Q&A with Tech Coast Angels on New Seed Program

Ben Bernanke may have declared the recession over yesterday, but talking to early-stage investors, the belt-tightening mindset is still in force. Demand for smaller, more closely vetted deals was part of the impetus for a new program launched yesterday by Tech Coast Angels (TCA) Orange County called O.C. SeedTrack (www.seedtrack.org), targeting companies that are too "start up" for VC funding or even angel funding. The program will provide a mix of funding and mentoring. Qualifying startups get a small amount of financing (less than $100k) as well as the sweat equity of a Tech Coast Angels member. I spoke yesterday to Seedtrack's chairman, John Murphy, and to one of its committee members, Raymond Chan, about their plans for the program. Here’s some of what they said: