Showcasing Key Technology Trends
And building a community of leading startups, investors and corporate partners
Santa Cruz, California
Prominent Previous Startups
* Doon Capital Portfolio Company
Perfect Day is inventing a better way to produce dairy products. (Ag | Food Tech 3 - 5/2016)
One Inc helps insurers deliver a frictionless payment experience. (Bonny Doon Workshop - 2014) *
CelLink manufactures high-conductance, large-area flexible circuits (Auto | Mobility Tech - 7/2016) *
Karamba’s software products protect connected devices from development to production. (Auto | Mobility Tech - 7/2016)
Joby Aviation is a pioneer in electric aircraft (The Silicon Valley - China Nexus - 1/2015)
Apeel aims to reduce food waste by creating plant-derived coatings that keep produce fresh. (Ag | Food Tech 3 - 5/2016) *
Kin is providing simple, affordable home insurance (Fintech 9/2016)
Upside Foods is cultivating meat from animal cells (Ag | Food Tech 3 - 5/2016)
Revel is making every day electric (Auto | Mobility Tech 6 - 3/2021)
Hayden AI is making urban mobility safer and more sustainable (Auto | Mobility Tech 6 - 3/2021) *
Casetext is a widely used A.I. legal research technology (Legal | Reg Tech 3 - 3/2020)
Our Story
Doon Insights began as a simple concept 11 years ago by Howard Chao: bring together handpicked startups, leading investors, and strategics for authentic discourse, and good things will happen.
Our retreats are intimate, curated gatherings, where everyone is a speaker, and everyone is a listener. We pride ourselves in providing an environment where you can relax, connect with other attendees, and at the same time, take a deep dive into vigorous dialogue with some of the top players in the industry. You’ll leave our events with new insights and lasting connections.
We hosted 5 exciting retreats this Spring, our LegalTech Salon (March 20), PropTech Workshop (April 17), Mobility Tech Salon (May 2), as well as our 10th annual AgTech and FoodTech Workshops (May 15 & 16).
This Fall we will have our LegalTech Workshop, (September 25), MobilityTech Workshop (November 12), Manufacturing for Mobility in Mexico Workshop (November 13) and our back-to-back one-day Salons on Ag and FoodTech (November 20 & 21).
472 startups
Showcased at our Workshops as of Summer 2024
41 Workshops
And counting…
"Doon Insights is a special kind of event. They are the right group of people in the right environment. Something about the way Howard’s team runs them helps people switch their mental state from busy to reflective, making the conversations meaningful and real. That personal setting is not something you get in many industry events. It’s why Doon events are the bookend to the California trips for many far-flung folks in my industry.”
Prescott Watson, RedBlue Capital
Scott Kennedy
Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics, writes after his attendance at Mobility Tech in 5D on April 20th, 2023.
"Pursuing Strategic Competition: Relative Competitive Position Matters" CSIS Commentary, May 31st, 2023