2016 was a great first year for the Southwest Angel Network.

The network ran four quarterly funding cycles. A total of 85 social-impact companies applied for funding during the year, including companies from the Austin, Houston, Dallas, the bay area, the east coast and the Midwest. The angels got to meet very interesting and talented executive teams, all of whom share a passion for making the world a better place.

Fifteen companies were selected to pitch at our four events, and four of those companies received funding:

Brobe is a women-led business that improves the lives of post-surgical breast-cancer patients. Our funding allows the company to increase inventory, which then allows a rapid increase in sales.

Flow Below reduces the ecological impact of tractor-trailer trucks by improving fuel efficiency and reducing their CO2 footprint. Our funding helps the company to expand their customer base to include truck manufacturers.

OneSeventeen Media is a women-led business that supports the emotional well-being of junior high and high school students by providing a mobile app, MyMobileMentor. Our funding allows the company to finish development of their initial product.

Querium furthers the education of students who lack the math skills needed to succeed in today’s technological society.  Our funding helps the company to enhanced their product technology.

This successful year could not have happened without our insightful and collaborative angels who are working to address significant societal problems, who enjoy helping young companies, and who are striving to achieve a financial return on their investments.

The network also participated in a wide variety of social-impact community events, including running an 11-week class for budding social entrepreneurs, and organizing in April a city-wide event addressing whether Austin can become a national hub for social entrepreneurship.