It looked like a typical business seminar, held over lunch.

Attendees sat around tables, munching on sandwiches and other light fare, while presenters took turns flipping through informational slides projected onto a large screen.

But the presenters weren’t lecturing or offering tips and tricks; they were making pitches.

And audience members weren’t there for professional development; they were there to take in information on potential investment opportunities.

It was the first meeting of the newly formed Tri-Cities Angel Alliance, a networking group aimed at connecting entrepreneurs and investors. Three companies made pitches during the session on Sept. 6.

“There’s an active startup community in the Tri-Cities,” said Phil Ohl, managing director of the Tri-Cities Angel Alliance. “This becomes a place where people looking for capital know, ‘Go see the alliance, because there are people here looking to put money into startups.’”

Ohl said he hopes to form an affiliate relationship with organizations such as the Seattle Alliance of Angels, Spokane Angel Alliance and North Central Washington Tech Alliance.

“The purpose of this evolution is ultimately to identify more deal flow and attract more accredited investors to join our lunches and grow the Tri-Cities local startup community,” he wrote in an invitation to the alliance’s first meeting. About 30 people attended the session, which lasted an hour.

One of the pitches came from STARS Technology Corporation, which grew out of science done at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Bob Wegeng, president and chief technology officer, handled the pitch, explaining the company’s mission and answering questions.

Afterward, Dennis Walters, the company’s chief of staff, told the Journal of Business that the alliance helps fill a need.

“The key for startups is to have access to money to make it work. The more money you have, the faster you get to market, the sooner you can start making a profit,” he said.

“By creating this kind of a forum, they’re really helping. What they’re doing by providing this is putting people together. That means creating value in our community. If you’re investing and the funds pay off, you have more funds to invest in the community. It’s really an amplification,” Walters said.

STARS previously secured some funding after pitching at a Shark Lunch.

While the alliance is generally focused on Tri-Cities startups, regional startups also may submit pitches, and traditional business opportunities such as expansions and real estate deals are welcome, Ohl said. Having a healthy startup community is good for all – and the Tri-Cities is ripe for it, he said.

“Our community is growing enough to facilitate some real startup growth,” Ohl said.

Learn more about the Tri-Cities Angel Alliance and submit a pitch at tc-angels.com.