The organizers behind the sixth iteration of the San Diego Angel Conference at the University of San Diego said they have picked 27 quarterfinalists from 101 applications submitted for this year’s event.
The very early-stage startups will compete for various levels of seed funding. And one of the companies will win the top prize at the end of the process on May 9.
Last year’s winner, Limber Prosthetics & Orthotics, took away $269,000 in funding plus it received added investments within weeks of the event.
Investors have pumped more than $191 million into the young companies since the start of the competition six years ago.
The annual event is one of the largest event-based angel conferences in the country, according to organizers.
Conference founder Mysty Rusk said the goal is “to activate angel investors and fund early-stage companies with the potential to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.
According to Rusk, the group has vetted a total of more than 600 applications, including the 17 companies now included in SDAC’s portfolio.
“We are humbled and proud of what we’ve created to support the innovation ecosystem,” said Rusk.
Limber CEO Joshua Pelz said the money he received through SDAC “enabled us to invest in product development and accelerate commercialization.”
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San Diego architectural design firm Carrier Johnson + Culture is opening an office in Atlanta next month.
According to a news release, this is the third expansion for the CJ+C.
The firm has been rapidly growing from its San Diego roots, first expanding to Los Angeles and then to Seattle.
The firm was founded in 1977.
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San Diego was among the top cities in the U.S. where the median price for home listings significantly increased year over year when comparing the four-month period that ended Feb. 18.
The percentage of listings here increased 15%, five percentage points better than the average for the rest of the nation.
This data comes from one of the most recent studies from web-based residential broker Redfin.
Nationwide sale prices were up 6% year over year — the largest increase since October 2022, according to the report.
To view the study, including charts, click here.
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San Diego fleet-safety software startup Netradyne said it has partnered with cash-hauling transportation service provider Loomis to enhance armored truck safety.
Loomis said it is deploying 3,000 units of Netradyne’s devices in its U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico fleets.
According to a news release, the system, which boasts four cameras, increases visibility and thus safety for drivers.
The system detects hazards, helping drivers make safer decisions and reducing risky behavior by as much as 99%.
The nine-year-old privately-held Netradyne claims that it is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and edge computing “to revolutionize the modern-day transportation ecosystem.”
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The local office of the U.S. Small Business Administration has opened a Business Recovery Center in National City to aid those businesses damaged by the Jan. 21-23 rainstorm that created widespread flooding.
The center operates at the Southwestern College Higher Education Center.
According to a news release, U.S. SBA representatives on hand will help business owners access the services and loans needed to recover their businesses
The center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with no appointments needed.
Eligible businesses and nonprofits can borrow up to $2 million for property damage or economic injury, with interest accruing after 12 months from the first disbursement.
To apply, visit SBA.gov/disaster, call 800-659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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San Diego fast food store operator Jack in the Box said it has signed five new restaurant commitments which will have the effect of expanding its foothold in Michigan.
The public company also said signed an added 10-store development agreement for Orlando with another current franchise store owner.
The deal to expand in Michigan adds to the 123 new restaurant commitments made in the company’s 2023 fiscal year, according to a news release.
Jack in the Box runs and franchises more than 2,180 restaurants in 22 states, while its Del Taco unit runs 600 restaurants in 15 states.
For more information, click on jackintheboxfranchising.com and deltacofranchise.com.
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San Diego’s Lafayette Hotel & Club, the venerable property on El Cajon Boulevard, which reopened last July, has been inducted into Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that lists historic hotels nationwide.
Local hospitality developer CH Projects did a $31 million renovation of the hotel, which originally opened in 1946 as a hub for the Hollywood set.
To be selected in Historic Hotels of America, a property must be at least 50 years old and have been designated by the Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as historically significant.
Built by Larry Imig, the longstanding San Diego landmark was the only hotel constructed in the U.S. during World War II, according to a news release.
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Finally, these two pieces of North County business news.
Local businesses now can embrace the principles of environmental sustainability through a partnership involving the City of Encinitas, the Encinitas Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego Green Building Council.
The three agencies are offering free participation in the California Green Business Network’s Certification Program.
Under this initiative, businesses receive guidance on waste reduction, energy conservation and water management to attain California Green Business Certification.
Once certified, businesses benefit from marketing materials, public recognition, and cost savings, contributing to global greenhouse gas reduction and aligning with the community’s climate action goals, as emphasized by Green Building executive director Executive Director Colleen FitzSimons.
For more information, contact Carol Knight at the Encinitas chamber, community@encinitaschamber.com.
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The Oceanside Chamber of Commerce‘s leadership academy received a shoutout at the Western Association of Chamber Executives annual conference Feb. 7 in Garden Grove.
The event featured 400 professionals attending from 15 states.
The academy aims to develop new leaders from various community sectors. Instructors from the military, government, education, non-profits and businesses lead sessions on assorted topics to build community leaders of the future.
Chamber CEO Scott Ashton expressed pride in the recent recognition that the program received, emphasizing its role in developing new leaders for the business community.
With 62 graduating from the program so far, many Oceanside employers, including Frontwave Credit Union and Genentech, are leveraging the academy for staff development, with plans underway for future sessions late this year.
The spring and fall sessions are currently being planned for this year. For more information, go to OceansideLeadershipAcademy.com.
Tom York is a Carlsbad-based independent journalist who specializes in writing about business and the economy. If you have news tips you’d like to share, send them to tom.york@gmail.com.
