The Big Push, a Toronto-based business accelerator that provides services in exchange for equity for women-led tech companies, announced the launch of its Pitch and Pair program across Canada.
The program matches 10 women-led tech startups with over 200 Big Push experts, who then provide professional services the startup needs. Pitch and Pair events will be taking place in Montreal in March, Vancouver in June, and Ottawa in October.
The Big Push focuses on assisting female-founded tech companies using a “sweat for equity” model.
Experts must commit a minimum of 15 hours of service each month over a nine-month acceleration period. Experts provide hands-on work in their area of expertise, ranging from sales, to marketing, to finance. The value of services provided total between $150,000 to $250,000.
“Each Pitch and Pair program takes place following an extensive due diligence process where each person in the room—including startup founders and experts—undergo extensive vetting by The Big Push Investment and Recruitment Committees,” Sharon Zohar, founder and CEO of The Big Push said.
She added that startups showcase their business and identify the areas in which they’d like support, and experts pick the startup they would like to work with.
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The Big Push focuses on helping female-founded tech companies get to the investment-ready stage while using what it calls a “sweat for equity” model, where startups exchange equity for services.
Last year, the first Pitch and Pair event took place in Toronto, resulting in over $1.75 million in services being offered to startups led or founded by women. In 2017, Zohar spoke on the funding gap for female entrepreneurs. She mentioned that women-led startups receive less than 3 percent of venture funding.
This year’s first Pitch and Pair event takes place on March 26 in Montreal.
Feature image via Burst
