The Investment Panel is like a mock Board of Directors. Following a presentation (of up to ten minutes) and a ten-minute Q&A, the panelists will decide if your team has made sufficient progress and meets the criteria to advance into the next stage of the Innovation Pathway. Explore this page to learn the requirements you\u2019ll need to fulfill to advance.<\/span><\/p>\n Upcoming Investment Panel dates:<\/span><\/p>\n Fall 2026:<\/span><\/p>\n Spring 2027:<\/span><\/p>\n Sessions are for teams advancing from Walk to Run or Run to Fly.<\/p>\n Apply to pitch at an Investment Panel<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n IMPORTANT<\/b>, before applying:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Criteria for Advancement from Walk to Run<\/strong><\/p>\n Teams may advance from Walk to Run once they have found problem\/solution fit<\/strong>. Each of the elements below need to be explained and presented clearly with data to show how they were developed. This is the first time the Investment Panel is meeting your venture, so treat them like prospective investors: help them understand how you have created a novel solution to a large, underserved problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Presentation<\/i><\/b> \u2014 The Investment Panel will also assess your ability to clearly and succinctly communicate your ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n Storytelling in your pitch for Run<\/strong><\/p>\n Storytelling is a critical part of communicating your business effectively. Make your pitch for the Innovation Pathway more effective by:<\/span><\/p>\n Answering questions during Q&A for Run<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember the following during Q&A time for your pitch:<\/span><\/p>\n Lastly, watch <\/span>this video <\/span><\/a>\u00a0about the difference between promotion and prevention questions, and how you can listen for them and effectively respond<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n IMPORTANT<\/b>, before applying:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Criteria For Advancement from Run to Fly\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n Teams may advance from Run to Fly once they have a launchable solution<\/strong>; when your solution is ready to generate revenue & create sustained impact, you know how you\u2019ll reach customers and transact with them, and you know where you need to go next. Each of the elements below need to be explained and presented clearly to the Investment Panel with data to show how they were developed. The Investment Panel is already familiar with the basics of your venture (from your Run pitch), so treat this like a Board of Directors meeting: explain what progress you’ve made since your last meeting to get your venture ready to scale.<\/p>\n Presentation<\/i><\/b> \u2014 these factors have to do with your ability to clearly and succinctly communicate your ideas to the investment panel<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Storytelling in your pitch for Fly<\/strong><\/p>\n Storytelling is a critical part of communicating your business effectively. To make your pitch for the Innovation Pathway more effective you should:<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, along the way, you need to address the key aspects of the business, such as your market size, your business model \/ revenue model, your team, etc. But, the structure of \u201chere\u2019s what we believe, so here\u2019s what we did, here\u2019s what we learned from that, and so here\u2019s what we\u2019re doing next\u201d can go a very long way to signaling to your audience that you are an effective learner. That\u2019s crucial to being successful as an entrepreneur!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Answering questions during Q&A for Fly<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember the following during Q&A time for your pitch:<\/span><\/p>\n Watch <\/span>this video<\/span><\/a> about the difference between promotion and prevention questions, and how you can listen for them and effectively respond<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Examples of Successful Pitches<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Additional pitch examples and resources<\/strong><\/p>\n Innovate@BU Tips for Pitching Your Business<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Northwestern VentureCat 2021<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Helpful articles on solution concept validation<\/strong><\/p>\n 95 ways to find customers for customer development<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n How to get and test startup ideas with Michael Seibel<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n 10 ways to rapidly test your idea<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Assumptions & how to quickly de-risk them<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n — If you are applying to the Fly Stage: You MUST have 3 years of financial projections. If you are unsure about what you need to do about this, please review this section of the IP handbook:<\/span> https:\/\/innovatebu.notion.site\/Run-stage-guide-79b438bc8c7046b289357ec332726544<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n — Submit your application to the investment panel at least two weeks before the pitch dates. Spots in the investment panels are first-come first-serve, so submitting your application earlier makes it more likely that you will get a spot!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
\n
Run Stage Requirements<\/h5>
\n
\n
<\/ul>\n
\n
\n
\n
Fly Stage Requirements<\/h5>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Example Materials<\/h5>
\n
Requirements & Tips For Advancement<\/h5>