🎫 SGD 35 for members; SGD 70 for non-members
🗓️ 25 Sep 2024
🕕 06:00 pm ‐ 09:00 pm (Local Time)
📍 Trehaus — Funan Mall, 109 North Bridge Road, Level 7, Singapore 179097
👥 Limit: 100
The CRIB x Launchpad Business For Good Pitch Festival
invites founders to pitch their startup or business idea to a room of Venture Capital and Angel investors, and Launchpad’s community of founders and entrepreneurs.
Now on its fourth edition, this electric pitch festival is all about creating opportunities for founders who are helping to solve critical social and environmental issues. We want to empower businesses for good, help them get funding, exposure and open opportunities for them.
Calling Impact Founders
If you are an impact founder looking for funding opportunities, this pitch festival is for you! Applications are free, and are open from 01 Jul until 30 Aug. We will be selecting 5 finalists to pitch live on the night in Singapore*. Finalists will also receive personal pitch training from a professional presentation coach and a venture capitalist investor.
Eligibility Criteria
Registered company in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam or Philippines
Team should have at least one female co-founder
Early-stage startup with less than USD 5 million in external funding
Team size is below 50 employees
Revenue generating or at least have a Minimum Valuable Product (MVP) ready for commercialisation
Creates verifiable impact in accordance with one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
For a seat in the audience
Tickets for this event are now available. This is an exciting, inspiring night – where there is not only excellent networking, but also audience members will actively participate in the selection of the winners on the night.
Timeline
Applications open – 01 Jul – 30 Aug
Announcement of finalists – 06 Sep
Pitch training of finalists – Mid of Sep
Pitch event – 25 Sep
Programme Schedule
6:00 PM – Registration and networking
6:30 PM – Welcome note by Chris Edwards, founder of Honeycombers and Launchpad
6:45 PM – Finalist 1
7:00 PM – Finalist 2
7:15 PM – Finalist 3
7:30 PM – Finalist 4
7:45 PM – Finalist 5
8:00 PM – Voting and announcement of winners
8:15 PM – Networking and dinner & drinks
9:00 PM – End of event
Note
Selected finalists are invited to pitch in person in Singapore. Flights and accommodation are at the finalist’s own expense. There is no fee to apply for the pitch competition or for the selected finalists who will pitch during the event.
About Our Judges
hester Spiegel-van den Steenhoven
As an entrepreneur, investor and advisor, Hester Spiegel-van den Steenhoven knows what it takes to build and successfully scale a company. Hester is Founding and Managing Partner of Epic Angels, the largest all-female angel investor collective investing in women-led startups in Asia-Pacific. She is the author of Thinking Big and Small: a guide to activating your entrepreneurial mindset, in which she lays out the essential attributes of successful entrepreneurship drawing on the latest research, countless conversations and lived-life experience. In daily life, she is always on the lookout to meet founders with these attributes, and help them succeed.
Mayur singh
Mayur Singh is an impact driven entrepreneur. He is passionate about sustainability and building ‘tech for good’ businesses. Based in Singapore, he has lived in four countries and co-founded three companies across Asia and Europe. Mayur is currently the co-founder of Green Collective SG – Singapore’s first collective of sustainable brands curated based on UN SDGs.
Before starting on his entrepreneurial journey, he had over a decade of experience across investments, corporate strategy, turnaround management, impact assessment and business development working with Rothschild, Ernst & Young and Goodhope Asia.
Michael Blakey
Michael Blakey is a distinguished veteran in early-stage investing, boasting an impressive career spanning over 24 years and marked by numerous successful exits. Currently serving as the Managing Partner and co-founder of Cocoon Capital, a venture capital firm headquartered in Singapore, Michael has established himself as a prominent figure in the industry.
Cocoon Capital, established in 2016, focuses on identifying enterprise and deep tech opportunities within Southeast Asia during the pre and seed stages of development. Setting itself apart with a founder-first and hands-on approach, Cocoon invests in only six deals annually, ensuring dedicated attention and support for its portfolio companies. By closely collaborating with founders after investment, Cocoon Capital plays a pivotal role in helping these companies achieve remarkable success. Some notable portfolio companies associated with Cocoon Capital include Aprisium, Buymed, Transtrack, Qashier, and UangCermat.
Prior to this, in 2000, Michael co-founded Avonmore Developments, an investment firm dedicated to supporting early-stage companies across the United Kingdom. Avonmore’s portfolio encompasses over 40 companies, and its impressive track record includes 15 successful exits.
Driven by his passion for Southeast Asia’s potential, Michael relocated to Singapore in 2013 and established Cub Capital. Through Cub Capital, he has invested in over 12 early-stage companies spanning the region, including notable ventures such as Anchanto, Quincus, Husk and Cricket One
Rufus sorsa
As Associate Partner at the global venture capital firm Antler, Rufus Sorsa co-leads the company’s early stage investments & operations in Singapore. He has been involved in over 250 investments and worked with thousands of founders across Southeast Asia since 2018. Previously, he was an innovation manager at Metro Group’s digital strategy & CVC arm, where he led various innovation projects across the European retail and hospitality startup ecosystem. Rufus is also an active angel investor who enjoys working closely with founders across the world. Rufus holds an MSc degree in business management from the National University of Singapore, graduating with the highest distinction.
