The Big Launch Challenge
Join Us for The 12th Annual Big Launch Challenge Pitch Competition on October 17, 2024
The Big Launch Challenge, one of the Southeast's most premiere and established business pitch competitions, is returning for its 12th consecutive year on Thursday, October 17, 2024! This is a unique opportunity for startups to not only pitch their ideas to a live panel of expert judges, but also for angel investors and entrepreneurs to network and learn alongside one another. This year's BLC will be part of an all-day event starting with the Angel Capital Association's Ann and Bill Payne ACA Angel University courses and ending with the BLC pitch competition.
The BLC is an annual competition targeting the best startups in the country. It is a unique opportunity to see 10 leading early stage companies as they compete for $15,000 in non-diluted prize money. The BLC offers startups valuable business networking opportunities, as well as critical resources. Since 2012, the Launch Place has awarded over $200,000 in BLC prize money to 21 start-up companies. Learn more about the 11th Annual Big Launch Challenge here.
“The goal of the Big Launch Challenge is to provide early-stage startups the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors, and for The Launch Place Pre-Seed and Seed Fund to generate deal flow,” says The Launch Place President and CEO, Eva Doss. “Every year it is a different experience, with different business ideas and founding teams. We are very excited to host the competition in person again and to hear the thought-provoking pitches.”
The event will be held at the NC Biotechnology Center (15 TW Alexander Dr, Durham, NC 27709).
REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR ACA ANGEL UNIVERSITY COURSES!
Fundamentals of Angel Investing: Interested in the field of early stage investing? During this course, the course instructor and angel expert panelists will present an overview of their own unique angel investor journeys and how they each crafted a personal investment thesis. Course content will also include insights into angel investing as an asset class, with a focus on pre-seed deals, the valuation of early-stage companies, conducting due diligence, understanding term sheets and post-involvement angel investor involvement in portfolio companies.
Instructor: Kristina Montague, The JumpFund
Angel Returns and Portfolio Strategy: This course will address the crucial components to building an angel investor portfolio: assessing investment risk and exploring strategies for diversification and asset allocation. The course will also present longitudinal data on impacting returns on investment and internal rate of return. Additional topics covered include the importance of diversification, time to exit, investing in specific business verticals, and trying to time market (and role of angels during downturns).
Instructor: Alden Zecha, Sidecar Angels
Pricing:
- Members - $300 for 1 course or $450 for both
- Non-Members - $375 for 1 course or $565 for both
Many Thanks to Our Sponsors
