A Match.com for startups, PitchCastr seeks to connect investors with entrepreneurs

WRITTEN BY TIM SAMPSON, NEWSCASTIC 

Rejection is hard enough in the business world. But do you really need to fly across the country just to be told “no?”

The folks at ThinkBigPartners.com don’t think so, and they’re poised to soft launch a new service at South By Southwest this year aimed at cutting out the time startups waste courting the wrong investors while making it easier to connect with the right ones.

“It’s a frustrating process,” said Herb Sih, co-founder and managing partner of Think Big. “We watch a lot of our entrepreneurs spend money to get on a plane, fly across the country to meet with investors who may not even be interested in what they have to say, just to get a rejection. There has to be a better way.”

Sih and his partners hope they’ve found a better way in the form of PitchCastr. Something of a Match.com for start-ups and venture capitalist, the site lets financial backers browse through a catalogue of pitch videos posted by nascent business owners looking to secure capital.

Online for nearly a month now, the Kansas City-based entrepreneurial incubator hopes PitchCastr can break away from the pack at SXSW Interactive this week in Austin, Texas. The key to doing this, Sih said, is to distinguish the new service from similar funding-based operations like Kickstarter.

“The scope is a lot bigger than Kickstarter,” Sih said. “We’re not just looking to raise funds for our entrepreneurs. We want to connect them with serious investors who will make a commitment.”

The promise of PitchCastr is two-fold. It’s designed to let entrepreneurs cast the widest possible net for funding, while simultaneously helping investors sort through just the pitches that interest them.

Start-ups post a brief video pitch online (no more than 10 minutes). From there, financiers look through and select the ones that pique their interest. If enough investors show interest in the same idea, the entrepreneurs can then schedule a live “demo day” in which they can teleconference with all the interested backers simultaneously.

“I think this is going to cut down on a lot of travel time and a lot of wasted time,” Sih said.

PitchCastr is a logical extension for Think Big, a company that prides itself on moving startups quickly from the incubator stage to financial self-sufficiency. The National Business Incubation Association reports that most startups spend an average of 33 months in a business incubator or accelerator firm.

But from its inception in 2010, Think Big has been focused on revving up the process. Based out of a 20,000 sq. ft. office in downtown Kansas City, the firm has already served nearly 400 clients, with an emphasis on establishing revenue streams within 90 days.

“On average, start-ups are spending 2-3 years inside incubators,” Sih said. “That may have been fine at one time. But in the tech world, your market could be gone in 2-3 years.”

In addition to helping investors, Think Big is also helping to boost the profile of Sih’s hometown of Kansas City as a hotbed for technology startups. Though it may seem like an unlikely location, Kansas City has been integral in nearly doubling the number of start-ups in the Midwest, according to Venture51. The town was also chosen as one of the pilot cities for Google’s fiber optic program because of all the startup activity. Think Big also partnered with the city’s chamber of commerce last year to host its first startup conference. PitchCastr is a Microsoft Bizspark company, using the Windows Azure platform.

“There’s more going on here than people might realize,” Sih said. “And in this day and age, it’s easy to connect and start a tech company from just about anywhere.”

And with the arrival of PitchCaster [sic], that’s just the point that Sih and his partners are hoping to make.

Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark providing Software, Support, and Visibility to Software Startups. Visit microsoft.com/bizspark for more information.

Read the original story: http://www.newscastic.com/news/a-match-com-for-startups-pitchcastr-seeks-to-connect-investors-with-entrepreneurs-227168/ 

Follow PitchCastr: @PitchCastrTips 

Startup Rehab Features Smart Coffee (The More You Drink, The Better You Think!)

Did you know that the number one way to cure a hangover is by downing a large cup of coffee?  According to Professor Oshinksky of Thomas Jefferson University, caffeine acts as an anti-inflammatory to the symptoms of a hangover (eye sensitivity, headaches, nausea, etc.).  The perfect dose of caffeine to alleviate a hangover is about one cup of coffee.

And as we all know, SXSW can be a rather...hangover-inducing event.  With nonstop parties, open bars, hundreds of networking events and some of the coolest people in the startup community to party with, it's hard not to wake up without a bit of a headache.

Lucky for you, we've got your cure.  Think Big Partners, PitchCastr and Turnstone will be hosting Startup Rehab, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to rest, relax, recharge, plug in, meet up, connect and pitch at the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space on Sunday, March 10 from 12-4pm at SXSW (4th & Red River).

At Startup Rehab, the PitchCastr and Think Big teams will be handing out coffee...but not just any coffee.  Smart Coffee, high-performance coffee for high-performance individuals, will be served.

Smart Coffee is a blend of the world's best coffee beans (found and selected by The Roasterie) and cacao beans (most often known as the beans that chocolate comes from).  Together, the two beans create one dynamite cup of coffee.  The more you drink, the better you think.

So join PitchCastr and Think Big Partners and experience the team's newest innovation, Smart Coffee, at Startup Rehab on Sunday, March 10 from 12:00-4:00pm at SXSW.  Just look for the black bus that says "space matters" on the side.  You don't even need a SXSW badge.  Come on in and cure that hangover.

To learn more about Smart Coffee, check out @MySmartCoffee on Twitter.  

PitchCastr Hosts Startup Rehab at SXSW 2013

So you've heard of Startup Rehab, the event that helps entrepreneurs rest, relax and recover from Turnstone's Mobile Coworking Space down in Austin during SXSW.  But have you heard of PitchCastr, the company behind the event?  Perhaps not...or at least not yet. 

