Events guide
Find the right Toronto pitch night, demo day or founder showcase for the feedback and introductions you need next.
Practise with the time limit for your actual event. If it has not been announced, use three minutes for this exercise and confirm the real rules before attending.
| Recording | What to study | Apply it to your pitch |
|---|---|---|
| January 2021 pitch battle | Getting to the problem quickly and defining unfamiliar terms | Ask a listener to explain your jargon in plain language |
| March 2021 pitch battle | Shorter setup, clear advantage and investor opportunity | Remove repeated problem statements and identify your strongest proof |
| April 2021 pitch battle | Product use, customer value, business model and delivery | Show one use case and explain how money changes hands |
| September 2021 pitch battle | Crowded slides and what makes the solution different | Simplify one slide until its main claim is clear in five seconds |
Minutes 0–10: write one sentence naming the buyer, problem and outcome. Add one piece of demand evidence and one specific ask. Remove a claim you cannot support.
Minutes 10–20: record your pitch once. Listen without looking at the slides. Mark the moment you reach the solution and whether the business model is clear. Cut the setup if you run out of time before the ask.
Minutes 20–30: ask a listener to repeat the customer, solution and ask back to you. Do not explain missing information yet. Their confusion tells you what the pitch needs to answer.
Minutes 30–40: watch a pitch and its feedback from the 2021 recordings below. Pause before the panel responds and write your own question. Compare it with the questions the founder receives.
Minutes 40–45: rerecord the pitch with one change. Prepare brief answers on buyer, alternatives, price, traction and use of funds. Bring an offline deck copy and confirm the event's slide, microphone and demo requirements.
These are recordings from 2021. Use them for pitch practice; their event dates and fundraising offers are historical.
TorontoStarts · September 2021
The September 2021 recording includes pitches and feedback on simplifying crowded slides and expressing what makes a solution different. Compare what you understand from the pitch with what the judges still need to ask.
Watch on YouTubeTorontoStarts · January 2021
Watch the January 2021 pitches and panel feedback on getting to the problem sooner, explaining unfamiliar terms, narrowing the market and fitting the business case into the allotted time.
Watch on YouTubeTorontoStarts · March 2021
The March 2021 competition includes feedback on shortening familiar problem statements, reaching the solution sooner and making competitive advantage and the investor opportunity clear.
Watch on YouTubeTorontoStarts · April 2021
The April 2021 pitches illustrate how judges probe product use, customer value and the business model. Listen for feedback on story order, delivery and clear audio.
Watch on YouTubeNo upcoming pitch nights or demo events are listed right now.
See all upcoming startup events →Start with the outcome you need. If you need practice, choose a room that gives founders time and useful feedback. If you need investor conversations, confirm the audience and selection process. If you need customers, prioritize a sector room where the right people already gather. A stage and a microphone are not the same thing as a useful next conversation.
Only if the format fits your stage and you can explain the problem, customer and specific ask clearly. It is also reasonable to attend once, listen and make one relevant connection before applying to pitch.
Bring a short spoken explanation, a simple way to share contact details and one specific question you want feedback on. A full deck is useful only when the organizer asks for it.