Eight startup founders will get a chance to pitch before venture capitalists in Halifax during BDO’s VC Pitch Day.

Now in its fifth year, VC Pitch Day connects Atlantic Canada’s tech entrepreneurs to some of the country’s top investors for the opportunity to secure capital and receive actionable feedback.

The Halifax event will take place on March 31 and is one of six VC Pitch Day events taking place across the country this March.

“Canadian tech talent resides everywhere,” said Peter Matutat, leader of BDO Canada’s Technology & Life Science practice in a statement.

“From coast to coast, we are seeing fantastic ideas come from cities well outside our traditional innovation hubs. I expect to see this trend increase as founders take advantage of the lower barriers to starting a company.”

Each selected company will pitch during a private, closed-door session designed to foster an honest discussion on the founder’s business. Entrepreneurs will have 15 minutes to present, followed by a five-minute Q&A with the VCs.

As part of VC Pitch Day, Halifax event organizers have added a half-day conference where attendees will hear directly from the VCs as they share tips on preparing their pitch, along with legal and financial information that will help founders grow their startups. Called ‘Pitch Ready,’ this free conference gives attendees the opportunity to mingle with the venture capitalists. ‘Pitch Ready’ is presented in partnership with law firm McInnes Cooper.

“The conference will allow those pitching to meet the VCs ahead of their presentation, and gain valuable insight as to what they’ll be looking for the following day,” said Kelly Johnstone, the Technology and Life Science Partner leading the Halifax event. “It’s also an excellent chance for those who are not selected to pitch, or those who did not apply, to learn more about venture capital.”

Seven venture capital firms will participate in VC Pitch Day 2020: The returning participants are Concrete Ventures, Innovacorp, the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, and PEI Island Capital Partners. New firms include Build Ventures, the Canadian Business Growth Fund, and Killick Capital.

Individuals or businesses wishing to participate are invited to submit an application at bdovcpitchday.ca/city/halifax/ before March 13.

Those who would like to attend the conference can register at Here before March 23.