Summer 2008
Alliance of Angels Company of the Year Transforms the Cup of Coffee and Brews Entrepreneurial Success
The Coffee Equipment Company, founded in Seattle in 2004, married sophisticated product engineering with that quintessential daily ritual: the cup of coffee. Having achieved a nationwide market for its innovative Clover brewing system – and an attractive exit for investors – the Alliance of Angels’ 2008 Company of the Year is flying high.
The award, which was presented by Technology Alliance board member and entrepreneur Jeremy Jaech during the State of Technology Luncheon, recognizes a company’s entrepreneurial spirit, progress toward achieving business plan goals, and positive impact on the economy.
“This is an incredible honor, and quite a surprise, actually,” said company co-founder Zander Nosler in accepting the award. “Doubly so because we finally are considered a technology company…I’ve been saying that from day one.”
After thanking his family for its emotional and financial support, Zander credited AoA investors and the Seattle angel community with helping the company progress to where it is today.
“The AoA has a ten-year history of investing in successful companies,” said AoA chair Dan Rosen, president and CEO of Dan Rosen & Associates. “We are delighted to honor The Coffee Equipment Company with the AoA Company of the Year Award for their passion, innovation, tenacity and vision.”
The company’s Clover was the first commercial-grade coffee brewing system that offers independent control over the variables of water temperature, grind, coffee-to-water ratio and brew time. The system enables baristas to prepare single cups of brewed coffee fresh to order, while the company’s software-based service, CloverNet, provides Clover owners with the ability to track brewing and sales activity and control their machines online.
“The elegant engineering of the Clover led to a successful acquisition by another angel-funded success story: Starbucks,” noted Rosen. “Congratulations to The Coffee Equipment Company.”
“As an investor in The Coffee Equipment Company since the very early days, I’m thrilled we have the opportunity to recognize Zander, Randy and their team for the Clover and its success,” said Geoff Entress, venture partner at Madrona Venture Group and a member of the AoA executive committee.
The Coffee Equipment Company was one of three finalists considered for the award, selected from among the technology-focused companies that presented to the AoA membership within the last four years which have demonstrated active growth and traction with investors.
The other finalists were Buddy TV and CleverSet, both also based in Seattle. Buddy TV is the creator of a dynamic online community for television fans that combines interactive features with original content on more than 500 shows. CleverSet, which was recently acquired by ATG, develops e-commerce software tools that enable its more than 90 commercial customers to generate automated, personalized recommendations for visitors to their web sites.
New MBA Fellows to Share Their Talents and Learn the Secrets to Entrepreneurial Excellence
Alliance of Angels is pleased to welcome Jon Jacobson and Vandan Parikh, the University of Washington MBA candidates who will work side by side with AoA leadership, investors and entrepreneurs to support the growth of young, innovative companies in our state…and, in the process, advance their own growth as entrepreneurial leaders of the future.
Information, Imagination, Ingenuity: Thank You to Our Speakers, Sponsors and Friends for a Successful 2008 State of Technology Luncheon!
On May 9th, more than 800 business, research and policy leaders from around the state gathered in Seattle for the Technology Alliance’s largest annual event, the State of Technology Luncheon. This year’s action-packed program featured a keynote conversation between TA board member Ed Lazowska and Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, opening remarks by Governor Chris Gregoire, a sneak peek at key findings of our new economic impact study, and a celebration of Alliance of Angels’ 10-year commitment to advancing entrepreneurial excellence.
TA chair Marty Smith punctuated his presentation on Washington’s growing technology-based economy by calling on audience members to express their support for increasing high school graduation requirements to better prepare students to succeed in higher education and 21st century careers. As a result, the TA delivered more than 400 postcards to the State Board of Education that call for increasing the minimum course-taking requirement in math, a key priority for the TA and our partners in the College & Work Ready Agenda.
Incoming TA board chair Jeremy Jaech recognized Dan Rosen for his stellar leadership of AoA, which he helped build into one of the nation’s most active angel investor organizations, while The Coffee Equipment Company took home the honors as AoA’s 2008 Company of the Year. All of us at the TA are grateful to the participants in this year’s luncheon program and to our sponsors and friends for your steadfast support of our mission to advance education, research and entrepreneurship in Washington.
View the luncheon program online, courtesy of TV-W, here!
New TA Report Demonstrates Growing Importance of Technology-based Industries to the Washington State Economy
At the 2008 State of Technology Luncheon, the Technology Alliance provided the audience with a sneak peek at findings from our new study of the economic impact of Washington’s technology-based industries. The report, released in June, examines in depth the level of employment, labor income, sales and tax revenues generated by our state’s innovative companies and institutions, and assesses our concentration of technology employment compared to the rest of the nation.
This year, recognizing that businesses in all sectors increasingly rely on innovation to be competitive, we raised the bar on what qualifies an industry as technology-based. The result?
Washington’s technology sector is larger and more diverse than ever, and making increasingly vital contributions to our statewide economic prosperity.
It’s a Small World After All: Regional Leaders Explore Lessons of the Past, Possibilities for the Future at First-Ever International Benchmarking Conference
In early June, business, economic development and policy leaders representing eight dynamic metropolitan areas from around the globe joined Seattle for The Innovative Region, the first-ever conference of the International Regions Benchmarking Consortium.
Participants in the conference, which was initiated through a partnership involving the Technology Alliance, Puget Sound Regional Council and Trade Development Alliance, were treated to a keynote conversation with William H. Gates, Sr., who shared his perspectives on the factors that contributed to the growth of greater Seattle into a globally recognized center of innovation. Regional representatives also considered how to combine lessons of the past with lessons for the future, with a presentation by Microsoft’s Brad Smith for inspiration.
The Technology Alliance’s Discovery Series: the Breakfast of Champions!
Champions of ground-breaking research and game-changing innovation, that is. Satisfy your craving for science and technology with our exciting breakfast series showcasing innovation superstars from Washington’s preeminent research institutions and companies.
New for the 2008-2009 season: in addition to individual membership, we are offering a new category called Network Membership, which entitles your company or organization to send any four people to each breakfast. With programs in Seattle and Spokane, there’s no excuse for missing the most important meal of the day!
Important Dates
- September 12
- Seattle Discovery Series: Yoky Matsuoka, MacArthur Fellow and Associate Professor, Computer Science & Engineering/Neurobotics Laboratory, University of Washington
- 7:30 – 9:00 am
- Seattle
- September 18
- Technology Alliance Board Retreat
- 8:45 am - 3:00 pm
- Bainbridge Island
- October 10
- Seattle Discovery Series: Colleen Delaney, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
- 7:30 – 9:00 am
- Seattle
- October 17
- Spokane Discovery Series: Kevin Cable, Executive Vice President & Founder, Cascadia Capital
- 7:30 – 9:00 am
- Spokane
