How to Judge a Startup Pitch Competition

First, what is an Idea Pitching Competition? An idea pitching competition is an event where individuals or teams present their innovative ideas or business concepts to a panel of judges, often for the purpose of securing funding, mentorship, or support for their projects.

Participating as a judge in a startup pitch competition is a great way to inspire, engage, and celebrate entrepreneurs,

Judges bring their full professional acumen and career in support of the next generation of entrepreneurs. In this capacity, it is essential to provide constructive feedback that emphasizes both strengths and areas for improvement for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Judges discussing entrepreneur selection criteria

Competition Slide Pitch Deck

The competition slide pitch deck is the key document judges will review during the pitch competition. It must highlight the key players in the market landscape, emphasizing the unique value proposition that sets the company apart, while illustrating the competitive advantages such as innovative technology, superior customer service, and a robust business model.

In particular, demonstrating they strategic positioning and plans for capturing market share is key, and ultimately reinforcing the potential for growth and success in the industry.

Pitch Deck Template

Judge Attributes in Entrepreneur Competition

What is an Entrepreneur Competition? It is a forum where entrepreneurs present their business ideas to the public. A panel of industry experts and key opinion leaders offer feedback and judge the content of the presentation and the merit of the business idea. What does it take to be a judge?

• Industry Expertise: A deep understanding of the industry relevant to the competition helps judges provide valuable insights and feedback.

• Fairness and Objectivity: Judges should assess all participants without bias, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors.

• Strong Analytical Skills: The ability to evaluate business plans, financial projections, and market strategies critically is crucial.

• Mentorship & Communication Skills: The ability to articulate feedback, guide and advise participants can enhance their growth during the competition.

• Experience in Entrepreneurship: Having personal experience in launching or running a business allows judges to relate to the challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

Prepare for the Event

Judges start by reviewing the competition rules and judging criteria, to assess each pitch fairly and objectively. Criteria may include innovation, feasibility, market potential, financial forecasts and assumptions.

Judges also need to familiarize themselves with the type of pitches being presented (e.g., startup ideas, social enterprises, STEM), review the profiles of individual participants and business ideas, if available in advance. This allows to prepare a concise, to the point feedback to inspire and educate entrepreneurs.

Provide Feedback

Offering constructive feedback helps participants improve. Ultimately, one of the key objectives in providing feedback is to put up a rear view mirror in the blind spot of entrepreneurs. Here are few tips to keep in mind:

• Be encouraging and specific in your comments, to help improve in a specific area.

• Start by acknowledging the creativity and effort put into the business idea, fostering a supportive atmosphere. Offer specific suggestions on how they can enhance the business models, marketing strategies, or presentation skills. Encourage them to think critically about their target audience and competitive landscape.

• Additionally, share insights from your own experiences to inspire and motivate participants, highlighting the importance of resilience and adaptability in entrepreneurship.

• Lastly, ensure that your feedback is actionable, helping them to refine their concepts and grow as business leaders.

H2I Pitch Competition: A Leading Example

H2I is a University of Toronto accelerator that supports early-stage entrepreneurs with the translation and commercialization of ideas into problem-solving designs. The H2I Accelerator supports hundreds of select ventures each year, with its community of 130 mentors and 110+ industry partners. 

Each year, H2i holds a Pitch competition as part of the various event series offered. The pitch competition is judged by a panel of experts and key opinion leaders, giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their idea to the public and the chance to win funding and in-kind services to scale their project.

The H2i judges and startup participants create a culture of alignment and connection, to facilitate PhD student translation of ideas into problem-solving designs with commercial viability.

H2i Pitch Competition Judges

urBIZassist is honoured to participate as a judge in the H2i pitch competition.

urBIZassist mandate is to inspire, engage, and celebrate entrepreneurs, and accelerate the work of the next generation of entrepreneurs, and acting as a judge aligns directly with urBIZassist vision and mission.