Twenty founders took the stage on May 19 at Paul Brest Hall at Stanford University where they had the opportunity to pitch their ideas and companies to a group of 300 investors in the audience as part of the Breakthrough Demo Day.
In the heart of Silicon Valley, home to venture capital and entrepreneurial activity, demo days occur frequently. But Breakthrough Demo Day in particular, provides a unique opportunity and powerful visibility to underrepresented founders. Undeserved founders only get 1 to 2% of venture capital being invested.
In a sense the event runs similarly to “Shark Tank,” the popular reality television series, in which if the investor likes what they hear, they can give them cash in exchange for equity or a percentage of the ownership in the company.
Giving a platform for these founders is critically important as they need that exposure they typically are not afforded. Roman Scott, one of the co-founders of Breakthrough Ventures believes that the goal of this event is all about giving them a platform and a stage to show their abilities.
Each founder works with one CEO mentor and one investor mentor in preparation for the event.
