To apply, complete the following steps:
- Make sure you meet the requirements listed below.
- Purchase a Pitch ticket at an event you’d like to pitch at ($50). Note that Pitch tickets often sell out a month or more in advance. If the event you’d like to present at doesn’t have any Pitch tickets available, pick the next event.
- Complete the Gust (Angelsoft) application. Please note that only a few questions are required. You’ll see them noted specifically as “required” in the application form. The video is not required.
Q: How do you decide which startups get selected to pitch?
Each month, we make about 15 Pitch tickets available for purchase. Once these are sold out we review their Gust applications and pick the 8 most compelling applications that month. Anyone who has not submitted a Gust application, does not meet the guidelines below, or is not selected for any reason will receive a full refund of their application fee. If you are not selected, you are welcome to attend the event as General Admission and you are encouraged to re-apply to pitch in the future. You may also be interested in this guide on how to get selected to pitch. If you have any questions about this process email [email protected].
Q: What are the requirements to pitch?
- You must be a Founder and Principal (CEO, President, or Partner) of a for-profit company
- The company must be a Startup (a technology-enabled media, commerce, or software company). Any company not fitting this definition (eg web hosting providers, software design/development agencies, etc) that wants to market their services at an event can sponsor Ultra Light Startups or use BrightMap for endorsed introductions to potential clients.
- Your company must have a live website or a mobile application.
- If you have a website, it must demonstrate interactive functionality at the time you apply to pitch. It can be in a “beta” state but it cannot be a “coming soon” page or a blog.
- If you are pitching a mobile startup, your app must be live and downloadable from an app store.
- To keep things fresh for the audience, we don’t allow the same person to pitch too frequently. You must wait a minimum of six months to pitch again. Also, wait until there is a significant change in design, features, or business model before applying to pitch again.
Q: I already have a Gust application on file, do I have to complete another one from scratch?
No. You can share your existing Gust application with Ultra Light Startups with the following steps:
- Sign into your existing Gust application
- Go to “share and manage deals” in the upper right hand corner
- Go to “Find other investors on Gust and share with them” and the right hand side
- Click on the “share with them” link and search “ultralight”
- Share it with us
Q: Does my startup have to be bootstrapped to pitch? What if we’ve taken angel/venture funding?
No, you do not have to be bootstrapped to pitch. Bootstrapped and venture funded startups are all welcome. As long as you meet the above requirements, you are welcome to register to pitch anytime.
Q: Can service providers pitch?
No, but you can sponsor us. For our purposes, “service providers” are companies that sell services to businesses. Examples include accountants, designers, web/mobile developers, consultants, internet hosting providers, office space providers, and PR firms.
Please note that anyone is welcome to attend Ultra Light Startups. There are no restrictions on who can purchase General Admission tickets. The restrictions described here only apply to pitching.