Tianna Nguyen
Tianna Nguyen is a Director at Rigel Capital. She is an investment professional who has lived in the USA, Dubai, London, and Singapore and worked at global reputable firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Credit Suisse AG Singapore, Invesco, and J.P. Morgan & Co. Though she has worked across several industries on international deals, geographically her primary focus is on Southeast Asian markets; aside from Singapore, Tianna has also worked in Vietnam and Myanmar. Her work included Corporate Finance, M&A, and capital raising advisory, which has extended to several fundraising negotiations and projects with technology companies involving ESG, including impact investments. She studied at The Ohio State University for her Biology and Finance degrees. Tianna also received her Master’s Degrees from Harvard University and Hult International Business School; she is currently active with Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs as well as Harvard Global Women’s Empowerment.
Meet The Hosts
Chris Edwards
Founder of Honeycombers and Launchpad
Chris Edwards is a serial entrepreneur having started her first business in 2008 – a lifestyle media platform: Honeycombers. It was designed to inspire Singapore residents to live better lives. Chris had only been living and working in Singapore for two years, and found that she (and her peers) were only reading international media. She felt that many expats were disengaged with the local Singapore culture, nightlife and entertainment scene, and that many people felt Singapore was “boring” because of this disconnection. With a background in marketing and publishing, Chris decided to fill the gap, and so she created a digital platform and a community that expats, as well as locals, would trust; that would engage and influence them, and unlock the best experiences in Singapore. Over the last 15 years, the Honeycombers platform has grown to become the leading digital brand in lifestyle content. In January 2022, Chris launched Launchpad – an entrepreneurial community business group, designed to help small businesses thrive through community, peer mentoring and coaching. Chris now runs five companies across four countries and spends her time split between Singapore and Australia.
Elaine Kim
Doctor, entrepreneur and educator
Elaine Kim is the CEO and co-founder Trehaus, a mission-driven company bringing best-in-class early education to millions of children across the globe.
She was founding CEO of CRIB, a social enterprise that empowers women to become successful entrepreneurs through: (1) CRIB Society’s business network, (2) CRIB Match which provides access to funding through the CRIB Angels Club network of investors, and (3) CRIB EQUIP skills equipping. She also launched CRIB’s philanthropic arm CRIB Gives Back, which helps women in children in need, including through its “Holiday for Hope” programme in Cambodia and Nepal.
Elaine was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (WEF YGL), is a member of the International Women’s Forum (IWF), was part of Milken’s Young Leaders Circle and actively involved in the Young President’s Organisation (YPO).
The Prizes
88 productions
Prize sponsor: Editorial photoshoot, valued at SGD 900
88 Productions creatively translates what you want to say into an image, a visual. Founded by Theodora Voutsa, a visionary in both photography and videography, they specialise in capturing the essence of diversity, beauty, and individuality.
Tinted Wateva + Dance Embassy
Prize sponsor: 3 months of Tinted Wateva membership, valued at SGD 154/month; Free 5-class package, valued at SGD 160
Tinted Wateva is a friendly community of businesswomen that’s also designed to be your growth platform. They have the unique and perfect mix of members: big names, women who are experts and thriving in their business, as well as ambitious women who are just starting out or owners of growing businesses. It’s a friendly thriving community of women supporting each other to build a life they love.
Dance Embassy
Since 2012, Dance Embassy has been the go-to company for all things dance, fitness and wellness. Each of their instructors are the epitome of professionalism, talent and most importantly, they are community builders
Trehaus
Prize sponsor: 3 months hotdesking at Trehaus, valued at SGD 1740
TrehausTrehaus is a one-of-a-kind education ecosystem, designed for the 21st century that reimagines early childhood education to make preschools around the world better and give children a holistic way to learn to navigate the future. This is done through their proprietary “Trehaus Method” pedagogy and curriculum, Little Lab EdTech platform and Trehaus schools
Zal Dastur
Pitch presentation training valued at SGD 500 per session
Zal DasturZal Dastur is a seasoned entrepreneur with a dual passion for business and sustainability. For over 15 years, he’s built and scaled a successful B2B enterprise software company.
Driven by a desire to empower the fight against climate change, he transitioned his expertise to mentoring and coaching climate-focused businesses through Grange Management. He leverages his real-world business experience to help these ventures become potent storytellers and effective pitchers, propelling their growth and impact.
Zal’s dedication extends beyond coaching. He hosts a popular podcast, Impact at Scale (listened to in more than 100 countries), fostering connections with founders, investors, and community builders within the sustainability space. His passion and knowledge have earned him recognition as a leading voice in the Southeast Asian sustainability landscape.
