THE DEAL LOUNGE: SERIES A+ & GROWTH STAGE FUNDS EDITION 2
THE DEAL LOUNGE — SERIES A+ EDITION
SERIES A+ & GROWTH STAGE FUNDS
INVESTOR ACCESS
The Deal Lounge returns with a room built for companies that have moved beyond promise and into proof.
This edition is designed for Series A, Series B, and growth-stage founders scaling real businesses—and the venture funds, growth investors, strategics, family offices, institutional partners, and operators who can help accelerate the next stage.
This is not a traditional pitch competition.
It is a curated capital and strategy room built around one objective:
Turn traction into the next conversation.
That could mean:
Follow-up.
Diligence.
Strategic introductions.
Customer access.
Partnerships.
Growth capital.
5 MINUTES. ONE DECISION.
Every selected founder gets:
2-Minute Scale Story
3-Minute Investor Q&A
Then investors make an immediate decision:
PASS
Not the right fit right now.
FOLLOW-UP
The investor wants another conversation, materials, diligence, or an introduction.
DEAL ROOM
There is enough alignment to continue immediately in a private, closed-door conversation.
The strongest companies advance into Deal Room discussions designed to move beyond networking and toward real next steps.
THIS ROOM IS DIFFERENT
At Series A+, investors are no longer asking whether the idea is interesting.
They are asking:
Is the growth repeatable?
Are the unit economics improving?
Is the GTM engine working?
Can this team scale?
What does the next $5M–$25M unlock?
Is the market large enough to support an institutional outcome?
What is the durable moat?
The questions are sharper.
The expectations are higher.
And the founders in the room should be ready.
HOW THE DEAL LOUNGE WORKS
Each selected company enters a structured investor session.
5 minutes total
2 minutes — Founder Scale Story
Explain:
What you've built
What traction proves
What is working
How quickly you're growing
What you're raising
What the capital unlocks
3 minutes — Investor Q&A
Expect questions around:
Revenue quality
Unit economics
Customer concentration
GTM efficiency
CAC / LTV
Retention
Market expansion
Leadership hiring
Capital efficiency
Competitive moat
International growth
Exit potential
Each founder presents to approximately 4–5 aligned investors and evaluators.
Then comes the signal:
PASS • FOLLOW-UP • DEAL ROOM
EVENT PROGRAM
12:00 PM — DOORS OPEN & NETWORKING
Founders, investors, operators, partners, and ecosystem leaders arrive and begin connecting before the formal program.
Use this time for introductions, early conversations, and identifying the people you want to meet later in the day.
1:00 PM — DEAL LOUNGE SESSION 1
The first selected founder cohort presents its growth story to a curated investor panel.
Investor Panel
Pablo Grodnitzky — Plus Ultra Capital Partners
Rupam Shrivastava, CFA — Frontiers Capital
Vince Kohli — Trillion Global Capital
Tess Robinson — FTB Capital Group
Sarah Hajipour — SV Capital Collective
Each company receives:
2-Minute Scale Story
3-Minute Investor Q&A
Immediate Investor Signal
2:30 PM — INVESTOR CHECKLIST
With Pablo Grodnitzky
What separates a promising company from an investable Series A opportunity?
This session breaks down what investors evaluate when companies enter institutional fundraising territory.
Topics include:
Product-market fit
Revenue quality
GTM readiness
Capital efficiency
Team quality
Customer concentration
Repeatable growth
Market size
Competitive positioning
Fundraising readiness
5:00 PM — DEAL LOUNGE SESSION 2
A second selected group of growth-stage companies presents directly to another investor panel.
Investor Panel
Ananya Indwar — WestBridge Capital
Paul Williams — University of California
Vince Kohli — Trillion Global Capital
Tess Robinson — FTB Capital Group
Sarah Hajipour — SV Capital Collective
The same rules apply:
2-Minute Scale Story
3-Minute Investor Q&A
Pass • Follow-Up • Deal Room
7:00 PM — GROWTH-STAGE INVESTOR FIRESIDE
What Institutional Capital Is Looking For in 2026
A candid conversation with investors about:
Growth-stage fundraising
AI infrastructure
Market timing
Fund economics
Scaling GTM
Capital efficiency
Growth versus profitability
Founder readiness
Institutional diligence
What makes a company fundable now
WHO IT'S FOR
SERIES A+ FOUNDERS
You should consider applying if:
You have meaningful traction
You are generating revenue or have strong commercial validation
You are actively raising or preparing for a larger institutional round
You can explain your growth story clearly
You understand your core economics
You know what the next round unlocks
You are ready for real investor diligence
This room is built for founders who are no longer explaining whether the business could work.
You are showing investors how well it is already working—and how much larger it can become.
INVESTORS & GROWTH-STAGE FUNDS
This edition is built for:
Venture Capital Funds
Series A Investors
Growth Funds
Family Offices
Institutional Investors
Strategic Investors
Corporate Innovation Leaders
Venture Partners
Private Market Investors
Operators with capital or distribution
Founders who actively invest
Investors receive a faster way to evaluate curated companies and identify which founders deserve deeper diligence.
WHAT FOUNDERS GET
Direct exposure to multiple investors at once
Live diligence-style Q&A
Clear investor signal
Potential private Deal Room access
Follow-up opportunities
Strategic introductions
Customer and distribution conversations
Fundraising feedback
Access to growth-stage operators and capital partners
The goal is simple:
Leave knowing what happens next.
WHAT INVESTORS GET
Curated Series A+ deal flow
Structured company presentations
Fast side-by-side evaluation
Relevant founders matched around investment interests
Private Deal Room conversations
Rapid identification of diligence-worthy companies
Direct access to founders who are already demonstrating traction
PARTICIPANT INTAKE
SERIES A+ INVESTOR INTAKE
Complete the investor intake so we can match you with companies aligned with your:
Stage
Check size
Investment thesis
Sector
Geography
Strategic priorities
Investor Intake:
Open Google Form
SERIES A+ STARTUP INTAKE
Founders are matched to investors, strategics, and operators based on:
Traction
Revenue
Stage
Sector
Raise size
Growth needs
Strategic priorities
Startup Intake:
Open Google Form
VENDOR TABLES
Showcase your product, service, platform, or technology to a curated audience of growth-stage founders, investors, and operators.
Use the event to drive:
Demos • Leads • Partnerships • Customers • Visibility
Vendor Application:
Open Google Form
BECOME A SPONSOR
Position your organization in front of growth-stage founders, investors, family offices, institutional partners, and decision-makers.
Sponsorship opportunities can include:
Presenting Partner
Deal Room Partner
Investor Access Partner
Founder Showcase Partner
Reception Partner
Supporting Partner
Sponsor Application:
Open Google Form
THE BAR IS HIGHER.
This is not a room for hypothetical companies.
It's for founders with traction.
Companies with customers.
Teams with momentum.
Investors looking for signal.
And conversations that can materially change what happens next.
THE DEAL LOUNGE
SERIES A+ EDITION
SERIES A+ & GROWTH STAGE FUNDS
INVESTOR ACCESS
Scale the company.
Access the capital.
Start the next conversation.