About the Competition:
Apply to pitch your startup to Jason Calacanis, one of the world's greatest startup investors, to win a $100,000 investment from
The Veteran Fund.
Apply to pitch here: http://fndri.com/100kAny U.S.-based startup that has a service member, veteran, or military spouse on the executive team, who has raised less than $4M in funding is eligible to apply to pitch by the application deadline on Sunday, November 3rd, 2024.
All founders who apply will be eligible to receive a "JPMorganChase Scholarship" to the
Founder Institute's Veteran and Military Family Accelerator, powered by JPMorganChase.
Seven semi-finalists will be reviewed by our selection committee and three finalists will be selected to give their 3-minute pitch live at the online event on November 14th to Jason Calacanis and the investor panel. All three finalists will be considered for investment outside the competition.
The pitch competition winner will receive a $100,000 investment from The Veteran Fund. Terms of the investment will be based upon the company's current financing round as an equity investment or as a SAFE Note, with the ability to invest up to $500,000.
About the keynote and guest judge, Jason Calacanis:
Jason Calacanis is a world-renowned technology entrepreneur, top angel investor, and the world's greatest moderator of the number one podcast, All-In. Jason is also the host of the leading technology podcast, This Week in Startups, and the CEO of the LAUNCH Accelerator.
As a “scout” for top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and later as an angel investor, Jason has invested in 150 early-stage startups including 4 that have achieved billion-dollar valuations (so far).
Jason is also the author of the best-selling book "Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups: Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000".
Investor Panelists:
Mike Sherbakov is the Co-founder and General Partner at The Veteran Fund, a venture capital firm that invests in exceptional founders from the military community, with a focus on dual-use, national security, and defense. Mike is also the Managing Director of Founder Insitute San Diego and runs the FI Veteran and Military Family Accelerator.
Ryan Micheletti is Head of Global Operations for Founder Institute and a General Partner at The Veteran Fund. He has helped launch eight thousand startups worldwide and actively invests in veteran-led startups through The Veteran Fund.
Tim Hsia is the Founder and Managing Partner at Context Ventures a venture fund that invests in consumer startups and also in military veteran founders. Tim’s startup investments include Workflow (acquired by Apple), Morning Brew (acquired by Business Insider), The Hustle (acquired by HubSpot), Thredup (IPO), and Proterra (SPAC). Tim is a board member at Service to School (co-founder) and the Marine’s Memorial Association (Marine Memorial Club and Hotel in San Francisco).
Who Should Attend?
- Angel investors and early-stage venture capitalists looking to invest in startups
- Anyone interested in technologies and innovation from the military veteran community
- Alumni, mentors, and friends of the Founder Institute
- Early-stage founders, looking to connect with the world's largest startup accelerator, Founder Institute.
About Founder Institute:The
Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 8,000 entrepreneurs raise over $2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.