Investors on the East Coast and West Coast are polar opposites. It's a generalization, since there is variation within those regions as well, but here are a few generalizations to help you play to your audience.
BAY AREA: Big ideas (with some foundation under them) win, the kind of ideas that can produce 1000x+ returns. If the space is going to be owned by whichever company gets to market with a good product first and/or the value will be in billions if they own a huge market (think SnapChat).
PHILLY/NYC/ETC: Great for biotech. For SaaS and other tech, focus less on "hottest" innovations and more on how to displace industry leaders in big markets (like SalesForce) with something that is simpler and solves a major pain point in a way that the industry leaders do not.
IMPORTANT: Regardless of which region you plan to raise funds in, ignore what's "hot" and focus on where you have unique insight and experience. If you are an engineer, try Internet of Things or a startup catering to some engineer-heavy industry you're familiar with. If you're a doctor, don't try to start a social network for teens - start one for patients and their family/friends (another hot space), or something else highly related to your experience. If you have credibility in your space, your odds of success are MUCH higher, and therefore investors will be more eager to invest in you.
If you want help identifying the right investors and creating a pitch deck that doesn't get thrown in the trash, schedule a call and I'll sign an NDA if we end up getting deep in the idea together.
While new technologies are obviously important, it is more important, IMHO, to figure out how to apply technologies to solve real world problems. Look at any of the hottest companies, snapchat, Uber, Airbnb, etc. If you get to the core of their strategies, they simply leveraged technology to solve a problem. Occasionally someone will create a new technology that on its own merits is a winner. But even those companies are solving a real world problem. Sometimes the problem is one that is subtle and people didn't even realize they had until a solution came along.
I would also look hard at the enterprise space. Many entrepreneurs are hesitant to enter this space because they believe its lame, they don't want to deal with corporations, or they don't understand the problems. But don't let those factors stop you. Many people have built very successful companies focusing on boring industries.
The other benefit to considering enterprise space is that because of the perceived negativity surrounding enterprise solutions, you'll have less competition. One other benefit is that many corporations today are hungry for solutions and turn out to be good investor partners. I have many years building solutions in the enterprise space and can talk to you in more detail about this topic.
"The internet of things" is a very hot investment space. It is a good idea because it is a revolution of hardware, so that means that the technological developments will have real world applications and a lasting consumer base.
Social networks, apps and games can all be fleeting but once people make investments in infrastructure they are usually long term.
I am spending a lot of my time with data providers that help companies manage their supply chain data and determine how to drive impact at the source of purchasing. This includes traceability elements plus tracking. For big companies this is a massive undertaking, especially as they are making more commitments to improve social, environmental and economic development. What I love about what I am seeing is the collaboration around improving qualities of life at origin etc. What types of technologies are you looking into?
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