The Importance of Investing Time into Startup Pitch Events

Let’s make this clear. I am an investor and it’s unlikely I’ll find my next billion dollar investment at a startup pitch night. Especially this year. Uncertain economic conditions have brought a seemingly destabilised investment landscape and the venture capital market has not been immune to its effects.

But, I don’t see it that way.

The Australian Startup Community is stronger than ever.

As a new VC investor, the welcoming nature of the Australian ecosystem has been a surprisingly positive revelation. Whether you’re a founder, investor or ecosystem partner, there seems to be genuine care for our collective success. There is an active feeling of support for our founders and I, as an investor, want to play my part.

Attending pitch nights allows me to engage with the startup ecosystem.

Supporting Founders

The success of the Australian startup ecosystem relies on the success of our founders. They are the ones with the vision to turn an idea into a successful business and spend their entire lives obsessed with solving their customer’s problems. The more wins we celebrate as a community, the larger we can grow. By supporting founders at pitch nights, investors can contribute to the collaborative nature of the ecosystem and celebrate the successes of Australian-bred changemakers. I remember meeting Maddy, the founder of Speckles, for the first time at MAP’s pitch night and it’s been awesome to support her as she grows her business (and her confidence) since that night! Pitch Nights have been a great way for me to pay it forward and support these founders.

Connecting with Other Investors

VC isn’t a zero-sum game. I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with some awesome VC funds who, like me, want to back ambitious founders and support them on their journey. I believe in connecting with like-minded investors, sharing experiences and aligning beliefs, so we can collectively help founders achieve their vision. Pitch nights are a great way to network with other investors and find common connections within the startup community. A shoutout to James from Playbook Ventures who I’ve made a great connection with, as we both build our angel syndicates from the ground up.

Staying Ahead of the Curve

As investors, we strive to look for disruptive technologies — ideas that are category-building and create new, emerging markets (not necessarily just following a ‘trend’). Pitch nights allow us to gain exposure to developing technologies and be at the forefront of new ideas. Who would’ve thought I’d be so emotionally invested in food waste technology (go Phoebe from Bardee!). Pitch Nights are a great opportunity for investors to be curious by engaging with founders who are building new innovations. Your next conversation could be the door to the next frontier in tech.

So let’s support our startup community.

Despite these uncertain times, it’s important to engage with the Australian startup community and take steps to support founders on their journey. Ambition and vision are empty words if we don’t back the next generation of inspiring founders in all that they do.

That’s why you can find me at the next startup pitch night — you never know, perhaps I will find my next billion dollar investment there. ;)

Hi I’m Andy, the Angel Network Manager of Ecotone Ventures, an Angel Network that connects the growing number of climate conscious investors to early stage ventures with climate solutions.

We’re looking to connect with early-stage climate-focused founders and investors who are interested in joining our climate angel network.

If this sounds like you, please connect with me on Linkedin.