One Planet announces virtual startup pitch competition

The event offers an opportunity to entrepreneurs to continue their momentum and look to the future

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May 07, 2020, 11:00 ET

WALNUT CREEK, Calif., May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- One Planet, the hybrid technology and media firm and its early stage investment arm One Planet Ventures, will host a startup pitch competition that will broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 6:00pm PST.

The program will be hosted by One Planet's CEO Payam Zamani and accompanied by two other early stage investors, Mar Hershenson (Pear VC), and Stephen DeBerry (Bronze VC).

The pitch competition is open to U.S and international seed-stage startups. There is no fee to apply.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for entrepreneurs to get in front of investors," said Payam Zamani. "Innovation changes the world for the better and we need to keep investing in companies and entrepreneurs that will make a positive impact on society."

This program will be primarily focused on businesses that are beyond the ideation stage, having launched with some market traction. Those selected for the event will each have 5 minutes to present followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.

"One Planet and other investors tuning-in will certainly be interested to get exposed to great entrepreneurs and businesses worth their time and capital. Our hope is to be able to fund a few of the startups on May 21," said Zamani.

One Planet takes its social impact seriously and aims to inspire companies it invests in to adopt an ethos of sacrificial giving and social responsibility. All startups receiving funding from One Planet Ventures are asked to sign a Betterment of the World agreement, requiring that a measurable social impact agenda is baked into the company's DNA, so that the company is not built to only enrich its founders and investors, but to also take small steps towards making the world a better place. This is exclusive to One Planet Ventures investments. Previous One Planet Ventures' investments include The RealReal, Volasni, SoulPancake and IronClad.

Applications to One Planet's virtual pitch competition should include a 5-slide presentation and an executive summary of no more than 500 words. The presentation deck should be thorough and dynamic in describing:

Your story
Your business model
Your growth timelines
Your investment ask
How your venture is also thinking about betterment of the world

If you are interested in being considered, submit a presentation deck and an executive summary to [email protected] by 11:59 PM on Thursday, May 14th.

The pitch competition will broadcast live on the Facebook accounts of One Planet and Payam Zamani and on YouTube on Thursday, May 21, 2020 at 6:00pm PST.

About One Planet Venture Fund LLC:
One Planet Ventures is a socially responsible seed and early-stage investment firm from hybrid tech and media company One Planet. It has a diverse portfolio of innovative tech products and solutions, all with the goal of creating a powerful combination of business success and social good - Innovation x Intention. It has no external investors, which enables it the freedom to follow only the best entrepreneurs. Some of its investments include The RealReal, SoulPancake, Volansi and Ironclad.

SOURCE One Planet Ops