Shaw Centre
55 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa ON K1N 9J2

604.449.2284

Applications for 2023 are closed. Finalists will be announced soon!

SAAS NORTH PITCHFEST

Grab your besties, some rosé, and a few pints of Ben&Jerry’s…it’s time for a real PITCHFEST! The 7th annual live SAAS NORTH PitchFest is back for another incredible year!

This year we expect up to 100 companies to apply but only 8 finalists will be selected by our judges to pitch live at SAAS NORTH in front of our audience! A winner from day one and two will be selected, culminating in an exciting grand-finale at the end of Day 2. The two winners will compete head-to-head in a dramatic winner-takes-all rapid pitch-off! The SAAS NORTH audience of leading SaaS investors and entrepreneurs will decide the grand prize winner by live people’s choice voting!

This year’s grand prize includes:

? $10,000 cash prize
☁️ Other in-kind prizes!

PITCHFEST DETAILS

When: Wednesday, November 15 & Thursday, November 16 (time TBC)
Who: 8 SaaS companies / From startups to scaleups
Why: Get exposure to the biggest investors in SaaS in Canada and win $10,000 in cash plus in-kind prizes!

Deadline to apply: September 22, 2023 (Applications are now closed for 2023)

2023 Pitchfest Judges & MC

Melissa Allen

Executive Director

LOI Ventures

Danielle Gifford

Executive Director

Movement51

Prashant Matta

Partner

Panache Ventures

Jacques Perrault

General Partner

Brightspark Ventures

James Povitz

Principal

NAventures, National Bank Of Canada’s Corporate Venture Capital Arm

Russell Samuels

Partner

Whitecap Venture Partners

MC

Patrick White

Managing Director

L-SPARK

PAST WINNERS

2022- Yvette Wu, Yield Exchange

“SAAS North was AMAZING! As a tech founder, there were so many rich opportunities to connect with quality investors, inspiring tech founders, and invaluable supporters of the eco-system at large. The Conference created opportunities to bridge new relationships and deepen existing ones. It was a truly unforgettable conference that I plan to attend every year!”

2021- Ingrid Polini, SafetyDocs

“Winning the Pitchfest at SAAS NORTH definitely opened a lot of doors for us, being able to speak to such a large public about our startup and having access to the networking that happens on the event, was pivotal for the growth of our company in Canada”

2020, Balaji Gopalan, MedStack

“Winning the Pitchfest was a pivotal turning point for MedStack; of course we were pushed to tailor our story for the intense, short-form environment, but we were able to do so with the great feedback, coaching and transparency in the process.  We were so thoroughly impressed with the other competitors and their innovative, courageous ideas, and were glad to be in such great company.  The feedback we got in the process, and of course brand value from winning and generous prizes themselves, all helped us build our company to the traction we have today”

2019- Mohammad Asaduallah, Benji

“SAAS NORTH’S Pitchfest is an incredible opportunity to showcase your company in front of potential customers and investors. Plus, winning $10,000 cash—and holding a massive cheque on stage—is the cherry on top. If you’re the founder of an early-stage startup, this opportunity is a no-brainer”

2018- Cassy Aite, Hoppier [Formerly Desk Nibbles]

“Participating in and winning the SAAS NORTH Pitchfest gave our business a ton of exposure early on. It created financing opportunities and helped us sign up several new clients!”

“

Pitchfest was a fantastic experience, it’s a perfect window into the bubbly and thriving Canadian tech ecosystem. The energy in the room was vibrant while the finalists delivered well prepared, concise, and clear pitches. It was very inspiring to see how committed and dedicated the founders are to their ventures, I learned a ton from all of them and was honored to have contributed to the success of this edition of Pitchfest.

Meryeme Lahmami
Pender Ventures
“

The SAAS NORTH team consistently puts on one of the best conferences in Canada. Pitchfest is a unique opportunity for founders to pitch in front of hundreds of attendees. The caliber of talent is high and the event is well worth attending.

Russell Samuels
Whitecap Ventures

Applications are now closed

Finalists will be announced soon!

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2023 Pitchfest Judges & MC