StartOut Demo Day
Monday, October 21st | San Francisco
Wednesday, October 23rd | Los Angeles
2024 Demo Day
Get ready to witness the future of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship at StartOut Demo Day, live and in person for the first time since 2019, taking place over two days across two cities. This is THE event where queer founders will pitch their startups to a panel of expert judges and compete for cash prizes!
Generously sponsored by Silicon Valley Bank, A Division of First Citizens Bank, and T-Mobile, StartOut Demo Day is the premier pitch event for LGBTQ+ founders to showcase their innovative solutions on a large stage.
Demo Day San Francisco will take place on Monday, October 21st from 5:00 PM – 7:00PM PDT at the SVB Experience Center
Demo Day Los Angeles will take place on Wednesday, October 23rd from 5:00 PM – 7:00PM PDT at the SVB Santa Monica Office
Founders can apply to pitch in either San Francisco or LA. To apply, please fill out – or update – your founder application on the StartOut community portal. The deadline to apply is September 20th.
Thank You to Our Event Sponsors
Apply to Pitch
San Francisco | Monday, October 21st
Join us in San Francisco for the first day of pitching. Hosted at the SVB Experience Center, 6 companies will pitch in front of 5 judges comprised of investors and industry leaders. Light refreshments will be provided.
Doors Open at 5:00 PM PDT
SVB Experience Center
532 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104
Los Angeles | Wednesday, October 23rd
Join us in Los Angeles for the second day of pitching. Hosted at the SVB Santa Monica Offices, 6 companies will pitch in front of 5 judges comprised of investors and industry leaders. Light refreshments will be provided.
Doors Open at 5:00 PM PDT
SVB Santa Monica Office
1437 7th St #300, Santa Monica, CA 90401
All companies applying to pitch will apply through the application below. Select which city you would like to pitch in in Question 2 of the Demo Day application. If you do not have a preference on which city you would prefer to pitch in please select ‘Either’. To apply, please fill out – or update – your founder application on the StartOut community portal. The deadline to submit your application is Friday, September 20th.
2023 Non-Monetary Prizes
In addition to a monetary prize from StartOut of $5k for 1st Place, $3k for 2nd Place, and $2k for 3rd Place. The winners will also receive dedicated professional coaching from experts in our community such as:
1st Place
Patrick Driscoll will provide complimentary investor coaching sessions, covering 3 hours of fundraising strategy. First-place winners will have the opportunity to learn and & interact with Patrick as well as receive guidance on the best investors and funds to pitch. Prize valued at $1,000.
2nd Place
Donnie Hill will provide 3 hours of coaching advice focused on 1) strategic roadmapping for your idea/vision, 2) strategic messaging, and/or 3) self-confidence and perception-shaping. 2nd-place winners will have the opportunity to share their questions with Donnie to develop a custom Life Maximizer Advisory Session.
3rd Place
Heather Lawver will provide a complimentary Pitch Deck Facelift session, covering 3 hours of active design, strategy, and storytelling help to refresh your company’s pitch deck as you watch! 3rd place winners will have the opportunity to watch & interact as Heather & her team solve their pitch deck challenges, elevate the design of their deck, and streamline their storytelling strategy. Prize valued at $1,000.
Watch Previous Demo Day Events
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Since 2009, StartOut has built a community of 25,000 members. Every year, we provide support to over 700 individual founders. We connect them to expertise, peers, community, and capital. This powerful combination of financial support, skills development, and community contributes to helping fuel innovation, wealth generation and equal access to economic opportunity. Join our growing community today.