PitchCastr, is not just another funding platform—it’s a connection platform. PitchCastr incorporates science-based research, the flexibility to make deals anywhere at any time, a filtration process that weeds out companies outside the investor’s area of interest and a standardized format that allows select entrepreneurs and investors to experience a live, virtual pitch from the comfort of their own home or office.  In other words, PitchCastr is a way for entrepreneurs to find investors, pitch and get funded from anywhere, anytime.

So what does PitchCastr have anything to do with Startup Rehab?  Other than being the one of the three companies hosting the event (alongside Turnstone and Think Big Partners), PitchCastr will be live onsite at the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space bus to answer pitching questions, teach entrepreneurs about accelerating their startups and help with quick elevator pitches on the fly.  Plus, the team will give you the inside scoop on what PitchCastr is all about and how you can get involved.  

Learn more about PitchCastr at www.pitchcastr.com or follow @PitchCastrTips on Twitter. 

Think Big, PitchCastr, Turnstone Host SXSW Startup Rehab

Rest.  Relax.  Recharge.  It's time for Startup Rehab!

A dynamite collaboration between Think Big Partners, PitchCastr and Turnstone brought on a new idea that many entrepreneurs and startups may want to take advantage of at SXSW in Austin.  Together, the three companies, along with the support of Microsoft, are partnering to host Startup Rehab--an opportunity to rest, relax, recharge, plug in, meet up, connect and pitch at the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space.

Parked in the lot at 4th and Red River (the Northeast corner of the SXSW Convention Center), the Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space will be open to all entrepreneurs attending SXSW as a place to hold meetings, hang out, connect and even network with PitchCastr, Think Big Partners and Microsoft to learn more ways on how to accelerate a startup.

But wait.  There's more.  It's not called Startup Rehab for nothing!  The Turnstone Mobile Coworking Space is also available to help entrepreneurs relax and recover with chair massages, delicious snacks, Smart Coffee and cocktails.

How can you get into Startup Rehab?  It's simple.  Simply look for the black bus with myturnstone.com and "space matters" written on the side.  Then, come on in and see how this bus is transforming the way entrepreneurs do work at SXSW!  The bus will be open throughout SXSW.

Don't worry--no SXSW badge required.

Startup Rehab takes place on Sunday, March 10, 2013 (you deserve it after a wild SXSW Saturday night) from 12:00-4:00pm.

A special thanks to Turnstone, the company that is truly changing the way entrepreneurs and startups office.  And another special thanks to Microsoft, PitchCastr partner and supporter.

Learn more about StartupRehab by following #StartupRehab and @thinkbigKC on Twitter. 

Think Big Partners Launches PitchCastr Virtual Demo Day Platform for Entrepreneurs and Investors

Think Big Partners is thrilled to announce a new virtual demo day platform for both entrepreneurs and investors.  The platform, known as PitchCastr, is not just another funding platform—it’s a connection platform.  PitchCastr incorporates science-based research, the flexibility to make deals anywhere at any time, a filtration process that weeds out companies outside the investor’s area of interest and a standardized format that allows select entrepreneurs and investors to experience a live, virtual pitch from the comfort of their own home or office. 

PitchCastr For Entrepreneurs 

By establishing a PitchCastr profile, uploading a business plan and recording a seven to nine minute PitchCastr video pitch, entrepreneurs will use the virtual demo day platform to find investors that are interested in their idea.  When a certain number of investors have expressed interest in the idea, that entrepreneur will be invited to hold a Live Demo Day, in which all potential investors will tune in via online video platform.  The PitchCastr platform will eliminate first-time entrepreneur/investor meetings that not only take up too much time, but will also put an entrepreneur’s idea in front of only those investors who are genuinely interested and able to invest. 

PitchCastr for Investors 

Investors can log in to the PitchCastr platform, submit their pitch preferences and search a pre-screened selection of PitchCastr videos that they may be interested in funding.  When interested, investors are invited to “Attend Demo Day” and can both watch a live feed of a pitch and partake in a question-and-answer session.  The PitchCastr platform gathers insight about both a business plan and an entrepreneur, providing investors with a more robust view of potential opportunities.  The virtual demo day addresses the issue of rising valuations in the middle of a capital raise.

“We created PitchCastr with the entrepreneur in mind,” explains Herb Sih, co-founder and managing partner of Think Big Partners.  “Between running a startup company and executing their plans at full speed, there is never enough time in the day to connect with investors, not to mention investors that are actually interested in your idea.  PitchCastr is not only a simple way to get your idea out into the world, but will also be the best way to connect with investors who are interested in your idea and ready to fund it.” 

“In today’s environment, investors are overwhelmed by entrepreneurs.  There are too many business plans to look over and not enough time to go through them all,” said Tyler Prochnow, co-founder of Think Big Partners.  “PitchCastr will give investors insight into high quality investment opportunities from all over the world and allow them to focus only on those that are of interest to them.  We created PitchCastr to establish an efficient marketplace for investors and entrepreneurs to find one another.”

PitchCastr is operating as a free service during private beta.  Startups, entrepreneurs and investors are invited to sign up and try PitchCastr for free during the month of February 2013.  To learn more, visit www.pitchcastr.com.

Connect with PitchCastr at @PitchCastrTips.