Pitch at Palace 7.0 now open!

It's just not like any other pitching competition

Pitch at the Palace is an outstanding and unique opportunity for your company. It’s not so much pitching for money, although there’s plenty of that in the room, but much more a chance to make connections which can transform your business.

And it’s not just start-ups either. Automated Intelligence were at P@P 6.0 and they have revenue of over £3m and 60 staff. They said it they got more out of it than any other business event they’d attended. Ever.

Plus you could get to, well, pitch at a real palace!

So how does it work?

This year Pitch@Palace 7.0 will focus on Human Tech and will explore the potential impact of technology in our everyday lives:

• Tech supporting our everyday needs – our health, our education, our environment;
• Tech making our lives more efficient – connecting up our homes via the Internet of things, improving our communications, wearable tech, and robotics; and
• Tech augmenting our experience of the world – through virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

And just to emphasize P@P is open to companies at most stages. While many are around the start-up phase, we have seen companies pitching with significant revenue and funded even up to the A-round stage.

There are two ways to try to get to St. James’ Palace. Both start at http://pitchatpalace.com/apply-7-0/ where the forms are actually quite short and to the point. You can simply apply for what is called the Boot Camp on 15^th March in Nottingham.

However you can also specify that you’d like to compete at one of the regional events called Pitch@Palace on Tour. These are at Sunderland (18^th January), Birmingham (14^th February) or Cardiff (24^th February). These give you an extra chance of getting in as the 3 winners from each automatically go to the Boot Camp. If you choose to compete at an On Tour event and don’t win a place, you still have a chance of getting in as the judges check through all the on-line applications to fill the rest of the places.

What does Boot Camp mean?

If you get through to Boot Camp, that means you will be going to the Palace. It also makes you part of what the Duke of York refers to as the Pitch Family. It means that the extensive and very high level network around Pitch is open to help you.

As an example, companies receive the attendance list for the Palace in advance and can ask to be connected to their choice of attendees. Imagine being able to meet the CEO of your major target customer, your ideal potential board member or the key funder in your sector? And after the event, the Palace are willing to connect you to key people on a much wider basis. Never underestimate the power of a request sent on your behalf by the Palace – they tend to get quick and positive responses.

The official purpose of Boot Camp is to select which companies will be the 14 who pitch on the stage at St. James’ Palace – although all 42 Boot Camp attendees will go the Palace and make those fabulous connections.

And Catalyst Inc can help

Pitch at the Palace is an initiative of HRH The Duke of York who is also a Patron of Catalyst Inc. Catalyst staff have been deeply involved in every P@P and even hosted the On Tour event held at Hillsborough Castle.

We would strongly encourage you to enter and will be happy to share our experiences of the process and also help you hone your pitch.

Summary

This is fabulous opportunity for NI companies to put themselves on a unique stage in front of a hugely influential audience who could transform your business. It has proved a huge boost to previous NI companies – so why not enter and get this for your company?

Taking part won’t take up too much of your time and the potential rewards could be huge.

This is not your ordinary pitching event, this really is pitching at a palace!