StartupNation has launched the 2009 “Elevator Pitch” contest with sponsors Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division and GoToMeeting from Citrix Online. The contest will recognize the next great business ideas and entrepreneurs worthy of funding. The winning entrepreneurs will receive a pre-arranged one-hour presentation to top tier investors and give them a competitive edge in seeking investment in this challenging economic climate. The winners will also each receive a Toshiba Satellite(R) Pro S300 laptop to help them achieve all of their goals with maximum capability, mobility and reliability. An additional prize includes a one-year GoToMeeting account, enabling the contest winners to conduct presentations and meetings online in real time.
Elevator pitches have a long history in American business and typically contain an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project and the name reflects the fact that the pitch can be delivered in the time span of a brief elevator ride.
Contestants interested in competing in the contest can submit a video pitch up until March 20, 2009.
Video submissions should be quick-hitting business plan pitches designed to entice investors (thirty seconds and 100-150 words). The top 100 contestants will be selected by popular vote and then judged by a panel of StartupNation judges as well as an outside panel of renowned angel and seed stage venture capital investors.
On April 7, the top five pitchers will be announced and invited to participate in a 60-minute, GoToMeeting-hosted online meeting with a panel of seed stage investors whose funds under management exceed $1 billion collectively. StartupNation’s objective is to give entrepreneurs every chance possible to successfully launch and grow their business ventures.
“This is an extremely tough a time for entrepreneurs as financing has tightened up considerably in 2009. However, top investors are still on the hunt for outstanding business ideas. Our goal with the Elevator Pitch contest is to give these intrepid entrepreneurs constructive feedback on how to be more effective in pitching their opportunities to investors and to inspire others to prepare their own pitches so when their ‘someday chance’ comes, they’re ready for show time. After all, if you can’t communicate your business opportunity in a quick elevator ride, you’re not ready to raise money!” said Rich Sloan, co-founder and chief startupologist of StartupNation.com. Sloan has critiqued thousands of pitches on StartupNation Radio, a weekly, nationally syndicated call-in radio program that informs and entertains entrepreneurs.
“We are thrilled to put Toshiba laptops into the hands of entrepreneurs who are working to get their businesses off the ground,” said Ron Smith, vice president, online sales and marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. “Entrepreneurs and small businesses, especially in these tough economic times, need every tool they can to succeed. Toshiba laptops are designed with these users in mind, offering a high-level of quality at an incredible value.”
“Success in business requires the ability to think on your feet and seize opportunities to collaborate on-the-fly with customers, prospects, and colleagues – anywhere in the world,” said Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president and general manager of global marketing and ecommerce for Citrix Online. “Whether meeting one-on-one or with up to 15 invited attendees, business professionals can simply use GoToMeeting to get more done without traveling, confident in a level of privacy and security that rivals online banking.”
To enter, contestants must submit video or audio up to two minutes in length to StartupNation.com by March 20, 2009. Contestants must be located in the U.S. and be 18 or older to participate.