The Pitch is back for season 11! Recorded for the first time in front of a live studio audience, we invited the top startup founders and VCs from across the country to join us in Miami. Visionary founders will pitch everything from pants you can pee in, to Airbnb for churches. And it wouldn’t be 2024 if we didn’t throw in some AI and alternative investments! Tune in to season 11 to hear the true story of how venture deals get done. And this season, a LOT of deals get done. Watch FULL episodes on...
Mar 20, 2024•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast For our season 10 finale, we’re trying something crazy. We’re giving you a full pitch from start to finish with no editing whatsoever! Founder Chase Robbins presents his snack delivery business, Handle, to investors Paige Doherty, Neal Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. Will they back this college dropout who promises on-campus deliveries in 15-minutes or less? Or will they steer clear of a space that's seen billions of VC dollars go up in flames? You can also watch the Hand...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Online shopping was supposed to make things easier. But with so many options, it’s also made our shopping experience more fragmented than ever. Kristine Locker set out to fix that with her social shopping app Locker. However, her target demographic is a couple generations behind most VCs. Can Kristine convince investors she has the solution to a problem they don’t experience or will they abandon this startup in the cart? You can also watch the Locker pitch on YouTube. Today’s investors are Beck ...
Nov 15, 2023•32 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Ever stood at the recycling bin wondering, “Is this cup really recyclable?'' Enter Nicole Toole, the founder of ECGO, an AI-powered app designed to tackle this confusion. With ECGO, you snap a photo of any item, and the app will tell you how to properly dispose of it. But as mind-blowingly awesome as this is, the investors wonder how much money can you really make from trash when you’re selling to universities. You can also watch the ECGO pitch on YouTube. Today’s investors are Elizabeth Yin, Er...
Nov 08, 2023•33 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Luke Barkley Young was tired of two things: companies that don’t take responsibility for products they put in the world and moldy shower liners. So he created Outlines, a circular subscription for all your home essentials. Their first product is a recyclable shower curtain. But it’s a rough environment out there for direct to consumer products. Will the VCs invest in Luke’s big vision for replenishables – or would that just be pouring money down the drain? You can also watch the Outlines pitch o...
Nov 01, 2023•35 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Venture investors have spent the last decade searching for the killer use case for VR. Today’s founder, Andrew McHugh, thinks he’s found it with his startup, Wist. But days before Andrew gave his pitch, Apple sent shockwaves through the industry by announcing their new headset, the Vision Pro. Will investors be skittish about the tech giant entering the space? Or is it a sign that VR’s big moment has finally arrived? You can also watch the Wist pitch on YouTube. Today’s investors are Paige Doher...
Oct 25, 2023•43 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Cofounding sisters Kinsey and Jessa Lux think they’ve found the next big opportunity in sports tech, audio lessons for horseback riders. But the equestrian market is way smaller than say, running or cycling. Is a passionate market enough to excite investors, or is Ride iQ too niche to become a billion dollar business? Today’s investors are Beck Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie Diamond. To learn more about Kinsey and Jessa's equestrian startup and the investors featured on this epi...
Oct 18, 2023•43 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Jason Vego wants to disrupt an industry so old school he has to sell door to door. Yet somehow his SaaS platform for convenience stores boasts a 95% conversion rate from free trial. Another number comes up in The Pitch Room though, Jason’s ownership percentage in Bevz. Will this founder win over the investors or get the door slammed in his face? Today’s investors are Paige Doherty, Neal Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Jason's startup and the investors ...
Sep 27, 2023•32 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Hershberg loves golf. So much so that he founded the Amateur Golf Society – a PGA-style tour that any golfer can participate in. The investors think his flexible tournament model is a hole in one. But things get complicated when they discover a majority of the company is owned by a private equity firm, not the founder. Will the VCs and the PEs come together for the love of golf? Or will this deal land in the bunker. Today’s investors are Beck Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie D...
