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 12 years ago as a simple concept by Howard Chao: Bring together the ecosystem of investors, strategics and startups in key verticals for substantive discussions, 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 fruitful retreats this Spring: our 8th annual LegalTech Salon (Maturing of LegalTech) on 3/18, our first EnergyTech Workshop (Power Surge: Solving for Unprecedented Energy Demand) on 4/30, as well as our 12th annual AgTech and FoodTech Workshops on 5/14 and 5/15, respectively.
This Fall we will host our 8th annual LegalTech Workshop on 9/30, our 12th AgTech and Food Tech Salons on 11/12 and 11/13, respectively, and finally our second ever EnergyTech Workshop (Power Surge 2.0) on 11/19.
512 startups
Showcased at our Workshops as of Summer 2025
46 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