Instead of startups pitching to one big audience, the folks from PropelICT have partnered with BrewHopper to offer something very different for its coming Regional Demo Day.

Pints and Pitches, which will take place in Fredericton on Dec. 12, is the new spin on the regional ICT accelerator’s big Demo Day, where about a dozen startups from around the region pitch to investors, alumni, and supporters.

In past Demo Days, companies pitched their ideas as a formal presentation to a large audience. This time around there will be a more casual vibe, brought on by lots of craft beer.

“It’s like a high-end pub crawl for startups,” said Sarah Murphy, a Propel entrepreneur-in-residence. “We wanted to try something new this year. Based on feedback from past years we wanted to offer something more interactive and engaging.”

The event will begin at Planet Hatch, where buses will take groups to four different craft breweries to listen to two or three different pitches, all while sipping on some of New Brunswick’s top craft beer. After 20 minutes at one bar, you hop back on the bus and go to the next one until you make your way back to Planet Hatch.

“The companies get to interact much more intimately with everyone who is there,” said Murphy. “They have to give their pitch four times but then they also get to have conversations with four different groups of people when they’re finished. And then we all get together at the end.”

Pints and Pitches will feature the members of the Build cohort, which comprises more advanced companies, and some of the leading startups from the three Launch cohorts, for early-stage companies. All the Launch graduates will have an opportunity to pitch at the Local Demo Days in the cities where they took the program: Fredericton on Dec. 4, Halifax on Dec. 5 and St. John’s on Dec. 6. Companies that present during the Local Demo Days could be chosen to pitch at the pub crawl the following week.

Propel wanted to give the region a more fun and casual event with Pints and Pitches and allow the companies to interact more with the community so they can spend time with everyone who sees their pitch. 

“We think about companies from Newfoundland or some of the other regions who don’t always get to get up to things, so its nice that they are getting this fun opportunity to go and they can actually spend time with everyone,” said Murphy.

To register for Pints and Pitches and the Local Demo Days, click here.