VYS ILR
We host the very best Startup pitch competition and VC/founder mixer in the SF Bay Area
The VYS Startup Pitch Competition
The very best early-stage competition in all of Silicon Valley.
At each event, we crown one winner, who will receive a $39.99 Nano Pac-Man as a prize in front of an audience of 150+ elite Bay Area founders and investors. Plus a feature in the VYS newsletter, which goes out to 5,000+ founders, investors, and tech professionals inside startups like Anthropic, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Runway, Pinecone, Cresta, Walnut, Airtable, plus Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and more.
We also select another 5 startups for demos.
How it works
Our panel of expert judges selects 5 startups to pitch to our panel. And one startup will be crowned the winner of the evening based on a 5-point criteria:
1. Innovation: Originality of the idea and strength of the AI advantage.
2. Market Potential: Size of opportunity and clarity of target customer.
3. Product Execution: Quality, usability, and stage of product development.
4. Team: Capability, vision, and ability to execute.
5. Business Model: Revenue strategy, scalability, and traction potential.
How to apply? Request to join the event and click the checkbox, "I have a startup and want to pitch."
Startup Demos
We selected an additional 5 startups to do demos at each event. When you apply, just check the box for “If you are a founder, would you like to pitch?” We select startups that we believe represent the most cutting-edge examples of what Silicon Valley has to offer.
Sponsorships
Vibe Your SaaS is a curated community and event series connecting SaaS founders, AI founders, operators, and investors in the Bay Area startup ecosystem. The audience is intentionally selective, focusing on venture-backed startups, active investors, and senior operators.
The quarterly Bay Area pitch stats:
Each competition attracts between 100 and 250 in-person attendees.
About 800 people typically apply, of which 60% are approved to attend.
On average, 250 founders apply to participate in the startup pitch competition.
Only 5 startups are selected to present, so it’s highly competitive!
Audience breakdown for each event
The events attract a mix of founders at all levels, from early-stage stealth ideas to full-fledged post-Series A and prominent tech professionals.
70% Founders
16% Tech Professionals
11% Investors
3% Other attendees
Past attendees have included investors from
Attendees include the entire spectrum, like global venture firms, corporate venture arms, accelerator programs, family offices, and angel investors.
SoftBank
Morgan Stanley
Samsung NEXT Ventures
Mercedes-Benz AG Investments
Techstars
Georgian
Nomura Strategic Ventures
Entrepreneurs First
Precursor Ventures
Streamlined Ventures
SignalFire
Bain Capital Ventures
Precursor Ventures
Bling Capital
Balderton Capital
Entrepreneurs First
500 Global
Past speakers have included
Each event features prominent investors, founders, and other key leaders from the Silicon Valley startup ecosystems with an on-the-ground perspective.
Chris Farmer, Founder & CEO of SignalFire
Charles Hudson, Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures
Aaref Hilaly, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures
Kyle Lui, General Partner at Bling Capital
Ullas Naik, Founder and GP at Streamlined Ventures
Depending on sponsorship level, benefits include
We enjoy working wth sponsors to develop effective brand activations that get the audience excited and involved.
Speaking opportunities from 3 to 5 minutes on stage
Direct access to founders, investors, and operators
Premium networking and activation space
Brand placement across event materials, presentations, invite pages, and newsletters
Access to opt-in attendee data for qualified sponsor tiers
Exclusive founder and investor dinner opportunities with 10 to 25 hand-selected attendees
