Ryo Ishizuka

Grubstake |ˈɡrəbstāk| During the Gold Rush this was the term used to describe the materials, provisions or money supplied to gold prospectors in return for a share in the resulting profits. We are an informal network of angel investors based in Seattle that find, fund and mentor startups in the Pacific Northwest. Our defining characteristic is our collaborative spirit. Members are accessible to others, responsive to inquiry and generous with their time. We help each other and the startups we fund. Grubstakes is a forum, a safe space where accredited investors come to share deal flow, discover new opportunities, discuss due diligence, and syndicate together as they see fit. Many of our members started investing through the Seattle Angel Conference, and we continue its mission to foster an engaged, collaborative and smart angel investor community, and to enhance the opportunities for founders to be well financed and succeed through exit. [Logo licensed under CC by Tony Oliver from Denver, CO, USA]

Pre-Seed and Seed fund focused on PNW and BC startups

Grubstake |ˈɡrəbstāk| During the Gold Rush this was the term used to describe the materials, provisions or money supplied to gold prospectors in return for a share in the resulting profits. We are an informal network of angel investors based in Seattle that find, fund and mentor startups in the Pacific Northwest. Our defining characteristic is our collaborative spirit. Members are accessible to others, responsive to inquiry and generous with their time. We help each other and the startups we fund. Grubstakes is a forum, a safe space where accredited investors come to share deal flow, discover new opportunities, discuss due diligence, and syndicate together as they see fit. Many of our members started investing through the Seattle Angel Conference, and we continue its mission to foster an engaged, collaborative and smart angel investor community, and to enhance the opportunities for founders to be well financed and succeed through exit. [Logo licensed under CC by Tony Oliver from Denver, CO, USA]

Techstars helps founders scale their startups into world-changing businesses. Founded in 2006, Techstars is on a mission to invest in startups to enable more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world in order to deliver exceptional returns to our investors. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Our results show why Techstars is Better for Founders than any other global accelerator: On average, 74.5% of Techstars companies will raise money within 3 years of their program; 18.5% of Techstars portfolio companies have exited 5 years after their program and 31.1% after eight years. (PitchBook June 2023)

Alliance of Angels is the largest and most active angel group in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, we invest $4M+ into 20+ companies. Since 1997, we have invested $100M+ into 200+ companies and celebrated 40+ exits generating more than a billion dollars of returns. Our network of 150+ active angels invest both individually and through a member driven fund.

Pre-Seed and Seed fund focused on PNW and BC startups

Mercari is a C2C marketplace app allowing anyone with a smartphone to easily sell items they no longer need, providing a new and unique user experience. In the past, buying and selling secondhand items has commonly been done at physical shops. However, this came with issues: the travel time required to go to these shops, the limited selection of items these shops carry, the unclear prices for both the buyer and seller alike due to the involvement of dealers, and more. Online auction websites for buying and selling secondhand items came with their own problems, including difficult listing procedures and long bidding times. On Mercari, anyone can use their smartphone to easily buy and sell items. We also provide easy and inexpensive shipping options thanks to our partnerships with delivery companies and convenience stores. As our service is catered to individuals on both the buying and selling sides, anyone can experience the fun of easily selling unneeded items for money and the excitement of finding unique secondhand items to buy. With the technological capabilities and extensive user and information bases built through Mercari, we launched the Merpay mobile payment service in 2019, the B2C marketplace Mercari Shops in October 2021, and the cryptoasset exchange service Mercoin in March 2023. We strive to continuously enhance the user experience and expand our businesses.