THE DEAL LOUNGE: GROWTH CAPITAL INVITATIONAL
THE DEAL LOUNGE: GROWTH CAPITAL INVITATIONAL
SERIES A+ STARTUPS × GROWTH-STAGE FUNDS × CAPITAL
Round 2 gets serious.
The Deal Lounge presents the Growth Stage Capital Invitational — a live investment competition bringing together Series A+ founders scaling established businesses and venture capital firms, growth-stage funds, family offices, and institutional investors looking for their next investment opportunity.
From Series A and Series B to later-stage companies preparing for expansion, selected founders enter the arena to demonstrate traction, defend their growth strategy, and earn investor interest.
This isn't a traditional pitch competition.
It's five minutes to turn proven traction into a serious investment conversation.
Meet The Investors:
Tess Robinson — Managing Partner, FTB Capital Group
Tess Robinson invests in Series A startups across AI, healthtech, deep tech, and spatial computing. She champions high-impact companies led by women and underrepresented founders, helping ambitious entrepreneurs scale innovative businesses.
Vince Kohli — Impact Tech Investor & Venture Mentor
Vince Kohli is an impact-focused technology investor supporting startups in biotech, AI infrastructure, inference, and deep tech. An MIT startup judge and member of the MIT Technology Review Global Panel, he helps founders scale transformative innovations through strategic investment and mentorship.
Countessina Anna De Bacci — Managing Partner, De Bacci Capital
Countessina Anna De Bacci leads De Bacci Capital, the private investment platform of the historic De Bacci Noble Family. Based in Dubai and Miami, she connects visionary founders with a global network of 50,000+ investors, funds, family offices, and entrepreneurs across technology, healthcare, and emerging industries.
Mike Daley — Alternative Investor
Mike Daley brings over 30 years of experience across investments, accounting, taxation, insurance, and enterprise strategy. Known as the King of Due Diligence, he combines financial discipline, operational insight, and decades of deal experience to evaluate startups and identify sustainable growth opportunities.
THE FORMAT
Every selected founder gets 5 minutes.
01 — 2-MINUTE SCALE STORY
The company. The revenue. The growth. The market opportunity. The competitive advantage. The raise.
02 — 3-MINUTE INVESTOR Q&A
Live diligence on financial performance, unit economics, customer acquisition, market expansion, scalability, capital efficiency, and growth strategy.
03 — THE DECISION
PASS • FOLLOW-UP • DEAL ROOM
PASS — Not the right investment fit.
FOLLOW-UP — Investor interest in continuing the conversation.
DEAL ROOM — Advance toward deeper diligence, strategic introductions, and potential investment discussions.
THE GROWTH CAPITAL INVITATIONAL
At Series A and beyond, potential is no longer enough.
Investors want evidence of product-market fit, repeatable revenue, efficient growth, and a credible path toward building a market-leading company.
Selected startups face investors evaluating:
Revenue • Growth • Unit Economics • Market Position • Execution • Scalability • Investment Potential
The objective isn't to prove your idea could work.
It's to prove your business is ready to scale.
THE ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Deal Lounge brings the competitive spirit of professional sports to startup investing.
ROUND 1 — ANGEL INVESTOR ARENA
Pre-seed startups compete for early-stage investor interest.
ROUND 2 — GROWTH STAGE CAPITAL INVITATIONAL
Series A+ companies demonstrate their traction, scalability, and investment potential.
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The strongest contenders compete for advancement through The Deal Lounge championship circuit.
The stakes are higher. The companies are bigger. The investor questions are tougher.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
FOUNDERS — Series A, Series B, and growth-stage companies with established products, customer traction, revenue, and expansion ambitions.
INVESTORS — Venture capital firms, growth equity investors, family offices, institutional investors, corporate venture teams, and strategic capital partners.
ECOSYSTEM — Growth-stage operators, executives, advisors, technology leaders, and professionals supporting companies through their next stage of expansion.
EVENT PROGRAM
Opening Keynote — From Product-Market Fit to Scalable Growth
Expert Panel — What Growth-Stage Investors Look for Before Investing
Audience Q&A — Direct questions for venture investors and growth-stage leaders
The Growth Capital Invitational — Selected founders present their scale stories
Investor Decisions — PASS • FOLLOW-UP • DEAL ROOM
Networking & Deal Room — Continue the conversations that matter
THE DEAL LOUNGE: GROWTH STAGE CAPITAL INVITATIONAL
2 MINUTES TO TELL THE SCALE STORY.
3 MINUTES OF INVESTOR DILIGENCE.
PASS • FOLLOW-UP • DEAL ROOM
You've proven the business. Now prove how far it can go.
Enter the arena. Turn traction into the next conversation.
THANK YOU PARTNERS
A huge thank you to our incredible partners for supporting The Deal Lounge and helping bring founders, investors, and innovators together. Your partnership helps us create meaningful connections, unlock opportunities, and build a stronger startup investment ecosystem.
MEDALLION XLN
Medallion XLN is an AI-powered collaboration and opportunity network connecting founders, investors, creators, and professionals to the right people, resources, and opportunities. Discover connections, build partnerships, secure funding, and turn ideas into real-world outcomes.