September 11, 2019 – Pitching a business comes with a certain amount of pressure. This pressure magnifies when the eventual “perfect pitch” can potentially bring investor funding.
Gainesville has seen various pitch competitions from companies like StartUpGNV, CrowdPitch, and Get Started Gainesville.
Pitch competition events regularly pull a good amount of interest and provide an inspiring experience for the audience. Local sponsors generously provide rewards in services, prizes and cash, ranging somewhere between $10,000 – $20,000.
Some events allow the audience to vote for their favorite company. Occasionally, the audience can even choose the grand prize winner.
Startup Pitch Day at Santa Fe College’s Innovation Product Development Center (IPDC) Wednesday, Sept. 25, will be different, however. This event is not a competition. It’s a real pitch with opportunities to get funding from local, regional and national investors.
IPDC companies and the event organizers have been going through intense preparation. Companies qualified to pitch have to present their business to investors following a certain format created by IPDC mentor Karl Zawoy. This format has been carefully researched and thought through to cover all the important elements of a business – from the strategic idea to financials.
Companies have to be fully rehearsed and ready to deliver their pitch within only eight minutes. That’s not an easy task! Some of the investors will be attending the pitch in person, others will be joining the event online through ZOOM.
To help companies be on top of their game, SF’s IPDC engaged partners to provide mentoring and coaching support. Jeff Greenspan from SCORE, one of the IPDC partners, is a master at preparing successful pitches. He has been fully invested in helping business owners shape the substance and delivery of their presentations.
Even though the event is closed to the public, the significance of it may affect many companies in Gainesville. SF’s IPDC provides opportunities for funding to product developing companies as one of their services. The center has put tremendous work into attracting potential investors and generating interest in Gainesville start-ups.
Making a match between a company and an investor is a big, ambitious goal. With fourteen companies in the line-up, hitting at least one home run will be a success. Since finding investors is challenging, SF’s IPDC does everything they can to prepare their companies to succeed. A potential match will mean a lot for Gainesville. It will primarily encourage more potential investors to explore opportunities in our city.
For more information on the Santa Fe College IPDC, please visit sfcollege.edu/ipdc.