New $100K Pitch Competition Announced for Female Founders in Atlanta
In a groundbreaking development for female entrepreneurs, the renowned New York-based VC firm, HearstLab, is bringing its exclusive pitch competition to Atlanta this fall. Offering a grand prize of $100,000, the competition serves as an exciting opportunity for female founders looking to make their mark in the burgeoning tech sphere.
Highlighting Female Entrepreneurs
The competition is part of the established annual “FoundHER: The Pitch Lab” series, a live pitch event specifically designed to promote women-led start-ups. Launched in 2022, the series has previously seen successful iterations in major cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and San Antonio. This year, Atlanta has been handpicked as the venue for this prestigious event, scheduled to be held on November 12.
Although it is the first time HearstLab is introducing its pitch competition to Atlanta, the VC firm is no stranger to the Southeast region. Its portfolio boasts of investments in thriving start-ups like Barn2Door (Nashville), Junum (New Orleans), Narratize (Covington, Kentucky), SecondKeys (Memphis), and SupportPay (Charlotte).
Who Can Apply?
For those curious, HearstLab is specifically looking for women founders whose ventures match the following criteria:
- The start-up should have a female CEO.
- It should be US-based and pre-Series A.
- The business model should be tech-enabled and offer a B2B/B2B2C solution.
- The company should have a MVP or live product in the market. Please note, physical products or inventory are not considered.
As of now, applications for the competition are open and will close on August 7, according to information released by HearstLab.
Boosting Women Entrepreneurship
This pitch competition is just one of many steps aimed at increasing the representation and success of women in the tech ecosystem. As per data from multiple surveys, businesses led by women founders tend to have more diversity, offer greater return on investment, and have a more widespread impact on society. Despite these merits, they often struggle to secure funding.
By organizing the “FoundHER: The Pitch Lab” series, HearstLab is making a major stride in addressing this gap and bringing female founders into the spotlight. With $100K at stake, the Atlanta conference promises to be a platform that brings together talented female founders from across the nation, fostering an environment of collaboration, creativity, and exciting growth potential.
Encouraging this trend, more and more investors and VC firms are launching similar initiatives to fund and support female-led start-ups. It marks a hopeful future for gender equity in tech endeavours, and can fuel global advancements in the industry.
