Dell Founder Zone Pitch Night Final
Your ideas. Centre stage.
Your idea has had plenty of rehearsals. In the shower. On the commute. In a notes app at 2am. On Thursday 29 October, it gets a stage.
Pitch Night Final closes out the Dell Founder Zone, a month for the doers from Dell Technologies and The Founders Union. Six founders pitch live to judges from Dell Technologies, Scalare Partners and the NSW Small Business Commission. The judges pick one winner, the room picks the other, and the fastest lap of the month is crowned. Then it's food, drinks and the conversations you came for.
📅 Thursday 29 October · 5:30pm to 8:30pm
📍 Tank Stream Labs Haymarket, Level P, 24 Campbell Street (Ausgrid Building)
🎟️ Free. Food and drinks are on us.
Not pitching? Come anyway.
Watching six founders make their case is one of the best pitch lessons you'll get all year. You'll hear the hard questions asked out loud, and see how people answer them. Meet founders at every early stage, partners from across Sydney's startup community, and the judges, who will be sticking around after the pitches.
Want to pitch?
It starts with sixty seconds. No deck. No slides. Just you and your idea. Cover six things: name it, what it is and who it's for, the problem, your edge, how it makes money, and your next move.
How to enter
Record your pitch at https://dell.thefoundersunion.com/passport
Record online from anywhere, or in person at Tank Stream Labs Barangaroo on Friday 23 October for 10 bonus points
Re-record as many times as you like, then submit. One submission per passport.
Entries close Monday 26 October at 11:59pm.
The six highest scores become our finalists, announced Tuesday 27 October. On the night, everyone starts from zero. Each finalist pitches for three minutes and takes questions from the judges, who score the problem, solution, business model and traction, founder, and delivery.
Open to founders aged 18+. Finalists join us in person in Sydney on 29 October. T&Cs apply.
Every entrant gets free pitch coaching
Enter and you're in for a free online workshop with Mike Shervington OBE of BYC Coaching, hosted with Keriana King. Make the final or not, you'll walk away pitching better.
What's up for grabs
All six finalists: a framed certificate and an exclusive lunch with Dell Technologies at Bopp and Tone on 29 October
Judges' Choice: a Dell hardware bundle and a $250 founder bundle, plus a free go-to-market analysis with a Scalare Partners expert, or 12 months of Tech Ready Women Grow membership for female founders. The winner will also be featured in the Scalare community newsletter
Audience Vote: a $150 TFU x Dell founder bundle
And the racing rig? That goes to the fastest lap of the month, crowned on the night.
Meet the judges
Nick Roberts, Founding Partner, Scalare Partners
Nick is a successful entrepreneur, investor and company director with expertise in building, scaling and selling global data, compliance and technology businesses, having returned in excess of $300M to investors.
Tara Devi, SMB Marketing Lead, Australia, Dell Technologies. Nearly six years at Dell and Engagement Lead for GenNext, Dell's next-generation leaders program.
Pratik Nasikkar, CSG Technical Team Manager, Dell Technologies. Nearly ten years at Dell, from technical support to leading his own team, and a Lucy Mentoring university mentor.
Michael Miller, Director, Mediation Services, NSW Small Business Commission. Michael Miller is the Director of Mediation Services at the NSW Small Business Commission, a NSW legal practitioner and a nationally accredited mediator. He leads a team of dispute resolution professionals who help NSW small businesses find the best possible solutions to their legal and business problems. Michael holds a Master of Laws in Commercial Litigation and is passionate about keeping matters out of court through negotiation.
Your Dell Passport
One free passport ties the month together. Sign up when you enter or at the door. Bring a mate who's building something: share your passport, and when they scan in you both bank 100 points.
Come for the pitches. Stay for the celebration.
Powered by Dell Technologies and The Founders Union, in partnership with NSW Small Business Month.
Find out more at the Dell Founder Zone: https://dell.thefoundersunion.com/
Competition terms: https://dell.thefoundersunion.com/competition-terms