Five of the Washington region’s most promising up-and-coming technology companies, each in search of millions in startup funds, will pitch venture capitalists, investment bankers and other potential investors Thursday at the “Grubstake Breakfast,” a networking and investors forum sponsored by the Business Alliance of George Mason University.
The companies, four from Northern Virginia and one from Maryland, were chosen from a field of about 30 firms to present at Thursday’s event. Having so few companies presenting — and well-vetted firms at that — has given the event a good track record of connecting technology companies with investors, said Stephen Johnson, a Business Alliance/Grubstake committee member.
“Most of the people that present end up getting funding,” he said.
The Business Alliance holds the Grubstake Breakfast three times a year. Candidates for the breakfast go through an intense round of interviews and work with Business Alliance mentors to prepare their presentation over several months. The firms are only told about 10 days in advance if they’ve won a slot at the breakfast.
“It’s quite a nail-biter,” Johnson said.
This breakfast’s companies — all startups looking for their first round of funding — are asking for more than $6 million combined.
