The 2026 San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC) kicks off with Angel Academy Session 1, hosted at SDSU's ZIP Launchpad. Neal Bloom walks a room of aspiring and returning angel investors through the fundamentals — what angel investing actually looks like, how the SDAC's group diligence process works, and why a portfolio approach matters more than picking one winner. With 135 startup applications on the table and a Decision Day set for May 29, the session lays out the full arc from learning to deploying capital.

Key Topics

* What angel investing is and why it's a learned muscle

* The SDAC's group diligence model: applications to investment

* Portfolio approach: deploying into 3–5 companies

* Why in-person founder pitches change the calculus

* The "Super Bowl" — May 29 Decision Day and what it means

* Fund structure: $200K–$2M raise range, SPV side vehicles

* Last year's fund: $440K deployed into three companies

Links & Resources

* San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC): https://sdangel.com

* SDSU ZIP Launchpad: https://ziplaunchpad.sdsu.edu

* Rising Tide Partners: https://risingtidepartners.co

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A portfolio approach to angel investing