"Following three wildly successful rounds of Start-up Speed Dating, Kickstand is now sponsoring the event twice a year!" says John Fordemwalt, Round 1 winner, "This was one of the most grueling but educational events I have ever been involved in. I can directly attribute securing our financing to what I learned at start-up speed dating."

Discover the key to 'turning on' investors by practicing your pitch and delivery at a special private venue (open only to participating companies to protect privacy) on Tuesday, May 6, 2008. Learn how to structure your business plan and deliver your vision in 5 minutes, practice with experienced investors and successful CEOs and Entrepreneurs like yourself, and receive real time feedback to prepare for the long term relationship.

To participate in Round 4, please fill out your information below and email your 2-page executive summary to BeckyG@ocmconsulting.com by April 28, 2008. Your executive summary will be reviewed by the Selection Committee who will select the 10 participating companies. All participants submitting an application will receive preliminary coaching on the pitch and a recommended format at a special workshop on the evening of May 1. Selected Start-up Speed Dating participants will be notified by May 2 and will present their pitches on Tuesday May 6th from 2:00pm - 4:30pm at the Arid Club followed by informal networking. Good luck!

Who Should Apply?
You should apply to present if you have good answers to the following questions:

About Vision:
Do I have a clear vision?
Do I know what I want from investors?

About the Market:
What is the addressable market?
Does my product address a clear and compelling market need?

About the Product:
Can my company create a defensible proprietary advantage to overcome existing and emerging competitors?
Can I build a company around my product?

About the Founding Team:
Experience - Do I have technical depth and a track record of successful execution?
Attitude - Am I open to guidance from equity investors? Fire - Am I passionate and ready to run fast?

For Selection Criteria and information on writing an Executive Summary click here