With the GFX 2023, the Growth Factory will be displaying the Sacramento startup ecosystem to investors from the region and the Bay Area.
The second annual GFX takes place Oct. 5 at the Roebbelen Center @TheGrounds in Roseville, and it is expected to draw about 1,000 people to the venture conference and startup showcase.
“We want to elevate Sacramento as a region that is building some great businesses with great talent and great innovation,” said Rick Spencer, managing partner of GF Ventures, a venture fund associated with Rocklin-based Growth Factory.
The Growth Factory is a startup accelerator started in 2021 in Rocklin by serial entrepreneur Mark Haney.
Speakers at GFX 2023 include board members from Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) and Google parent Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG).
GF Ventures invests into locally based companies, part of its strategy of a backyard advantage, where the local ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors and local companies support and buoy startups.
With this event, it wants to introduce those companies, and other local startup efforts, to Bay Area investors.
In its first year, GFX had 600 attendees, mostly from the region.
“In the first year, we were making it good for Sacramento. Now we want to make it good for anywhere. We want to draw investors from the Bay Area and from out of state,” Spencer said.
The event is also a showcase of support efforts available in the region, including StartupSac, AgStart and CleanStart, as well as the Carlsen Center for Entrepreneurship at California State University Sacramento and the FourthWave accelerator for women-led startups.
In addition, it is a showcase for GFX Ventures’ portfolio of 45 companies, which will all be present.
GFX is also a networking event with local startup funders, including the Sacramento Angels investing group, venture capital firms GF Ventures, Moneta Ventures of Folsom, Black Star Fund of Sacramento and Impact Venture Capital, with headquarters in the Bay Area and Sacramento.
Roseville boutique private equity firm DCA Capital Partners is also participating.
The event will feature a main stage, breakout stage and multiple breakout sessions with panels moderated by local entrepreneurs in technology, social media companies, fintech companies and medical technology companies, among others.
