Are you building an impact-driven startup, and looking for funding or exposure? Then apply to the Pitch for Purpose Competition! This elevetor-style startup pitching competition is completely free, and open to anyone to join by simply submitting a 30-second pitch video.
Through #Pitch4Purpose, the Founder Institute aims to elevate and empower impactful companies from around the world that are working on solutions to solve some of the globe's biggest challenges. Any impact-driven startup or business idea with less than $250,000 USD in funding is eligible to join, but time is running out.
To join the competition and have an opportunity to present in our upcoming Global Demo Day, click here. The Application Deadline to send us your 30-second pitch video is this Friday, April 26th, at 11:59pm PT.
The top-ranked pitch from the Global Online Demo Day will be crowned the Pitch for Purpose Champion, receiving the opportunity to pitch onstage at the world’s top conference for future technologies, 4YFN. The crowned Pitch for Purpose Champion will also receive Fellowships to attend any Founder Institute program worldwide, as well as receive personal Office Hours with top entrepreneurs from across the Founder Institute global network.
Applicable businesses include any products that can positively shape the future of our society, including those addressing gender and racial equality, space exploration, clean technology, food and water, fertility, financial inclusion, housing and urban planning, governance and democracy, education, healthcare and biotech, and other related fields.
The Online Demo Day will take place on Thursday, June 27th at 9:30am PT. Online public voting will factor into the selection process, so the sooner you submit your pitch, the better your chances are of being selected!
Prizes:
All Finalists will receive attendance to one of the following 4YFN events. The winner will receive:
- Opportunity to pitch onstage at 4YFN Shanghai 2019, LA 2019, or Barcelona 2020.
- Up to 3 Fellowships for team members to participate together in any Founder Institute program worldwide that begins in 2019.
- Opportunity to receive Office Hours with leaders from the Founder Institute.
Contest Full Details:
In order to be eligible for the Pitch For Purpose Competition, you must:
Have a business, or business idea, with less than $250,000 USD in funding.
Business must, in the sole discretion of the Founder Institute, be creating products that can positively shape the future of our society, including those addressing gender and racial equality, space exploration, clean technology, food and water, fertility, financial inclusion, housing and urban planning, governance and democracy, education, healthcare and biotech, and other related fields.
Submit a public, 30 second video adhering to our best practices to fi.co/good before April 26th, 2019 at 11:59pm PT. In addition, we will give strong preference to companies that also submit, in private, a pitch deck that will be requested shortly after the public video submission. Guidelines and tips will be provided to applicants for this pitch deck submission process.
Selection Process:
The Voting Deadline is on Friday, May 10th 2019 at 11:59pm PT.
Public voting will play a large, but not sole, role in our selection process.
Semi-Finalists: On Monday, May 13th 2019, we will use the criteria outlined above to select 10 Semi-Finalists for the competition, notifying both the selected and non-selected companies via email. The semi-finalists will then be asked to submit additional pitch videos, and join mandatory pitch practice and feedback video calls with Founder Institute leaders to improve their pitch.
Finalists: On Friday, May 24th 2019, the Founder Institute will select, in its sole discretion, the 3 Finalists for the competition. Both the selected and non-selected companies will be notified via email. These companies may be required to attend additional pitch practice video calls with Founder Institute leaders to prepare for the Online Demo Day.
Online Demo Day: On Thursday, June 27th at 9:30am PT, the 3 finalists will each present a 3-minute video pitch (with slides) to a panel of venture capitalist judges and a public viewing audience. At the end of each pitch, each judge, and the public viewing audience, will be asked to submit a numerical rating of each pitch. The numerical rating is 1-5, with 5 being the best, but with no 3s allowed! After all 3 companies present their pitch, the ratings of the pitches will be compiled, and the company with the highest numerical rating will be crowned the Pitch for Purpose Competition Champion. If the ratings have resulted in a tie between 2 or 3 companies, then the public audience will determine the winner through a timed online vote.
As with any online event, there is a possibility for technical or connection issues. If technical or connection issues arise for any finalist, finalists agree that there will be no “make-up” date for this Online Demo Day.
To join the competition, or to vote for your favorite impactful startup video pitch, visit www.fi.co/good.
Graduates of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over $1.85BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/journey.
