On November 20th, we gave St. Louis entrepreneurs the opportunity of a lifetime: 15 minutes of undivided attention from an established venture capital investor in the backseat of an Uber. We called the event UberPITCH, and the goal was to connect entrepreneurs with both capital and mentorship. We know St. Louis has a thriving startup community, but were truly impressed with the number of innovative, diverse, and professionally delivered business ideas. 

UberPITCH DELIVERED OPPORTUNITY ON DEMAND

Our 6 VC investors heard over 40 pitches throughout St. Louis – in Tower Grove, Downtown, North County, and beyond. We’re especially excited to announce that 16 entrepreneurs nailed their pitches and have secured follow-up meetings with the participating VCs.

Finally, because UberPITCH was hugely collaborative, we’d like to thank the organizations we partnered with: T-REX, Ferguson 1000, Prosper Women Entrepreneurs, Cultivation Capital, Capital Innovators,  and Lewis And Clark Ventures. Here’s what they had to say about their experience.

“Not only was UberPITCH fun, it provided access to existing and aspiring business owners that we likely wouldn’t have spoken with otherwise. This was a good reminder that St. Louis is teeming with talent – PITCH was an innovative way to inspire and enable the St. Louis entrepreneur community.” – Prosper Women Entrepreneurs

“African American businesses contribute to our local and national economy, despite the lack of equity capital for this sector. The UberPITCH / Ferguson 1000  event provided access to venture capital for a significant number of African American businesses. This unique partnership has stimulated the conversation about how more African American businesses can expand through access to capital.” – Ferguson 1000

“Capital Innovators had a great time participating in UberPITCH. We had the opportunity to learn about several attractive businesses that could potentially be candidates for our Accelerator Program.” – Capital Innovators

“I knew that Uber was disrupting transportation, but I didn’t think that they would be doing the same for venture capital!  I met all impressive entrepreneurs during UberPITCH, including some that fit our investment parameters surprisingly well.  I look forward to continued discussions with the entrepreneurs I met – but next time we might just meet in my office!” – Cultivation Capital   

“We had a great time cruising around St. Louis ​hearing new ideas from local residents.  We’re a new fund and it was a great way to spread the word while building personal connections with area innovators.” – Lewis And Clark Ventures