Pitching to Angel Investors

Introducing Entrepreneurs to Angel Investors

VANTEC is a community of BC Angel investors. Since 1999 we have presented more than 3,000 entrepreneurs to angel investors. 

In 2022, more than 150 ventures presented their investment opportunities to our angel investor members at monthly VANTEC meetings which resulted in over $16 million invested in 154 SME companies

We get together on the first Wednesday of the month in Vancouver to watch more than a dozen startups pitch. Based on your pitch and their interest in your investment opportunity, investors will decide if they want to learn more and approach you during networking with questions or to schedule a follow-up meeting.

We recommend you use your time at VANTEC Angel Network Meeting to connect with investors, build relationships, get feedback, and ask for referrals. Other people in the room include experienced business advisors and representatives from organizations that support early stage businesses. They are also able to provide advice and referrals to help your startup.

Individual angel investors typically make an initial investment of $25,000 to $50,000 and sometimes more and increase their investment in subsequent rounds if your business meets agreed milestones, makes the anticipated progress, and increases in value. While angels invest to make money, we genuinely enjoy the opportunity to support promising entrepreneurs.

See our events calendar for our monthly VANTEC Angel Network Meetings

Pitching at VANTEC

At  VANTEC we give BC-based ventures an opportunity to present to investors. In order to apply to pitch, you will need to have a GUST profile. We use GUST to confidentially share your information with our members to help them assess your business and the investment opportunity. After clicking Apply to Pitch, you will be directed to log into GUST or create your profile. 

If you are a VANTEC member who wants to refer a company to the Startup-Visa Program please use this link for more information.

We prescreen companies for 90 sec introduction presentations and 10 min full presentations. Our community of angels will vote for any 90 sec presentations that they would like to bring back for a full presentation at the next pitch event. 

We charge $95 for all presenters to pitch at Vantec.

Apply to Pitch

Pitch Support

At VANTEC we want to ensure that the great companies that pitch to our community give high caliber presentations. To help companies refine and polish their 10 min full presentations, Vantec provides coaching is a variety of ways:

• Initial pitch feedback during prescreening sessions
• A mandatory pitch roundtable session with our partners at Volition 
• Optional 1:1 follow on coaching with Volition
• Open door policy for founders to get feedback from our Vantec Team
• Dry run through of presentation before the pitch event

We also support companies that give 90 sec introductions by having you submit a video to be posted on our website for members and giving you feedback to help you refine and polish your presentation. Our open door policy also applies to these presenters. 

Pre-Screening

Companies that have been shortlisted for a full presentation will be invited to present in front of a small group of panelists from VANTEC member angel investors and partners. These prescreening sessions are held online via zoom. 

The Panel will be selecting 6 companies per month to give a 10 minute presentations at the next VANTEC Angel Network meeting. If you are not selected, you will be considered for a 90 sec introduction and/or advised of alternatives to pitch.

Due Diligence Sessions

Pending member interest, we will facilitate due diligence sessions for companies who give a full presentation the week following their VANTEC pitch. These sessions will take place at SFU VentureLabs. For founders, this creates efficiencies by allowing them to meet with a number of investors at the same time. For members, it allows them to collaborate on due diligence and learn from the perspectives and experience of their peer angel investors.  

Update Presentation

If you've presented before and want to let our community know about your progress and/or raise more capital, you are welcome to reapply to pitch!  

Email us at community@vantec.ca to request an update pitch and don't forget to update the information on your Gust Profile.

Apply to Pitch

Support From VANTEC's Partners

VANTEC has strategic sponsors that support companies in becoming investor ready. 

Pitch Presentations 

Volition helps founders and their teams address those inevitable “now what?” moments on their entrepreneurial journeys. They do this through working with ecosystem partners to provide tailored advisory services and educational programming. Their team of subject matter expert advisors each specializes in a common pain point or knowledge gap for founders, and brings lived expertise as teachers, entrepreneurs, and investors.

Sales

Sales Primer helps technical founders verify their revenue model and operationalize a scalable sales strategy. They have developed a system that provides the single fastest and most practical way for founders to learn precisely what’s required to design a sales and marketing function that delivers real traction.

Finance

Tandem Innovation Group provides fractional bookkeepers, controllers and CFO's. They can assist with reviewing your financial projections (pro forma), how your projections are supported by your business model, go to market and sales plans, and how these are communicated to investors in your deck.

OKR Financial provides short-term bridge financing against receivables and offers a free consult.

Term Sheets & EBC Status

NACO provides free term sheet templates online here.

Fasken provides legal advice for startups and angels. 

Western Pacific Trust Company can advise you on how to make sure that your business and investment terms are  EBC eligible and enable you to offer investors the opportunity to invest via a self managed RRSP or TFSA. Your EBC status gives BC investors access to a 30% tax credit and investing via an RRSP provides a potential additional tax credit of up to 48%.