Sep 20, 2023•42 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast If you're murdered in the US, there's only a 57% chance your killer will be found. Jim Brown aims to change this statistic by enabling the massive true crime community to solve cold cases on his website Uncovered.com. But mysterious circumstances in the studio lead us to a question. Can a media company produce venture scale returns by… solving murders? Today’s investors are Elizabeth Yin, Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Jim's crime solving start...
Sep 13, 2023•34 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Despite a decade in engineering at Apple, Dhaval Patel didn’t have any smart technology in his home. So he designed a ring that converts every home into a smart home – using old technology found in your typical TV remote. But hardware startups are extremely difficult to get off the ground and many VC’s avoid investing in them altogether. Can Dhaval convince our investors that his 10 prototype rings will turn into a 10 billion dollar business? Today’s investors are Paige Doherty, Neal Bloom, Eliz...
Sep 06, 2023•36 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast When Mariam Braimah led product design at Netflix she struggled to find participants in Africa to test new products. So she started Kimoyo Insights, a research analytics platform that helps companies like Microsoft & Flutterwave gather feedback from African consumers. But Kimoyo doesn’t quite fit the venture mold. Can Mariam convince investors to make a bet on user research in the data desert of Africa? Today’s investors are Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. Learn mo...
Aug 30, 2023•38 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast When Madeline Fraser tried to design her engagement ring online, she was stunned to find it couldn’t be done. After bringing a cash deposit to a rando in LA, Madeline got her custom ring and, with it, a new business idea. She started Gemist – a vertical SaaS product for jewelers. It's the kind of business VCs love, but that means they'll expect the business to be flawless. Will Gemist pass inspection or will slight imperfections blow the whole deal? Today’s investors are Paige Doherty, Neal Bloo...
Aug 23, 2023•40 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast We’re back for Season 10 with double the digits, double the deals, and double the drama. Your favorite investors return along with some new voices ready to shake up The Pitch Room. And for the first time ever, we’re posting new episodes on YouTube! Don’t miss our season premiere Wednesday, August 23rd at 7PM ET. Subscribe to The Pitch Show on YouTube. If you want to invest alongside the VCs on The Pitch join us at thepitch.fund. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...
Aug 09, 2023•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Co-founders Kelvin Johnson and Max Huc know first impressions are everything. That’s why they created Brevity, an AI powered software to help craft a persuasive first pitch. But pitching a pitch product to a room full of pitch experts proves to be a bit of a challenge. Which brings up a question: what's more important, the pitch itself or the Q&A? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...
May 17, 2023•35 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast The fashion industry is one of the most wasteful and inefficient industries on the planet, and Elias Stahl wants to reinvent it. His company, HILOS, is creating an entirely new supply chain for shoes, made on demand with 3D printed components. But they don’t actually design, manufacture or fulfill any of the products. They’ve just built a platform that connects all the pieces. It sounds like a perfect business… almost too perfect. Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, V...
May 10, 2023•33 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Our next episode drops in two weeks, until then here’s the recap on what’s been happening at The Pitch. You can check out The Pitch Fund portfolio here, RSVP for our San Diego meetup on June 7th, and most importantly, subscribe to The Pitch Insider for all the best deals, company updates, and fun extras! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 26, 2023•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Alex Kosyakov claims to have discovered the holy grail of battery technology, a solid-state battery capable of mass production for electric vehicles. And with the ever increasing demand for EVs, investors are supercharged by this pitch. Can Alex convince them that his solid-state battery tech is better than the competition? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, Victor Gutwein, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 19, 2023•34 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Founder Ariana Vargas wants to destigmatize talking about mental health. So she built a social app. No wait, now it’s a Slack app for the workplace? This founder is willing to do whatever it takes to secure investment - maybe too willing. Will Ariana build the business she wants, or the one investors want? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you’ve been enjoying our comeback season, will you share The Pitch with a friend? Le...
