The Best of the Best Startup Showcase
October 21 @ 9:45 am – 3:30 pm
SoCal’s premier startup pitch showcase bringing together top founders and leading investors from across Southern California
Join us for the 2nd Annual Best of the Best, an annual collaboration between TCA Venture Group and the Alliance for SoCal Innovation. This is a premier startup pitch showcase bringing together top tech and medtech founders with leading investors from Southern California.
We will feature pitches from 13 innovative startups (4 Tech + 9 MedTech), plus a VC panel discussion and plenty of time to network with peers in the ecosystem.
Whether you’re an investor scouting the next big thing or a community member eager to connect, this is your chance to plug into the heart of SoCal tech and medtech innovation.
Update: we are now the Orange County qualifier showcase for the Startup World Cup 2026 competition. One startup will be selected to present at the finals in S.F. in early November.
Agenda:
- 9:45 AM Check-in & Networking
- 10:30 AM Welcome
- 10:40 AM Morning Pitch Session – Tech Startups
- 11:30 AM VC Panel Discussion
- 12:15 PM Lunch Break
- 1:00 PM Afternoon Pitch Session 1 – Medtech Startups (Seed/Series A)
- 2:00 PM Afternoon Pitch Session 2 – First Look SoCal MedTech Showcase (Pre-Seed/Seed)
- 2:45 PM Networking
- 3:30 PM Program Concludes
The Morning Pitch Session includes the following Tech companies:
Kumio
Simulation Theory
Summit Tech Lab
Sporty
“Fundraising in Today’s Market” Panelists
Ibrahim Elshamy, Partner at Gunderson Dettmer (moderator)
Jasmine Jiang, Investor at Sunstone Management
JC Ruffalo, Partner and Fund Manager at The Cove Fund
Jay Goss, General Partner at Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health
The Afternoon Pitch Session includes the following MedTech companies:
MedTech Startup Showcase (seeking Seed/Series A)
Asayena, Inc.
Third Element Bio
RaiCare
Sinopia Biosciences
Vytala
First Look SoCal MedTech Showcase (Seeking Pre-Seed/Seed)
OnVagus, Inc.
Arogya Biotechnologies
SoundDose
FlexBioTech, Inc.
The event will also provide time to network over tasty food and beverages provided by our sponsors.
This event is co-organized by the Alliance for SoCal Innovation and the TCA Venture Group
The SoCal Venture Pipeline is sponsored by Gunderson Dettmer, Sunstone Management and KPPB, LLP.
The SoCal Venture Pipeline program is made possible by the generous underwriting of the following sponsors
Partners
