Welcome back, Elevator Pitchers! This is the premiere episode of season nine, and it kicks off with big ideas and big money. But before we get into the details of what went down, let’s have a quick reminder of the rules:
Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch is a thrilling and dynamic television show that brings together aspiring entrepreneurs and a panel of seasoned investors looking for the next big thing. The premise is simple: Entrepreneurs step into an elevator and have just 60 seconds to pitch their business to a camera. On the other side of that camera is our board of investors. If they like what they hear, the elevator doors open and a round of high-intensity negotiating begins. If they don’t? The elevator gets sent back to the ground floor with no deal. It’s simple, it’s intense, it’s Elevator Pitch.
Related: Would You Say No to a $2 Million Investment Offer?
Episode 1 Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch Board of Investors:
- Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, master of scaling
- Kim Perell, CEO of 100.co, serial entrepreneur and investor
- Jonathan Hung, Angel investor and Managing Partner of Entrepreneur Venture Fund
Episode 1 Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch contestants:
- Ashley Rosulek of OSweetFitness
- Doreen Raftery of Klock It Golf
- Ray Kim and Justin Kim of The Plug Drink
Related: The Surprise Move That Resulted in a $100K Investment
Who wins, and who gets sent down?
Time moves differently in the elevator — sometimes it runs out before entrepreneurs can get to their ask and sometimes entrepreneurs find themselves with time to kill. Managing the clock is just one of the million things contestants need be thinking about, and sometimes they get overwhelmed in the elevator, as one pitcher discovered. But in another segment, two entrepreneurs manage it all — and manage to walk out with a company-changing investment.
Season 9 of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch is presented by Amazon Business with support from State Farm. New episodes stream Wednesdays on entrepreneur.com. Follow Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch on Facebook, YouTube and IGTV.