Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Q&A section?

There are 5 minutes following your pitch allocated to answering questions posed by people in the room.

How many pitch rounds are there before the showcase?

There are three preflight pitch rounds leading up to the final showcase.

IMPORTANT- you can only pitch once.

How are the pitch rounds scored

During the preflight round, each pitch is peer scored. Each pitch will be judged for diversity, team, hyper growth, and product validation: on a scale of 1-5.

The Startup Runway team uses the scoring data and their own insights to determine who makes it to the showcase, in the past the results from the peer scoring have very closed matched the final selections.

What are my means of presentation?

For the pre-rounds you will be able to use your own computer. We suggest limiting the number of slides that make up your deck. 5 minutes go by quicker than you would think! Make sure to practice your slides on a timer.

Also, keep in mind that small text & data in tables may not be readable so you should consider leaving those out altogether.

Your presentation can be both 16×9 or 4×3. 16×9 probably looks better :).

Can I bring a guest?

Yes you can bring one guest- space is limited in the preflight pitch room. If you would like to bring another guest let us know and we will check to see if we will have room.

Accommodations near the Gathering Spot?

There are countless hotels options- The Gathering Spot is in the heart of the Georgia Tech campus minutes from downtown and midtown Atlanta. Here are a few choice places we recommend…..

Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center
Hampton Inn Atlanta-Georgia Tech-Downtown
Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel
Hotel Indigo Atlanta Midtown

If you come to present during one of the preflight rounds we assume that you are willing and able to pitch during the showcase on May 2nd.

Check out our founders guide which helps you navigate the entire Startup Runway process–from learning about what investors are looking for to pitching for cash prizes at our showcase events.

Additional resources

Startup Runway Pitch Workbook
How to coach a pitch