By Kevin Owyang, Evangelist/Partnerships/Sponsorships, SVP Fast Pitch Seattle
For the third year, Social Venture Partners will produce SVP Fast Pitch Seattle, a powerhouse of funding for innovative non-profits and for-profits. This year $250,000+ will be awarded in grants in seed money for organizations that impact social or environmental problems in the Puget Sound Area – and that includes cleantech.
Members of the core team of SVP Fast Pitch Seattle are well-recognized in the local startup community. SVP Fast Pitch (formerly SIFP) was founded by Will Poole, an active angel investor and member of the investment committee for the W-Fund. And this Sue Z. Oliver, Executive Director of Seattle University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, is SVP Fast Pitch Seattle’s new Executive Director.
SVP has an extended history as a funder and capacity builder in the environmental community. Climate Solutions, a leader in commercial cleantech alliances, like sustainable aviation bio-fuels, became a regional leader, and along the way received funding and capacity building expertise from SVP.
In years past, applicants to SVP Fast Pitch come from across the social and environmental impact landscape, addressing everything from education to environmental sustainability to civic engagement. Environmentally-focused applications grew significantly in 2012, and are expected to increase in 2013.
If you are or know of a cleantech entrepreneur in need of seed-stage funding, consider applying to SVP Fast Pitch Seattle. The deadline for applications is July 1, 2013.
Applying simply requires completing a basic online application. Approximately 40, quarterfinalists will be chosen to receive $500 in credits at the HUB Seattle, $500 in credits to Google Cloud Services, mentoring and coaching, and the opportunity to make a 5-minute pitch before a select group of judges. After a round of semi-finals, finalists will appear on stage on November 13 before an audience of up to 1,000 investors, philanthropists, and business leaders at a gala event in McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. For more information on workshops, information sessions, and application details, visit http://SIFP.net .
Kevin Owyang is Founder of B Jibe. “In a world that plays for keeps, game-changers play for peeps. B Jibe amplifies game-changers.” B Jibe is the producer and distributor of History Is Undivided Yearning, a short documentary highlighting social entrepreneurs and the importance of game-changers.