HubSpot’s annual INBOUND event is just around the corner and this year it will feature an exciting new addition for entrepreneurs and fans alike: a pitch-off event. The inaugural “pitch off” event is for eligible entrepreneurs, who will apply in advance and the top pitches will share their stories at INBOUND, in two live competition rounds. Think “Shark Tank,” live from the INBOUND stage.
Boston is one of the innovation hubs of the world and each year HubSpot attracts
thousands of people to the city for INBOUND. With more than 14,000 marketers,
salespeople, early adopters, and potential investors from around the world in attendance, the event is an ideal place for upcoming startups to share their story.
“We’re so excited to host our first ever pitch-off at INBOUND 2016. HubSpot loves the startup community and I think this is a great way to help showcase some of the brightest young ventures out there,” said Brian Halligan, HubSpot CEO and co-founder. “We couldn’t be prouder to be doing it in Boston and on the INBOUND stage.”
Hosted by HubSpot for Startups and powered by General Catalyst, the live portion of the pitch-off will take place on Wednesday, November 9th and Thursday, November 10th with some fantastic prizes on the line for the grand prize winner, valued at more than $30,000:
- One free year of HubSpot Enterprise software
- Office hours with co-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, as well as HubSpot CRO Mark Roberge.
- Dinner with Larry Bohn, Managing Director of General Catalyst, and Juan Luis Leung Li, Senior Associate at General Catalyst
- A $1,000 check from General Catalyst and HubSpot
- A sponsor booth at INBOUND 2017
- 10 All-Access passes to INBOUND 2017
- A professionally produced company showcase video
- A feature on HubSpot’s Facebook Live during INBOUND
- A feature blog post on inbound.com
To apply to pitch live on stage at INBOUND, startups must complete an online application, which will remain open until August 5th. From the pool of online applicants, five semi-finalists will be chosen to present on stage at INBOUND during the semi-finalist round on November 9th. Semi-finalist judges will include:
- Paul English - Co-founder of Kayak
- Larry Bohn - Managing Director of General Catalyst
- Diane Hessan - CEO of Startup Institute
Five semi-finalists will be awarded a free All-Access pass to INBOUND 2016, with three finalists going on to win a free All-Access pass to INBOUND 2017 and moving forward to present on stage at INBOUND during the finalist round. One winner will be chosen. In addition to voting from the judges, the INBOUND crowd will also have a say as to who has a shot to win the grand prize. Two of the three finalists will be selected by the judges while the third finalist will be an audience favorite, chosen by the INBOUND audience via Twitter votes.
If you have a venture, or know of a start-up that woudl be a fit, check out the application here: http://www.inbound.com/pitchoff
Originally published Jun 15, 2016 9:00:00 AM, updated January 18 2023