a reverse pitch event
at Draper University.
The night before Demo Day, VCs take the stage. Founders listen. You want our cap table? Convince us before the rest of the world gets a chance.
On May 20, Draper University’s public Demo Day fills a room with hundreds of investors. Deals move fast. The best founders get swarmed. Everyone competes for attention.
You get the night before.
On May 19, the table flips. VCs, angels, and fund managers take the stage — up to five minutes for top-tier investors, two for the rest, to convince Draper University’s Spring ’26 cohort why their fund deserves a place on the cap table. Smart money has to prove it’s smart, before the public crowd even walks in.
Founders sit, listen, and decide. By the time Demo Day starts, the best relationships are already formed.
“The best investors don’t just write checks. They earn their seat at the table.”
While hundreds of investors wait for Demo Day, you're in the room the night before. Pitch your fund directly to the cohort and close before your competition even shows up.
A tight room, not a crowded auditorium. Every founder in the Spring '26 cohort is there to listen. No noise, no competing panels. Just you, your thesis, and the founders who matter.
Every attendee leaves with something unexpected. We can't say what, but trust us, you'll want to keep it.
Ticket verified at the door. You take your seat alongside a select group of investors.
The Spring '26 cohort introduces themselves and the startups you'll be hearing from tomorrow at Demo Day.
Your moment. Diamond tier gets five minutes on stage, Gold gets two. Pitch your fund, your thesis, your edge directly to the founders.
Face time with every founder in the cohort. The intros you'd normally wait weeks for happen tonight.
The night continues at a nearby venue. Drinks, food, and the conversations that actually close deals.
Yes. For one night, the dynamic flips. Investors take the stage and make the case for why founders should let them on the cap table. Three minutes each. No interruptions. Founders listen and decide.
Founders, investors, and operators who want to experience what happens when the power dynamic reverses. VCs who are confident enough to pitch. Founders who want to choose, not chase.
You'll find out at the door. Let's just say it's memorable, on-brand, and you'll definitely want to keep it.
One ticket, one seat. If your partner wants to come, they buy their own. Spots are limited, and we're protecting the intimacy of the room.
100% of ticket revenue funds the Draper University Spring 2026 Survival Challenge, a program-wide exercise where founders live on what their class raises. Your ticket buys a front-row seat and keeps a cohort of founders fed for a week. Not bad.
No refunds, but tickets are transferable up to 48 hours before the event. Email us the name of the person taking your seat and we'll update the guest list.
A team of Spring '26 Draper University founders, under the Survival Challenge mandate from Tim Draper's team. We had an instruction to be creative. Here we are.
Spots are limited. For one night, founders sit back and investors prove their worth.
Claim your seat →