Startup founders and entrepreneurs planning on joining the pitch competition at the Rise of the Rest tour stop in Dallas on May 7 should get those applications in order. The deadline to submit an application for all five cities on this year’s tour is March 20.

Companies within 100 miles of Dallas can apply online as long as they meet the following criteria:

• Have a live product/service or be in active beta.
• Have measurable performance indicators such as revenue, customers and/or successful beta results.
• Currently be raising — or have near-term plans to raise — an early stage round.
• Be headquartered in the region of the city where you are applying to pitch

Out of the group of applicants, eight to 10 finalists will be chosen to pitch to a panel of judges at the event. The founders will have four minutes to present their company followed by three minutes of Q&A from the judges.

The application process requires a pitch deck, and Rise of the Rest recommends that applicants include a demo video or a 60-second spot of the founders explaining the company. Once the finalists are notified, they will be given details on using presentation decks and multimedia during the competition.

Why should startups be interested in the pitch competition? The winner receives a $100,000 investment from Steve Case, co-founder and former CEO of AOL Time Warner, and his investment firm Revolution.

“We have been hearing from many in our network that Dallas has a lot of positive momentum and is a model ecosystem for regional cities.”
Anna Mason

Beyond the $100,000 investment, pitch competition winners also join the Revolution portfolio under the Rise of the Rest seed fund. This includes potential additional investment in follow-on funding rounds and connections with other potential investors, board members, executives, potential customers, and advisers. Revolution also provides portfolio companies with assistance in communications and PR throughout the company’s lifecycle.

The pitch competition judges will be looking for companies that present bold ideas and tackle big problems with the potential to scale, create jobs, disrupt big industries, and affect positive change in their communities. Some of the factors the judges consider include the team’s expertise and background, the customer or revenue growth potential, and a realistic and sustainable revenue model.

Along with the pitch competition, the Rise of the Rest event is free and open to the public with a fireside chat hosted by Case and a happy hour for attendees to connect and celebrate the Dallas startup ecosystem.

RISE OF THE REST AIMS TO ACCELERATE GROWTH IN REGIONS

“Rise of the Rest is more than a pitch competition with one winner,” said Anna Mason, partner, Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Revolution. “We want to help accelerate the growth of these regions by building a network that links them to other people and organizations that can help catalyze the growth of the startup ecosystem.”

Mason added: “We have been hearing from many in our network that Dallas has a lot of positive momentum and is a model ecosystem for regional cities. We are looking forward to meeting with the leaders and entrepreneurs in Dallas so that we can help to share some of these best practices with other ROTR cities.” 

Rise of the Rest invites Dallas Innovates readers to RSVP at www.events.revolution.com for the May 7 event.

Companies must submit a completed application for the pitch competition no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, March 20, to be considered. Finalists will be notified by April 5. 

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Steve Case’s Rise of the Rest Tour Making its First Stop in Dallas

The Dallas event will involve a celebration of innovators in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and culminate with a pitch competition where Case, and his investment firm Revolution, will invest $100,000 in the winning company.

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