Local Angels Back Two High-Growth Startups at NorCal AngelCon Finale

Written By Rich Foreman

IntelliVasc CEO receives $100,000 angel investment.

The NorCal AngelCon finale at Aggie Square this week showcased exactly what makes the Greater Sacramento startup ecosystem so interesting right now: new angel investors stepping up, real checks being written, and local founders tackling big problems.

Instead of backing a single company, this year’s investor group split its planned $150,000 investment between two standout startups:

On top of that, Matrubials Inc. walked away with a $10,000 audience choice award.

IntelliVasc: Smarter Monitoring for Cardiovascular Patients

IntelliVasc, a medical device startup with roots in San Francisco and support from Rocklin-based Growth Factory, secured the $100,000 investment plus six months of lab and office space at Connect Labs in Aggie Square.

The company is developing an implantable sensor for cardiovascular patients that enables remote monitoring by both patients and their physicians. The device can:

  • Flag when patients aren’t following prescribed care plans

  • Track blood flow in previously damaged or repaired blood vessels

  • Help catch issues earlier, potentially reducing the need for repeat procedures

With the new funding and space at Aggie Square, IntelliVasc plans to deepen its presence in the Sacramento region.

Stived.io CEO Shweta Gandhi receives $50,000 grant.

Strived.io: Personalizing Learning with Data and AI

Strived.io, based in Davis, received a $50,000 grant funded by Accelerate California.

The company’s platform helps teachers track student performance and create personalized learning pathways by:

  • Aggregating student data (performance, attendance, behavior, and more)

  • Using AI and large anonymized datasets

  • Leveraging stored teacher prompts and workflows to support classroom decision-making

Founder and CEO Shweta Gandhi is aiming to give educators tools that go beyond test scores and help them understand the full picture of each student.

Matrubials CEO, Dr. Ishita M. Shah, receives $10,000 audience choice award.

Matrubials: Milk-Inspired Therapies

Davis-based Matrubials Inc. captured the audience favorite award and $10,000.

The company is developing therapies inspired by components of human milk that selectively kill harmful bacteria while sparing beneficial microbes. Early applications include:

  • A treatment for bacterial vaginosis, a common condition that can lead to recurring UTIs and yeast infections

  • A cosmetic skin serum that can reach market faster while more regulated therapeutics move through the approval process

What Is NorCal AngelCon?

NorCal AngelCon isn’t just a pitch event — it’s essentially “angel investing school with real money at the end.”

From April through November, accredited investors go through a structured process:

  • Learning how to source startups

  • Screening and shortlisting companies

  • Participating in due diligence

  • Debating which companies should receive funding

This year, that “rigorous debate” led the group to split the investment between two companies instead of one.

The finale has been timed the past two years to land during Global Entrepreneurship Week, which in the Sacramento region features dozens of events coordinated by the Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Sacramento State.

Building the Next Wave of Local Angels

The investor cohort itself is a snapshot of who’s getting involved in the startup ecosystem:

  • Mortgage professionals

  • A banker

  • An attorney

  • A retired corporate executive

  • Other first-time angels looking to get closer to local innovation

For many, AngelCon is a structured, lower-friction way to move from “curious about startups” to “writing checks and adding value.” As one participant put it, the best way to understand the ecosystem is to put your own money to work in it.

A Regional Effort

NorCal AngelCon is presented by the Carlsen Center in partnership with The Growth Factory through the Sacramento Entrepreneurial Growth Alliance. The program is funded in part by the California Office of the Small Business Advocate’s Accelerate CA program, tying local investments to a broader statewide push to grow innovation economies.

For Sacramento-area founders, the message is clear:
there’s a growing pool of local capital, structured support, and regional collaboration ready to back ambitious startups—and this year’s AngelCon results are proof.

Rich Foreman
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