon Ventures
AI has become hyped in the media with futuristic stories, but in reality, AI adoption is relatively low. This panel will discuss the types of AI startups VCs look to fund, showing investment dollars are shifting away from unproven futuristic ideas and toward more pragmatic, foundational AI infrastructure. These are the underlying tech companies that survive long-term and provide real returns. Panelists will also discuss the specifics they look for when assessing an AI company in the pitch room.
Investing in Game-Changing Deep Tech
MAR 12, 2019 | 3:30PM — 4:30PM
LUCILLE
MICHAEL J BIERCUK, Q-Ctrl
SHAHIN FARSHCHI, Lux Capital
KIERSTEN STEAD, Data Collective
ADAM WARDELL, Novartis
Deep Technology has traditionally scared investors. As the speed of innovation increases and research institutions become even more intertwined with start-ups and big technology, investors are starting to warm up to the idea that they should explore investing in Deep Technology. This panel will bring together entrepreneurs, researchers and investors in Deep Tech to discuss investment and innovation trends around the world including how a significant amount of Deep Technology is coming from outside the United States. We will talk about how researchers can utilize a commercialization framework and investment lens in their research. We will also touch on how the investment community needs to change their thinking, patience, and risk-tolerance in order to invest in the Deep Tech space.
Beyond the Coast: The Middle Is Where It’s At
MAR 12, 2019 | 3:30PM — 4:30PM
HILTON AUSTIN DOWNTOWN, SALON C
STACY CARTER, Techstars
CHELSEA COLLIER, Digi.City
CHRIS HEIVLY, Techstars
JONATHAN SCHALLIOL, The Heritage Group
Silicon Valley has long reigned superior as the startup capital of the world. And while we still bow down to some of its residents the current position amongst many in the tech community is that opportunities for tech innovation and growth are more widely present in areas outside of the bay area — particularly in the Heartland — due in large part to the rising costs in San Francisco and economic booms elsewhere. This session will provide insight into why San Francisco is no longer the startup capital of the world, why investors are taking notice and are beginning to examine the Heartland’s growing tech revolution. More importantly, it will advise the audience on the impact this will have on startups and employment.
Also check out some of our other SXSW 2019 blog posts…
What did we miss? Leave your suggestions in the comments below for others to see.
