Information for Startup Challenge Finalists
Congratulations on being part of Monterey Bay’s dynamic and diverse entrepreneur community!
We hope that you and your loved ones are staying healthy.
Here you will find some helpful information on creating and submitting your pitch video, pitch slide deck, and executive summary for the Final Round.
If your company is listed as a 2020 Finalist of the Startup Challenge, you are eligible to participate in the Final Round.
We’re Going online
In response to the COVID-19 emergency, the Final Round will be hosted online. We are asking participants to create their pitch as a 10-minute video, upload it to YouTube as an unlisted video, and submit a link to your pitch video. A copy of your pitch presentation slide deck and a one-page executive summary of your business is also required.
To prepare for your final pitch, and to get the full value from the Challenge experience, we strongly recommend that you attend one or more of the In It to Win It pitch workshops hosted by Chuck Erickson. We are also working on matching mentors to each participant to help them prepare. The judges will view and score your pitch and executive summary on May 8, 2020.
Guidelines for your final round submissions
*Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in disqualification*
- Video must be no longer than 10 minutes
- Props, demonstrations, and special effects are allowed – keep them short and simple.
- Remember, use your pitch to sell your business to the judges, not just your product.
- Your video should contain your narrated Powerpoint pitch deck and can contain other elements as well.
*Click here for a downloadable presentation template*
- Must be no longer than 1 page.
- Communicate what your business does and what kind of value your business provides.
- Convey your business’s potential and goals.
- Point out your target market and what problem your business solves.
- The goal is to orient the reader to what your company is about in an engaging way.
- You may include pictures and graphs to convey your message.
- Describe your revenue and business model.
- Click here for an example.
The following criteria will be used to judge your pitch’s content and presentation. Be sure to address these items during your 10-minute video.
- Problem and solution
- Market
- Revenue and fundraising strategy
- Go to market strategy
- Competition
- Financials and economics
- Team
- Structure of presentation
- Ability to engage audience
- Clarity of presentation
- Passion and enthusiasm
- Upload your pitch video onto YouTube
- Set this video visibility to “unlisted.” Click here for instructions.
- Use your business name as your video title
- Use 2-3 sentences to describe your business in the video’s description
- Click the button below to submit your YouTube video share link, 1-page executive summary, and a copy of your pitch presentation slide deck.
- Submission deadline: May 5, 2020 at 7:00 PM PDT
- Can I use special effects?
- Yes, if you feel this brings value to your pitch; keep it simple and short.
- Where can I practice and get feedback on my pitch?
- We highly recommend attending at least one workshop. Click here to register.
- Is the narrator of the pitch required to be on screen during the entire pitch video?
- No, but we recommend that the narrator introduce themself at the beginning as well as displaying the narrator during the pitch’s closing remarks.
- What format can I submit a copy of my pitch slide deck in?
- You may upload a copy of your pitch slide deck in PDF or Powerpoint format.
Use the button to submit it.
What to Expect Next
- Tuesday May 5 at 7 PM PDT is the submission deadline for finalist pitches and executive summaries.
- Thursday May 7, finalists will receive a Zoom video conferencing link and time for their Q&A session on May 8.
- Friday May 8, Final Round judges will conduct a Q&A with each business and will meet to make their final decisions.
- Saturday May 9 by noon, winners will be announced by email!
- Friday May 15, finalists will receive their judge’s feedback by email.
