Health Tech Startup SAFKAN Wins $145,000 Grand Prize at Seattle Angel Conference XI

  SEATTLE, WA - 05/18/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Seattle Angel Conference XI winner delivers industry’s first automated clinical ear care device

 The Seattle Angel Conference (SAC), an investor-led startup competition connecting entrepreneurs and new angel investors, announced today that SAFKAN Health is the winner of the conference’s $145,000 investment grand prize.  SAFKAN was one of six finalists competing for the angel investment prized during the May 17th Seattle Angel Conference XI.

About Seattle Angel Conference XI Winner SAFKANS

SAFKANS’ mission is to deliver a safe, cleaner, simpler and more efficient technology for ear care. SAFKAN Health is led by CEO and founder Sahil Diwan.  The health-focused technology startup earned the winning $145,000 investment grand prize as the result of a group due diligence process over a 12-week period.

An image of the presentation, featuring SAFKAN CEO Sahil Diwan, can be found here.

Audience Favorite Award:  BridgeCare Finance

The Audience Favorite award went to BridgeCare Finance, a Fintech company providing financing options for childcare and college, and founded by Audra Jung and Jamee Herbert.

About the Competition

The competition consists of a grueling diligence process lasting several months, with an elite group of six finalists being selected from a field of 43 total entrants.  The conference gave the finalists an opportunity to compete for the $145,000 grand prize before an audience of investors and tech leaders.  The May 17th competition was the result of a 12-week due diligence period

“The semiannual Seattle Angel Conference is a first step to engaging in the Angel Investing process. It connects new accredited investors with very early stage companies, “ said John Sechrest, Seattle Angel Conference founder. “The Seattle Angel Conference teaches new accredited investors about Angel Investing by doing a structured Angel Investment; from Vancouver,BC to Portland Oregon.  The finalist companies for SAC XI were a great diverse group of startups, and they all are making great progress.”

“Almost one out of nine people in Seattle are federally qualified to be accredited investors. Seattle Angel Conference is an on-ramp for people to learn how to support and amplify the local startup process,” Sechrest continued.  “The successful startups we fund today are the employers of tomorrow. We teach people how to invest locally into our northwest communities.”

Since 2012, the conference has trained over 275 first time angel investors, attracted over 800 companies and invested over $2 million dollars in 22 of the participating companies.  

FINALISTS: ROUNDUP

In addition to SAFKAN Health, the SAC XI finalists included:

Meta Arcade:  Interactive Narrative based games

StriveWear:  Muscle fitness monitoring for sports

Signl.fm: Podcast transcription

Bridgecare Finance:  Financial support for childcare and college

C3 Backflow:  Check valve monitoring and compliance tracking 

Startup companies that are expanding rapidly into new markets need outside funding, and angel investors provide access to high-risk capital. SAC brings a collection of new and experienced angel investors, each putting up $5,500, creating a fund, which SAC expects will total $145,000. This year’s event was held in Seattle, WA, from 12:30-6:30pm, and was directed by Seattle Angel Conference founder John Sechrest.

The next Seattle Angel Conference is scheduled for November 15th, 2017 in Redmond, Washington.

About

The Seattle Angel Conference is an investor led event, connecting entrepreneurs and new angel investors.  For more information, please visit www.seattleangelconference.com.