Keiretsu Forum's Angel Capital Expo Announces the Winner of the "Most Valued Company" Award

Keiretsu Forum, the largest angel investment network in North America, is celebrating the success of its first annual Angel Capital Expo at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, featuring 18 company presentations, one-on-one sessions between presenting companies, and over 400 Keiretsu Forum members and accredited investor guests.

The event included presentations from companies, a charitable auction, and the Philanthropist of the Year Award presentation.

Part of the day's excitement was the "Most Valued Company" competition, where each attendee voted for their favorite company. At the end of the day, Wells Fargo Private Bank tallied the results and presented Earth Class Mail with the "Most Valued Company" award. The two runner up finalists were Braincandy and Signalink.

"This win is a solid validation that Earth Class Mail is right on target with our business plan," said Ron Wiener, CEO and founder of Earth Class Mail. "We thank Keiretsu Forum for inviting us to be part of this event, and all the support its investment community is providing us." Earth Class Mail, which already serves businesses and individuals in more than 80 countries, gives people the ability to access their postal mail online -- as easily as email -- from anywhere in the world.

"Braincandy is thrilled to be chosen as one of the three 'Most Valued Companies' of the Keiretsu Forum's Angel Expo Forum," said Sam Reich-Dagnen, CEO and Co-Founder of Braincandy, as she collected her award on stage in front of the several hundred angels in the audience. "We've gained a lot of momentum behind the company in the past 6 months and it's great to see the Keiretsu investors recognizing that Braincandy is a great opportunity in an exploding market." Braincandy, a renowned and award-winning children's education products company, designs products to help very young children learn to think more creatively through exploration, experimentation, and play.

"Being both an angel and entrepreneur for 22 years, I've never experienced anything like the Keiretsu Forum experience -- it's amazing," said Signalink CEO and Director, Ed Alfke, who was awarded the second of the two runner up finalist awards. Signalink enables the electrical wiring in buildings to become an instant data communications network at almost no cost. Their platform covers all functions in building, HVAC, fire, security, energy management, and medical devices.

Philanthropy is also an important part of the mission for the Keiretsu Forum. Randy Williams, founder and CEO, presented the prestigious Philanthropist of the Year Award to Tom Dowd, explaining that "Through Tom Dowd's leadership, the Keiretsu Forum's Charitable Foundation has given grants to 90 different charitable organizations in Northern California over the past six years."

Several thousand dollars were also raised during a live auction that benefited two charities -- Camp Wamp (Wheel Chair Adventure Mountain Programs) and The Emani House.

About Keiretsu Forum

With 12 chapters and over 500 accredited investor members throughout the world, Keiretsu Forum (www.keiretsuforum.com) is the largest North American angel investment network. Keiretsu Forum members have invested over $130 MM in 145 Companies and provide early-stage capital in the range of $250K-$2MM to high-quality, diverse investment opportunities and collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions.