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The Pitch

The Pitch

Author: Vox Media

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Where real startup founders pitch to real investors—for real money.

Forget everything you think you know about the world of venture capital. Host Josh Muccio takes listeners behind closed-doors and into the room where deals are made.

Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

141 Episodes
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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 Handle pitch on YouTube. To learn more about Chase's snack delivery startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Handle show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Chapters: (0:00) Introduction and season finale announcement by Josh Muccio (1:30) Pitch by Chase Robbins, founder of Handle (3:22) Questions from investors about profitability, customer acquisition, and supplier base (9:43) Chase Robbins' plan for expansion and discussion on potential market size (13:54) Operational challenges, solutions, and current tests in the company (20:26) Discussion on delivery speed, customer retention, and the trust aspect in the business model (23:05) Neil Bloom's question about using delivery bots and future use of drones for delivery (25:20) Elizabeth Yin brings up the issue of student turnover and aging out of the demographic (34:53) Investors give their final thoughts and investment decisions (45:49) After The Pitch: Josh interviews Chase Robbins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie Diamond. To learn more about Kristine's retail tech startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Locker show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Chapters: (0:00) Introduction from Josh Muccio and overview of the episode (2:21) Kristine Locker's pitch for Locker (5:47) Discussion on possible B2B opportunities and go-to-market strategy for Locker (9:15) Deep dive into the team behind Locker and their vision for the next five years (12:58) Investor decisions and overall thoughts on the business (15:45) Investors debrief after Kristine leaves the room (18:34) After The Pitch: Kristine Locker shares updates on funding opportunities and challenges (21:45) Discussion on the future of retail and online commerce (24:14) Kristine's plans for Locker moving forward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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, Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Nicole's recycling startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the ECGO show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 on YouTube. Today’s investors are Beck Bamberger, Al Bsharah, Jillian Manus, and Howie Diamond. If you would like to invest in Outlines, go to pitch.show/outlines To learn more about Luke's replenishment startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Outlines show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 Doherty, Neal Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. If you would like to invest in Wist, go to pitch.show/wist To learn more about Andrew's augmented reality startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Wist show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 episode, check out the Ride iQ show page. And for a deep dive on the companies featured on the show, subscribe to The Pitch Insider. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
To all the investors and founders listening, join us in Miami this January. Go to thepitchevent.com to learn more and request an invite to The Pitch Miami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 featured on this episode, check out the Bevz show page. And for a deep dive on the companies featured on the show, subscribe to The Pitch Insider. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 Diamond. To learn more about Dan's golf startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Amateur Golf Society show page. And for a deep dive on the companies featured on the show, subscribe to The Pitch Insider. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Uncovered show page. If you want to go deeper on each company featured on the show, subscribe to our newsletter The Pitch Insider. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Dhaval's hardware startup, Lotus, and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Lotus show page. If you want to go deeper on each company featured on the show, subscribe to our newsletter The Pitch Insider. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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 Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. If you would like to invest in Gemist, go to pitch.show/gemist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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/adchoices
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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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, Victor Gutwein, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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
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
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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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
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Comments (53)

Trey Mhundwa

xu

Nov 2nd
Reply (9)

my.android. Mfz

how this is even possible.. isn't it anti competition rules.

Jul 29th
Reply

my.android. Mfz

this was inspiring..

Jul 8th
Reply

Ahmed Mostafa

please let me know the name of the song while you are introducing the investors.

Jul 6th
Reply

Gamey Gamer

"This is juicy as f*ck" :'D

Jun 13th
Reply

Kam Smith

Great update on this brand during COVID-19! I saw their sales and took the plunge and am glad I did. Hearing how they survived during the pandemic is uplifting!

May 25th
Reply

Ahmed Mostafa

the whole show is amazing. taking you behind the scenes of pitching and how investors think.

May 14th
Reply

張林育出

Aparna's leadership and entrepreneurship is really worth of admiration, hope this company can get through the coronavirus strike as early as possible.

May 4th
Reply

張林育出

I think while in a hardship many enterprises strive to survive, it may meanwhile undercover a great chance for someone who sees the opportunity. glad to see the transformation of a business which transforms from wine recommendation to delivery service

May 4th
Reply

Elijah Claude

I really liked Ofo and this episode. But I HIGHLY dislike taking over the entire title of the episode for something that wasn't even a main talking point until the end. Yes the virus is making a big impact on things, but it just feels wrong to clickbait like that.

Mar 12th
Reply

Mohannad El-Khairy

There was nothing wrong with him raising just 100k. Slow and steady wins races too. Silicon Valley loves to foie-gras startups (look at happened to WeWork, Peloton,...). Great episode as always.

Oct 2nd
Reply

Mel Turner

...Please don't ever sing again

Jul 22nd
Reply (1)

Pavel

Shimmur closed in 2018. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/shimmur#section-overview

Apr 19th
Reply

Zabear Jew

bla bla SJW VC.

Apr 2nd
Reply

Pieter Haegeman

Agreed, she explains every failure as something she has control over.

Mar 10th
Reply

my.android. Mfz

epic pitch

Jan 31st
Reply

Elijah Claude

Lol, shots fired! I respect your hustle @thepitchshow Monti Kids sounds sooooo good!!

Jan 30th
Reply

my.android. Mfz

this women is talking BS.

Jan 30th
Reply

my.android. Mfz

this women is talking BS.

Jan 30th
Reply

adchoice duy duong

hi

Jan 24th
Reply
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