DEMO marketing partner Golden Capital Network is very happy to announce the public launch of the California Business Ascent video webcast series, showcasing the most exciting startups you’ve never heard of.  For ten years GCN has introduced more than a thousand early stage ventures to its network of active investors at dozens of Golden Capital Venture Capital conferences throughout California and Nevada, and more than $1.6 Billion has been invested in our alumni. 

Now they're taking it to the web, live and direct.  Planning an ambitious program of 50 entrepreneur showcase webcasts in 2009 from locations throughout California, the series culminates in a final competition in San Diego this November with 50 regional finalists vying for cash awards, investor traction, and the title of the Most Innovative Startup in California.

“We’ve been showing recorded elevator pitches on our Business Ascent social network, and some other sites have followed suit,” said Jim Mikles, Executive Producer of the webcast series, “but this is the first program that presents entrepreneurs pitching their companies in a real-time, competitive format to potentially hundreds of investors screening the deal flow online.”

The first live program is this Thursday, April 2, starting at 4PM PDT, from the Monterey Bay Innovation Showcase in Watsonville, in the heart of the Monterey Bay region.  A panel of six leading angel and venture investors will discuss “Raising Capital in Challenging Times”, followed by ten-minute presentations by seven sensational startups. 

If you want a ringside seat to learn more about the next wave of entrepreneurs emerging from the nation’s most innovative state, join the webcast by visiting http://businessascent.com/go/webcast