Apr 12, 2023•38 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Jenna Sereni believes the best product recommendations come from family and friends. That’s the genesis of her social shopping app, HandsDown. Her pitch starts out like normal - until the investors flip the script and start pitching back, sending HandsDown on an entirely new path. Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Apr 05, 2023•39 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast When Ali Kaminetsky started her first job out of college, she quickly realized she didn’t have a stylish way to pack her lunch every day. So, she created Modern Picnic, a company that makes insulated vegan leather lunch boxes for women. The first two years of the company were a success. But then, in 2020, when Apple released IOS 14, it completely changed the way D2C companies scale. Now Ali needs to convince investors she’s found a new way to build a billion dollar consumer business. Today’s inv...
Mar 29, 2023•45 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Ismail Salhi and Johanna Hartzheim, co-founders of Qleek, have been through the wringer. They first pitched their company on our show in 2017, when an investment from a listener helped bring them back from the brink. Today we hear the rest of the story. Ismail shares the not-so-happy ending of Qleek and what it's like to pick up the pieces and try again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 22, 2023•36 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast This tale starts with a problem Kehan Zhou found when trying to buy a hobby farm. Zillow didn’t have good search options for land and LandWatch.com was even worse, so Kehan ventured off to combine computer vision technology and satellite imagery to create a new rural property search platform, Terrascope. But the investors wonder if this innovative technology is wasted on the wrong customer. Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. L...
Mar 15, 2023•38 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast There are tons of companies popping up in the scheduling space now that Calendly is valued at 6 billion dollars. Everyone wants to build the next billion dollar calendar app, including David Matthews, founder of Dotcal. He thinks he’s created a scheduling platform that will take over the space. But will the investors place their bets in Dotcal or is the scheduling race already overbooked? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If y...
Mar 08, 2023•45 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast A few years ago, Claire Smith moved back to her family farm, where they practice sustainable farming, and created Teffola. It’s granola made with an ancient Ethiopian grain called teff, which is filled with lots of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium. The only problem is… no one’s heard of it. Is it too risky to invest in a business that needs to educate consumers on a rare ancient grain and on sustainable farming practices? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil ...
Mar 01, 2023•36 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Clothing rental companies get a bad rap in the VC world. It seems like no matter how much money investors sink into them, they always just… fail? But today’s founder thinks she found a way to make it work. Capri Wheaton is going after a demographic that always has to be red carpet ready: sorority girls. Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you're interested in investing in Dressd, visit pitch.show/dressd, and if you'd like to...
Feb 22, 2023•40 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast AWSM Sauce founders Carl and Paul have perfected a sustainable way of making sauce. But then, they had another idea – a futuristic way of getting sauce on our plates. Will the investors see this as a two-innovations-in-one deal, or will they get lost in the sauce? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Carl and Paul were kind enough to put together a sample pack of what the investors tasted in the room. So if you’d like to try some...
Feb 15, 2023•41 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Founder Luis Medina Rivas travels across the world to pitch his big vision on how to solve one of the most important problems of our time - energy. His pitch is close to perfect. However, the VCs worry about the location of his company and come back to him with an easy solution, but it’s up to the founder to decide what’s right for his company. Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you are interested in investing in Tether, vi...
Feb 08, 2023•42 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast The Pitch is back! And a whole lot has changed since buying the show from Gimlet, bringing host Josh Muccio and cofounder Lisa Muccio somewhere they never thought they’d be — pitching in front of the investors…on their own show. But is the host of The Pitch any good at pitching? Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Mark Phillips, Victor Gutwein and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about the fund and apply to invest at thepitch.fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...
Nov 30, 2022•53 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to The Pitch! This season, we head to Chicago to meet 14 founders with 12 business ideas big enough to change the world. Everything from a better ketchup to a potential solution to one of the biggest problems of our time - energy. The founders just need one thing... money. And on this season, investors commit over $900,000 to bring those ideas to life. Plus, for the first time, we’re letting listeners invest alongside the investors on our show. New episodes drop weekly starting Febr...
Nov 23, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
