Apply to Pitch
The VANTEC Community
We are a community of 150+ Angel Investors and Early Stage Funds
We’re looking to invest in promising pre-seed and seed stage technology businesses.
Review the information below to ensure VANTEC is a good fit for you.
Meet some of our early-stage fund members…
What You Need to Know Before Applying
Pitch Requirements
- Must be incorporated either provincially or federally within Canada.
- Must be headquartered in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
- International companies can apply to our Start Up Visa Program.
- Be a pre-seed or seed stage technology business
- Have at least a working prototype and some form of customer validation.
- Have a 5 min pitch with slides that aligns with our Pitch Guidelines.
Types of Pitches
- 5 min pitch - for companies actively raising capital and selected to pitch by our pre-screen committee of VANTEC members and expert partners. $95 pitch fee
- 90 sec introduction, update or last call - for companies planning for or early on in their funding round, or for companies that are about to close their funding round and don't have time to go through the pre-screening process. $95 pitch fee
The Process
The timeline from application to pitch event for 5 min presentations is at least 6 weeks. It's important to apply when you're starting to think about raising capital (6+ months before you need the capital) so that we can discuss timelines and schedule you for the timing that works best for you. Securing a 90 sec presentation can take as little as 2 weeks, provided there are spots available.
Submit Application -> VANTEC Review -> Funding Strategy Call -> Pre-Screening Session -> Complete Full Profile on Dealum -> Workshops -> Pitch Run Through -> Pitch Event
*Pre-Screening and Workshops apply to 5 min presenters only
Investor Expectations
Investors expect companies to be ready to dive into due diligence by the time they pitch at VANTEC. This means having a data room created and ready to share with investors. Investors are looking for...
- Unique and defensible solutions with a clear market need.
- A thorough plan to get to profitability, scale and ultimately to an exit.
- A strong team to execute on the plans. - Attractive deal terms.
Pre-screening Session
What to Know
This is a 5 minute, online presentation with slides, to a committee of VANTEC members (investors) and business experts.
This session happens a month before the pitch event, on the 1st Thursday of each month (expect August).
We assess companies based on the quality of the business and investment opportunities, the fit for angel investors and early-stage funds, and the quality of the presentation (see FAQs below for our definitions of these).
We’ve created a set of guidelines to help you craft your presentation and prepare for the types of questions you should expect to hear from investors. We strongly suggest reviewing these before the pre-screening session.
After your 5 min presentation, there will be 10 mins of Q&A and feedback.
These 10 mins are an incredible opportunity to receive feedback from a group of people that see a lot of pitches and have so for many years. Make sure to capitalize by sticking as close to the allotted 5 minutes for your presentation and by keeping any answers during this time as concise as possible.
You’re permitted to have appendices that you can refer to during Q&A.
We will reach out to you with the committee’s decision and any feedback we collect from the session before the end of day the following Monday.
Companies selected to give a 5 min presentation at the next pitch event will be able to take advantage of our workshops, designed to help you with pitching to this specific audience. Our partners facilitating these workshops will reach out to invite you to them.
Workshops
Beyond finding great entrepreneurs of innovative technologies, we aim to prepare them for conversations with our audience of members and be ready to dive right into due diligence after the pitch event.
To assist with this, we have partnered with some business experts to provide some valuable workshops that set entrepreneurs up for success.
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Frictionless Data Rooms
Facilitated by our partner, David Steinley, at Future Standard.
This workshop aims to help you get to an investment as fast a possible by having the items investors are looking for organized cleanly for them. A strong and complete data room makes you look good and helps you speak with conviction about all aspects of your business. Learn how to structure a data room and some important things to remember to do and not do when setting one up for investors.
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Pitching Your Traction & Trajectory
Facilitated by our partners, Chris Stairs and Colin McWhinnie, at Sales Primer.
It’s not enough to have a great product and a strong team. Investors want to see that you have validated demand and are poised to achieve significant growth that ultimately leads to a successful exit and a substantial return on their investment. Learn how to communicate the progress you’ve already made and find out what investors want to see in your growth plans.
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Pitch Run Through
This is a 1:1 run through of your pitch with Aaron Stuart, of Vantec Angel Network.
This session is mandatory before pitching at Vantec, to help you absolutely smash it on the day of the event. Aaron will provide feedback on your slides, your flow and your areas of focus. Your presentation is often the first and only reflection investors have on the rest of your business, so it’s important to really impress them with your pitch.
Pitch Events
Companies often ask to attend an event so they can see the caliber of the pitches and know what to expect from the event. Since we want to keep all of the investors’ attention on the presenting companies, we only allow current and potential members, partners and the presenting companies to attend events.
To give you a sense of the caliber of pitches and what to expect, we’ve included a video of a past event.
Pitch events are in-person only for presenters.
Pitch events are usually held on the 1st Wednesday of the month, occasionally moved to the 2nd Wednesday to avoid conflicts or overly busy weeks.
You’re given either 90 secs or 5 mins to present a slide deck on your business and the investment opportunity.
There will be 5-10 mins of Q&A following each 5 min presentation.
There is 1-1.5 hours of networking following the presentations.
We use an app (and Vancouver based startup) called Common to help you keep track of connections and contact information.
“I was blown away by the extra efforts by VANTEC and affiliates to set us up for success including multiple pitch practices and free consulting.”
Nik Claxton | Emoot
“I learned how to present to investors and make effective connections for future business.”
Mehrdad Gharibnavaz | FEED Clean Tech
“The quality of angel investors was top-notch, and their feedback was incredibly valuable.”
Patrick Mimeault | Trade Specifix
FAQs
How do you define a great business opportunity?
We define a great business opportunity as one that is both technically and economically feasible, has some unique intellectual property (IP), is defensible against competitors, addresses a clear demand, has a scalable business model, a thorough business strategy, and a well-rounded team to execute.
How do you define a good quality presentation?
A high quality presentation is one that sticks to the allotted 5 mins or 90 secs, is clear and easy to follow, and covers the areas outlined in our pitch guidelines. Presenters should show their passion for the business and speak with conviction.
How do you define a good investment opportunity?
We define a good investment opportunity as one with an appropriate ask (raise amount) and a clear plan of what will be done and the significant milestones that will be achieved. It should offer a reasonable valuation that balances risk and potential upside for investors. Investors usually want 20% equity in this round and to achieve at least a 10x-20x return on their investment in 5-10 years.
How do you define a technology business?
We define a technology business as one that leverages scientific knowledge and innovative tools, systems and methods to solve problems and create value. We especially like technology businesses with some unique and defensible intellectual property.
What companies are a good fit to pitch at VANTEC?
Companies with at least a prototype, some form of customer validation and a well documented strategy. Companies with less obvious defensibility of their IP will need to show more customer traction. This is not a requirement, but having some traction in your funding round is a big plus when pitching to angel investors.
How can I make the most out of pitching at VANTEC?
Your goal should be to get to a 2nd, more in depth meeting with investors. Always be trying to build your network. Know what your audience cares about. Be well prepared… don’t worry, we’re here to provide some guidance!