We started 47Pitches to help great startups access funding and gain market acceptance faster and more democratically.
Our goal is to help startups gain faster access to capital and mentorship by "online" consensus ranking and investor-startup relationship building. Pitch contests last ~2-3 weeks and are designed to be more inclusive than a typical incubator or accelerators programs. While our team does vet applicants for initial quality standards, the majority of the validating is done by the collective judgment of our investor and industry insider communities.
We validate startups by engaging pools of experienced investors and industry domain experts who compete to earn future investment rights by ranking their favorite startups’ elevator pitches. The process is fast and simple, and helps build strong relationships between prospective investors, industry experts and our cohort startups that continue long after the contest and ranking process ends.
Each 47Pitches contest is a unique ecosystem of startups, accredited investors, and relevant industry experts that leverages the collective wisdom of community consensus to determine both the financial potential and market viability of the contestants. Importantly, each startup also creates its own network of interested community members to mentor, fund and help guide its future success.
Accelerators and incubators have been a great innovations in startup funding, creating billions of equity value for startups lucky enough to qualify and proceed to funding. 47Pitches works something like a demo day at an accelerator, but for projects that are ready to pitch without in-residence programs or larger equity dilution.
We provide a “pitch ready” format that allows investors to rapidly screen, shortlist and rank their favorite startups quickly starting with a concise 30 word elevator pitch. Startups connect and build relationships with interested investors and mentors faster, while investors can more efficiently manage deal flow and gain access to early stage valuations in their favorite projects. Typical cohorts are ranked by 30-50 angel and VC investors and 20-30 industry domain experts- including academics, industry insiders, bloggers and others with relevant industry experience.
You’ve selected to keep your video hidden from public view. We recommend this option only if your video contains “investor information only”. If you want more people to learn about your project or if you want your video to be shareable, you should choose “public”.
Our process is designed to expedite funding and to build relationships for startups with potential mentors, investors or strategic partners.
Startups apply by posting a 1-2 minute video about their project and a 30 word max elevator pitch. This gives startups visibility with our investors and allows investors to indicate their potential interest in each project. If there is sufficient investor interest the project is invited to participate in phase 2 which is a two week pitch contest where investors and in most cases relevant industry insiders interact, rank and potentially fund their favorite projects.
No, you're not obliged to join any contest, but you can join one or more Phase 2 contests if you're invited to do so by our investor community. You always have the option to keep your project posted in Phase 1 until you’re ready to pitch it in a Phase 2 contest. Your only material obligation in registering on 47Pitches is that once you do join one of our Phase 2 pitch contests, you agree to be bound by the terms of the contest SAFE Agreement if you win.
All terms are disclosed to any prospective contest participant prior to becoming eligible to participate in a Phase 2 contest and must then be executed. Participation in Phase 1 carries no obligation; however, 47Pitches must approve all video and pitch narrative submissions prior to posting. 47Pitches retains the right to remove videos and/or ban users from participation at anytime at its sole discretion. and without prior notice or right of appeal.
Pitch contests give your project immediate visibility with groups of experienced investors; it could take months to get that kind of visibility if you tried to connect with and pitch them individually.
More importantly, the contest format creates competition and incentives that help get your project taken seriously and potentially funded faster and with better terms. Investors can add you to their watch list and track your project, even if they don’t invest immediately or vote for your project.
You can invite any of the participating investors to join your 47Pitch online mentoring community to benefit from the experience, guidance, and resources of these experienced mentors. You can also establish an experienced shareholder base with a vested interest in helping you make your project a success.