Big Ideas at InvestMidwest this March

Big Ideas at InvestMidwest this March

Pitch Your Business to Venture Capitalists from around the Nation

High growth potential entrepreneurs will be pitching their early-stage businesses to hundreds of venture capitalists, investors and business executives at the InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum on March 28 – 29 in St. Louis.

The InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum includes three separate industry tracks: life sciences, information technology and agriculture/food/bioenergy. Presenters are from the Midwest seeking a minimum of $1 million and projecting $20 million in revenue within five years. 

Companies that presented at InvestMidwest’s previous 18 events have raised well over $1 billion in equity investment.

Chris Motley, Better Weekdays, Inc (St. Louis, Missouri)

Chris Motley is the CEO of Better Weekdays, a tech platform that helps employers hire college students easier. Last year was his second pitch at InvestMidwest. He returned to the forum because he successfully earned new investors after year one.  

“InvestMidwest is a great opportunity to showcase your business and what you’ve done, in front of the most relevant people—investors. Capital is very important.”  

His advice to interested entrepreneurs? Know your story and have real traction. “The process of an entrepreneur is validating your idea as an actual opportunity. Once you know it is an opportunity it’s figuring out the most efficient way to execute that opportunity. And then presenting it in a way that’s clear and understandable.”  

Darcy Howe, KCRise Fund

Darcy Howe is a longtime investor who now runs KCRise Fund, a sidecar fund which co-invests with institutional venture capitalists in early-stage companies based in KC.  

“Venture capital firms from around the country are very intrigued by what’s going on in Kansas City and in the Midwest.” That’s why she always invites venture capitalists to InvestMidwest.       

The concentration of this two-day event is tremendously impactful. “I just talked to an entrepreneur who said it would take me a month to meet all of the people who were in that room for my eight minute presentation. [InvestMidwest] has tremendous value for the entrepreneur and the investor.”  

Jeff Shackelford, Digital Sandbox KC

Jeff Shackelford is the director of Digital Sandbox KC, a proof-of-concept program at the UMKC Innovation Center. He attends InvestMidwest to see how the entrepreneurial ecosystem is maturing in the region and is consistently impressed.

“[InvestMidwest] is an awesome opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet potential investors, as well as meeting each other. Meet other folks who are trying to do similar things as you are because there’s going to be some real benefit.” 

Find out more and register at www.investmidwestforum.com.

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