Top Pitch Opportunities for Startups in NYC
So, you’ve got a great product idea and even a great team to make it happen, but unless you are blessed with the funds to bootstrap your company, you’ll need some seed funding. Pitch events are one great way to get that funding.Pitching to potential investors is something most startups have to go through, and refining your pitch is very important; but finding the right opportunity to pitch can be overwhelming. There are many valuable events held in New York City to help entrepreneurs present themselves to potential investors, and most of these events are free to attend. Some even conclude with prizes for the most persuasive pitch. We have included our top picks for pitch events happening year round in NYC. Before you even think of pitching yourself, you should attend at least 5 pitching events to fine-tune your own pitch.
Ultra Light Startups
This pitch format was one of the first ones to offer monthly pitch opportunities for early stage tech startups seeking funding and business advice, and usually has very good judges. This is a contest-based event where the top three pitches receive a bid to pitch before the New York Angels, angel investors ready to provide equity capital for early startups, $1,000 in Amazon web services, one free hour of a legal advice, as well as an interviewing opportunity with StartFast Venture Accelerator. The format is a two-minute pitch, without any additional PowerPoint software, followed by a three-minute response from the judges and audience, determines the winners for the contest. Contestants can apply to pitch on the event website by filling out a short questionnaire. Even if you’re just thinking about your pitch, we recommend you attend some of the Ultra Light Startup sessions as they are often a lot of fun.
New York Entrepreneur Business Network Meetup
One of the most active pitch Meetups, the NYEBN focuses on a different industry topic every month. From fashion to retail to travel, it is an excellent opportunity to pitch your startup in the relevant vertical – with a good audience of fellow entrepreneurs, early stage investors, and industry experts. The jury is always comprised of actual venture capital partners, so DO prepare before pitching here. Other Meetups in specific industries also offer pitch opportunities; for example, the BMW iVenture Meetups have a focus on mobility and smart cities.
Finovate
This is an annual two-day event which takes place in September and showcases financial and banking technological innovations among startups and leading financial companies. There is a competitive application process for each demo slot but selected founders can pitch for seven minutes on stage. Networking sessions are a held after with the innovators and investors. To reserve a space to listen to the pitches, an entrance ticket to the convention is necessary.
TechCrunch
This is a four-day conference in New York City to host startups, influential speakers, and networking between investors and tech startups. Each of the four days has a different theme, but Startup Battlefield is the mecca of TechCrunch Disrupt. 30 applicants are chosen to pitch their products to a live audience including product experts, entrepreneurs, and press. After judging, a second round of pitches begins with six companies and the winner receives a prize of $50,000. Reserving space is necessary and tickets should be purchased prior to the event day.
TechWeek
This annual week-long event takes place in Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. Only in its second year in NYC, TechWeek promotes the technology industry and gives plenty of opportunities to network with tech professionals, and investors. There are many different events held each day, from guest speakers to launch competitions. Tickets can be purchased separately for each day. Individuals have a platform to pitch their pre-qualified startups in front of a venture capitalist judging panel. There are various levels of cash prizes for the winners.
StartupPitchNight
This event is held in New York City and in cities around the world and brings early stage startups together to practice pitching their ideas, learning new tactics, and practice in a nonthreatening environment. You are able to receive feedback from your peers and also learn better tactics from guest speakers.
StartupWeekend
This annual event is specifically geared toward startups that have launched within the last two years only. It is competition-based and teamed startups have three minutes to pitch in front of a judging panel. To participate, companies simply purchase tickets. Tickets for these events must be purchased in advance and they do often sell out! The highest scoring startups are invited to pitch at Startup World in Silicon Valley.
SwitchPitch
This annual event switches the roles of the startups and established companies. Approved startups begin by having a free SwitchPitch account where they can bid on the projects that best fit their needs. The large established companies pitch to the startups, which then make online bids for each larger company they feel would be a good match for their project. The larger companies are then able to choose which startups are the best match to form partnerships with. Startups must be revenue generating and have a working product to participate.