Each week in the New Tech Newsletter we feature a Spotlight Q&A with founders, angels, New Tech alumni presenters, and other people or companies in our community we believe you’d like to learn about. Reach out if you’d like to recommend a startup, founder, angel, accelerator, or New Tech alumni presenter for us to spotlight for the PNW tech community!
This week we caught up with Evan Xie, Founder of Accellius.
How did you get into angel investing?
My background was product and investment management in investment banking and PE industry. The product management portion made me ‘parent of many innovative financial products’ and therefore highly identified with entrepreneurial spirit. The investment management portion made me a nature investor and a believer of value-creating technologies after being exposed to many other traditional industries.
What types of companies or missions inspire you to invest in them?
It’s especially intriguing to see companies that solve customer’s real problems with new techs and solutions. The founders vision differently and execute hard in unknown settings, and the team can start with tech and end with trust.
Is there anything you would advise new entrepreneurs to do when they pitch their idea?
Be patient to educate investors, be transparent, and be down to the earth (tell your story from your customer’s perspective).
What has made the biggest difference among your successful investments?
Those successful companies started with the right timing, were flexible to iterate or even pivot during their early stage, and were very persistent to survive until success.
What is something interesting and unexpected that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a half professionally trained singer, and I am a fan of jazz and rock.