Listen to this articleGolden Seeds celebrated its 20th anniversary of supporting women-led companies during an Oct. 22 ceremony in Montclair.
The largest angel network in the country focused exclusively on women-led startups, since its inception nationally in 2004, early-stage investment firm Golden Seeds has put more than $185 million into 250 companies. In turn, those entities have gone on to raise an additional $2 billion.
The New Jersey Golden Seeds chapter was founded in 2020 – investing nearly $10 million into female-led companies during that span. First Lady Tammy Murphy organized the chapter in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).
Examples of innovative women-led companies here in Garden State to receive support from the New Jersey chapter of Golden Seeds include:
- SunRay Scientific, Eatontown – offers custom-engineered, interconnected solutions for advanced electronic packaging
- Otava Inc., Moorestown – focused on end-to-end technology and chip development used by advanced 5G commercial and Department of Defense applications
- Endomedix, Montclair – develops a medical device that stops brain bleed during surgery and reduces swelling
- Princeton Identity, Hamilton – develops iris and face biometrics for human authentication to control access, time and attendance, and point-of-sale applications
Most active nationwide
Held at the Montclair Art Museum, the anniversary ceremony featured leaders, members and other key stakeholders – including Murphy, who spoke at the event.
“As Golden Seeds celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is important to recognize and celebrate the opportunities that our unique partnership between Golden Seeds and the NJEDA is creating for women-led startups and female entrepreneurs,” said Murphy. “Together, we are ensuring that female founders have the resources and support they need to thrive by leveraging a national network of angel investors and thus creating a stronger and more equitable economy.”
“The New Jersey Chapter of Golden Seeds is supporting female founders in the Garden State with mentoring and investment opportunities, arming them with the tools needed to thrive,” said NJEDA Chief Economic Transformation Officer Kathleen Coviello, who also spoke at the event.
“Although I’ve traveled and lived around the world and have been a long-time member of Golden Seeds, investing and mentoring companies with diverse teams, I am a ‘Jersey Girl’ born and bred,” said Golden Seeds Managing Director Gina Tedesco. “So, it is immensely rewarding to play even a small part in helping to create this world-class partnership to increase access to capital for all the incredible women-led companies in New Jersey – my own backyard.”
“In just four years, our New Jersey chapter has become the most active Golden Seeds chapter in the nation,” said Murphy. “And I have no doubt that we are a world leader in financial services, pharmaceuticals, generative AI, fintech, and so many other industries – because we have invested in empowering female leaders across our state.”
More information on Golden Seeds is available here.