Student entrepreneurs at Stetson University successfully pitched angel investors for two Florida start-ups as part of a class taught by Lou Paris, an assistant professor at the DeLand school and assistant director of the Joseph C. Prince Entrepreneurship Program, according to a university media release. In the class, the students research actual companies to present to the Hatter Angels Network, which is comprised of Stetson alumni who are accredited investors.  

As a result, the Hatter Angels Network invested in Daytona Beach company VerdeGo Aero and Fort Lauderdale-based Xendoo.

The network was co-founded by alumni/angel investors Dan Glunt and Milt Douglass. Douglass earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stetson and is now a Stetson adjunct professor. Glunt graduated from Stetson in 1993.

In their research, the students analyze data such as company financials and interview company leadership to assess growth goals. The purpose of the program is designed to expose students to real-world examples of the venture capital world and to impact local start-up companies with local investment dollars. A percentage of the investment gains goes back to Stetson’s School of Business Administration.

Following each investment selection by the Hatter Angels Network, a student becomes a board adviser at that company.  

“This entrepreneurship program is a win-win-win situation for both the students who gain real-world experience in the venture capital space as well as the benefactors and the investors,” Paris said in the release. “I continually hear from former students who say, ‘I wish that program was available during my time at Stetson.’” 

VerdeGo Aero is a leader in hybrid-electric propulsion technologies for the next generation of aircraft. Founded in 2017, the company enables its customers to develop electric aircraft that meet demanding mission requirements while also complying with high regulatory and safety standards required for commercial or military flight operations.

Xendoo, a cloud-based fintech company, provides small-to-medium-sized business owners with a wide variety of accounting tools and resources delivered via proprietary technology and speedy service — all with of goal of delivering real-time data and speedy financial transparency to business owners.