Inside a VC Firm: How They Really Work

On November 19, 2025, Ventech brought founders, investors, entrepreneurs, and members of the Central Coast business community together at the Cabrillo Pavilion for Inside a VC Firm: How They Really Work, an evening offering a candid look behind the scenes of venture capital.

For entrepreneurs, raising venture capital can sometimes feel like a process happening behind closed doors. What happens after a pitch? How do investors evaluate an opportunity? What makes one company stand out from another? And ultimately, what does it take to earn a "yes"?

This event brought experienced investors together to help answer those questions and give attendees a clearer understanding of how venture capital firms actually operate.

A Look Inside Venture Capital

The evening featured a panel of investors and business leaders with experience evaluating companies, identifying opportunities, and navigating the investment landscape:

Curtis Rodgers, Partner & Industrial Technologist at Brick & Mortar Ventures, brought his perspective on investing in emerging technologies and companies transforming traditional industries.

Dr. Min-Yi Shih, Technologist & Business Leader at Asia Innovation Hub, shared insights shaped by her experience at the intersection of technology, business, and innovation.

Ethan Austin, Founder, Partner & Fintech Investor at Outside VC, offered the perspective of a founder and investor with experience identifying and supporting early-stage companies.

The conversation was moderated by Emily Arnold, Ventech Board Member and Founder and Finance & Operations Executive at MESA Advisors.

Together, the panel gave attendees an inside look at how venture firms identify potential investments, evaluate founders and companies, and ultimately decide where to place their bets.

What Investors Are Really Looking For

A strong pitch is important, but it is only one part of the investment process.

Throughout the evening, the discussion explored what happens beyond the pitch deck, including how investors assess opportunities, conduct due diligence, evaluate teams, and determine whether a company fits within a firm's investment strategy.

For founders in the room, the conversation offered valuable perspective on approaching the fundraising process from the investor's side of the table.

Understanding how venture firms think can help entrepreneurs ask better questions, target the right investors, communicate their opportunity more effectively, and better prepare for the conversations that happen after an initial pitch.

FastPitch Spotlight: RazeMath

The evening also featured a Ventech FastPitch from Evan McCall, Founder of RazeMath.

FastPitch is a Ventech signature segment that gives local entrepreneurs an opportunity to take the stage and introduce their companies, ideas, and innovations to investors and peers in the Central Coast community.

RazeMath is developing an interactive AI-powered math education platform designed to provide adaptive guidance to students while giving instructors timely, data-driven insights into classroom performance.

In just five minutes, Evan introduced attendees to RazeMath's vision and the company's approach to using technology to create a more personalized and engaging learning experience.

Connecting Founders and Investors

One of the most valuable parts of understanding venture capital is having the opportunity to hear directly from the people making investment decisions.

Events like Inside a VC Firm help open that conversation by bringing investors and entrepreneurs into the same room. Founders gain a better understanding of the investment process, while investors have an opportunity to connect directly with the entrepreneurs and ideas emerging from our region.

Those conversations and connections are an important part of strengthening the Central Coast's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

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Thank You for Joining Us

Thank you to our panelists Curtis Rodgers, Dr. Min-Yi Shih, and Ethan Austin for sharing their experience and perspectives, and to Emily Arnold for guiding the conversation.

Thank you as well to Evan McCall and RazeMath for taking the FastPitch stage and sharing what they are building with our community.

And, of course, thank you to everyone who joined us at the Cabrillo Pavilion for an evening of learning, conversation, and connection.

At Ventech, we're proud to create opportunities for founders, investors, business leaders, and innovators to learn from one another and build relationships that strengthen the Central Coast entrepreneurial community.

Sometimes the best way to understand what investors are looking for is simply to ask the people making the decisions.