THE DEAL LOUNGE · COMMUNITY EVENT
The Deal Lounge Championship Edition
The Deal Lounge is coming to Santa Cruz for a special Championship Edition—bringing founders, GPs, VCs, LPs, family offices, and strategic investors together for a highly produced live deal-making experience. With support from Santa Cruz Works and the broader UC Santa Cruz innovation ecosystem, this edition will take place at Highway 17 Studios and feature professional production, live video, green-screen capabilities, founder pitches, investor judging, and direct capital introductions. Where the world’s most ambitious founders, investors, and operators compete for the ultimate deal. For one high-impact day, The Deal Lounge transforms into a championship arena where standout founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders come together to compete, connect, and move real opportunities forward. The Deal Lounge Championship Edition brings selected startups into a fast-paced pitch tournament designed to identify the strongest companies in the room. Founders will present live before leading VCs, angels, fund managers, and strategic operators, with each round producing clear outcomes: Pass, Follow-Up, or Deal Room.
ONLINEApplications
Angel Arena
Founders raising capital and investors who write checks meet in short, scheduled one-on-one sessions during the event. The organizer chooses the pairings using stage, sector, check size, and availability.
Who should apply: founders who are raising, and investors who can meet founders at the event. LPs and speakers apply with their own forms.
If you are accepted: you receive your own session schedule once the organizer publishes it.
Applying does not guarantee a place. The organizer reviews every application individually.