This year, The Vinetta Project will offer $15,000 to one woman founder for its new pitching challenge at Vinetta Showcase events in Toronto.
The Venture Challenge’s goal is to address the lack of capital that goes towards startups founded by women. The Venture Challenge will award one finalist with a no-strings-attached cheque, and a suite of startup services. For its part, The Vinetta Project said it is ramping up activities with its recently-announced Capital One partnership.
To be eligible, founders must apply online to pitch at any one of three Vinetta Showcase events. The two-hour pitch and panel event invites seed stage founders to pitch their ideas to leading investors and seasoned entrepreneurs, along with a curated room of 120 to 150 attendees.
Selected founders from these showcases will then compete in the semifinalist showcases happening in May and July, before moving on to one finalist showcase, where they will deliver a three-minute pitch to a panel of industry experts and investors at the September 2017 Showcase. The winner will be announced that day.
Vanessa Dawson, CEO and founder of The Vinetta Project, said that building quality-driven local communities drives better results for founders. “A number of leading seed to Series A funds and accelerators across North America turn to Vinetta when sourcing deals. Partnering with Capital One is a huge win for us because it shows the dedication and passion for diversity in tech and the startup community.”
The Vinetta Project, formerly Girls Raising, is a virtual ecosystem targeting women in tech. The project has been operating in North America for the past three years, and offers networking events and opportunities for women to pitch at panels with valuable investors and mentors.