Below you will find the application for the 2020 Early Stage Symposium. This one-page executive summary will be used to select presenters for our Tech Council Investor Networks (TCIN) track and the Elevator Pitch Olympics (EPO) track. In addition, these applications will be shared with all investors attending the conference. Investors participating in the investor intros will select companies for one-on-one meetings. Please note that you cannot save and return to the application or edit once submitted. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.

As a special offer to all applicants, we have partnered with AirDeck to extend their free trial through the end of the conference (use code AIR2020 and click “Apply” at checkout). AirDeck creates online narrated presentations for sales pitches, online courses, and webinars. AirDeck’s unique features include the ability to quickly customize presentations while adding voice or video narration.

We encourage all of you to narrate your deck and share it with attendees during the conference. Feel free to include it as part of your executive summary.

Tech Council Investor Networks Track 

These tracks will feature companies from the Midwest representing an array of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, agriculture, biotechnology, health care, information technology, medical devices and mobile application sectors. Those companies are selected by the conference steering committee and will be announced soon. Five-minute pitches will be pre-recorded using AirDeck and made available for viewing prior and during the conference.

Investor Intros – Monday, Nov. 9:

Companies selected for the popular Investor Intros will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with investors from Wisconsin and beyond. To foster this type of communication, the Investor Intros will feature pre-scheduled, virtual strategic meetings between investors and emerging companies. This format will resemble a “speed dating” exercise, allowing both parties to learn more about each other and explore potential relationships.

Elevator Pitch Olympics – Wednesday, Nov. 10:

Companies or entrepreneurs selected for the Elevator Pitch Olympics will give a 90-second pitch in front of conference attendees and a panel of six to eight investors. The investors will score the presenter on a scale of 1 to 5, focusing on whether the pitch was compelling enough to arrange a follow-up meeting, and will offer immediate feedback.

At least one applicant must register in advance for the conference at a discounted rate of $49. Additional team members may register at the same rate. Companies selected for the Tech Council Investor Networks track presentations will also receive a complimentary individual membership to the Tech Council Innovation Network for one year (a $120 value).

Questions? Contact Bram Daelemans at bram@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com

ESS Application