APPLICATIONS OPEN: The Pitch November 2023

Are you ready to pitch to a panel of leading VCs and startup founders? Applications to the Pitch are now open.

SmartCompany is partnering with AWS to give your startup everything it needs to scale quickly – up to $100,000 in AWS Active Credits. We also thank our supporting partner BlueRock who will be offering a year of mentor sessions, a complimentary grants review, workshops to help build your goals plus $2,000 credit that can be applied to a range of services.

So submit your short pitch now.

We’re putting the call out to all seed stage or early stage startups to enter now – entry is fast and free.

Tell us your big vision, your unique market potential and your exciting solution. We want to hear from startups all over Australia.

Submit your short pitch by October 27 for the chance to win up to $100K in prizes and receive priceless feedback from leading VC firms and startup founders from your community.

We’ve already awarded $315,000 in prize value to nVest, Diolog and Zipr, and helped 22 shortlisted candidates tell their story, sharpen their pitch, and get feedback from leaders at Blackbird, Tractor Ventures, Airtree, AWS, Main Sequence, Mr Yum, VentureCrowd and Flying Fox. 

And we’re ready to do it all again, in Melbourne, this November.

Applications close on Friday, October 27.

Submit your application

Highlights from the Pitch

Key Dates

• Applications open Monday, 11th September, 2023
• Applications close Friday, 27th October, 2023
• Event date: Thursday, 30th November 2023

Who can apply

Early venture startups that are:

1. Either a Seed [including Pre Revenue] stage startup, or an Early Stage [generating under $100K in revenue] startup;
2. Under two years old; and
3. Planning to reshape their industry in an audacious way.

We want pitches from all over Australia, see previous finalists here.

Submission requirements

We’ve made submitting your application as easy as possible. All we need is your contact details and a three slide pitch deck covering:

1. Your big vision;
2. Your unique insight and market potential; and
3. Your product, or, if it’s not ready, a mock of the idea or details of the team who will help you.

Submit your application

Prizes

Prize pack includes:

1. The ability to build and scale with up to $100,000 in AWS Activate credits.*
   AWS Activate provides startups with a host of benefits, including AWS credits, AWS support plan credits, and architecture guidance to help grow your business. Activate benefits are designed to give you the right mix of tools, resources, and expert support so you can succeed with AWS while optimizing performance, managing risk, and keeping costs under control;
2. Each finalist will have the opportunity to qualify for up to $5k in AWS credits;*
3. Every applicant will have the opportunity to qualify for up to $1k in AWS credits;*
4. Chance to pitch in front of leading VCs at The Commons Cermorne in Melbourne.

More prizes to follow.

Thanks to our sponsors AWS and BlueRock.

*Eligible participants must apply to the AWS Activate Portfolio Program using the Organization ID provided to them by SmartCompany. AWS Activate Credits are not guaranteed. To receive their credits, participants must separately qualify for the AWS Activate Portfolio Program under the eligibility requirements set forth at https://aws.amazon.com/activate/credits/. Participation in AWS Activate is governed by the AWS Activate Terms and Conditions and AWS Activate credits are subject to the AWS Promotional Credit Terms and Conditions.

By applying you’ll automatically get the invite to the in-person event.

You do not have to be Melbourne-based to apply.
Finalists will be invited to pitch in-person.

Where: The Commons Cremorne, Melbourne VIC

Day: Thursday, 30th November 2023

Time: 6.00pm to 8:30pm