What does raising $1 million dollars look like?
Are you an entrepreneur looking to sharpen your pitch and prepare yourself for $1M+ in investment capital? The next installment of the Discovery Foundation Capital Mentorship Program offers a four-week program for up to 16 entrepreneurs.
From September 8 through September 25th, a combination of workshops, seminars, mentor-driven education and peer support will test an entrepreneur’s investor readiness. Successful applicants will leave this program better prepared for the fundraising process, and in a stronger position to access deal flow events in Vancouver and elsewhere.
The program culminates on September 26th with the Vancouver Tech Showcase, a highly curated deal flow event featuring deep dive investor engagements. Standout entrepreneurs who impress the selection committee comprising representatives from Vancouver’s top venture capital firms will have the opportunity to make pitches to groups of Vancouver’s top investors and engage them in Q&A rounds.
About the Capital Mentorship Program
The Discovery Foundation Capital Mentorship Program is designed to help early-stage, for-profit entrepreneurs become more strategic in raising capital critical to accelerating their ventures. The program is a series of impactful events featuring panels, workshops, pitch training, investor–company matching and networking opportunities.
This program will most benefit CEOs and founders of growth-oriented technology and impact economy companies in Metro Vancouver who have already launched a product or service. Their companies generate revenue and are ready to seek external sources of funding to accelerate growth; they are planning their investment strategy and are looking at a timeline of raising over $1M in investment capital in the next six months.
The Capital Mentorship Program kicks off with the Strategic Fundraising 101 panel, which functions as a prelude to the main stage of the program: Mastermind Capital.
Program Schedule
August 16th – Strategic Fundraising 101: an intensive 2-hour deep dive into the process of raising capital. This panel session will provide entrepreneurs with the training, tools, and knowledge to raise the right money at the right time. Through pre-session content made available through Spring’s LMS and panel, entrepreneurs will develop a solid understanding of the process, investment deliverables, and the nuances of getting investor ready. Click here to register for the panel session.
September 8th to 25th – MasterMind Capital: After attending the Strategic Fundraising 101 session on August 16th, interested companies are encouraged to apply for MasterMind Capital before August 21st. Only 16 companies will be selected. The 2nd MasterMind Capital Cohort begins on Friday, September 8th, with a four-hour deep dive workshop on the capital raising process and the preparations required. Over the following three weeks (September 11, 18, 25), Spring and other select partners will facilitate two-hour sessions with inter-session support to work through investor profiles and funnels, pitch preparation, due diligence preparation, and negotiation skills.
Who Should Attend
This panel session is designed for CEOs and founders of growth-oriented startups in a variety of technology sectors—including VR/AR, VFX, cleantech and disruptive solutions—across Metro Vancouver. These companies have already launched their product or service, raised a seed round or two, and are ready for the next stage of their growth; they are poised to seek additional external sources of funding, and looking to raise capital in the next 6 months (i.e. working on a new iteration of their original investment strategy).
If you think you meet the above criteria, we encourage you to attend.
About the Vancouver Technology Showcase
Following MasterMind Capital, the top-performing startups will strongly positioned for the opportunity to be featured at the Vancouver Tech Showcase on September 26th. The Vancouver Tech Showcase highlights Vancouver’s emerging momentum and high-potential companies to an audience of Canadian and US investors. Each startup in the Vancouver Tech Showcase will be rigorously vetted by an independent Selection Committee comprised of key Vancouver investors, including BC Tech Fund, Vanedge Capital, Vancouver Founders Fund, ScaleUP Ventures, Yaletown Partners as well as Highline BETA
In a departure from the usual showcase format, successful startups field questions from groups of investors in deep dive sessions. This deal flow format encourages investor engagement and facilitates discussion. If you are an investor and interested in attending this event, please contact Sean Elbe.
See last year’s showcase here and read more about one of the resulting success stories.
