Nail Your Virtual Pitch Meeting in 2021

The Shift to Virtual Venture Capital Pitches

During a recent appearance on Extra Crunch Live, Matt Harris of Bain Capital Ventures remarked that a year prior, he would have predicted a significant downturn in venture capital activity following the onset of pandemic lockdowns.

Previously, both venture capitalists and startup founders generally held the belief that in-person interactions were essential for establishing the trust necessary before committing to long-term financial and emotional partnerships.

The Rise of the Virtual Pitch Meeting

The current environment, however, presents a markedly different scenario. A substantial increase in institutional capital is now being directed towards startups, and a significant portion of this change can be attributed to the adoption of virtual pitch meetings.

Founders are now capable of scheduling and conducting over thirty meetings in a single day. The question arises: are they maximizing the effectiveness of these interactions?

Expert Guidance at TechCrunch Early Stage

Melissa Bradley will be presenting at TechCrunch Early Stage in April, offering insights into how to deliver a compelling virtual pitch and answering questions from the audience.

Melissa Bradley’s Background

Bradley serves as the co-founder of Ureeka, a venture-backed platform that connects small and medium-sized business founders with experienced mentors and experts.

Furthermore, she is the founder and managing partner of 1863 Ventures, a program dedicated to accelerating the growth of underrepresented entrepreneurs – a demographic Bradley refers to as the New Majority.

Bradley also contributes her expertise as a professor at Georgetown University’s business school, where she teaches courses on impact investing, social entrepreneurship, peer-to-peer economies, and innovation.

Her experience on both sides of the investment process, as both a venture capitalist and a founder, coupled with her work building the entirely virtual Ureeka, provides her with a unique understanding of successful virtual meetings.

TC Early Stage: A Comprehensive Event

Bradley is one of many prominent speakers scheduled to appear at TC Early Stage, an event featuring numerous breakout sessions focused on the core skills needed for startup success. Here’s a glimpse of some of the sessions planned:

How to Get An Investor’s Attention (Marlon Nichols, MaC Venture Partners)
Four Things to Think About Before Raising a Series A (Bucky Moore, Kleiner Perkins)
How Founders Can Think Like a VC (Lisa Wu, Norwest Venture Partners)
Finance for Founders (Alexa von Tobel, Inspired Capital)
Building and Leading a Sales Team (Ryan Azus, Zoom CRO)
Keys to Nailing Product Market Fit (Rahul Vohra, Superhuman)

Event Details and Extra Crunch Benefits

The TC Early Stage curriculum will be delivered across two events. The first, on April 1 & 2, will focus on fundraising and operations. The second, on July 8 & 9, will delve into fundraising and marketing strategies.

Purchasing a ticket to a single event includes a three-month Extra Crunch membership. A dual-event ticket grants access to six months of Extra Crunch.