How Pitchdrive Is Using AI To Level Up Startups Seeking Investment

At Pitchdrive, we know there are great founders everywhere. Some of the hardest working teams with the best ideas can be found outside traditional start-up hubs like London, New York and San Francisco.  

But because investment is a human process, it’s invariably biased. Investors are more likely to discover and build relationships with founders who are like them, based near them, or who have followed a conventional, established path. Silicon Valley and the San Francisco area alone are host to 13.5% of all global start-up deals. 

For everyone else, particularly start-ups based in non-traditional locations and founders who have followed unconventional routes to entrepreneurship, raising capital can be a challenge. 

How do you build trust with investors when you can’t meet face to face? Maybe you’re working in different time zones, possibly completely different business cultures? How do you even find investors and get in front of them when they’re not where you are? 

We wanted to create a method of connecting promising start-ups with investors that would bypass these limitations and focus on discovering great founders with fantastic ideas, wherever and whoever they are.  

We looked to AI for the answers, and came up with the Pitchdrive data engine. 

Technology for scope, speed and success 

Our data engine screens hundreds of start-ups every week. The sheer reach and power of our AI gives us the ability to assess virtually every free deal in the European market, plus some extras we find by mining.  

We analyse a huge volume of deals side by side, with thorough due diligence, in a fraction of the time it would take a human team. The technology underpinning the Pitchdrive data engine allows us to do this with impressive breadth, reaching highly promising start-ups that, in some cases, haven’t even considered seeking investment yet. 

The sheer number of deals analysed allows us to spread the risk for investors, as well as digging up opportunities they may not find elsewhere. And the more information we put in, the more our data engine learns what success is likely to look like. So we are continually learning from our decisions, getting sharper and better. 

AI with a human touch 

Although the Pitchdrive data engine is mostly based on hard data, at the top level we incorporate an expert human element. The top 15% of companies suggested by the data engine are subjected to ‘opinionated analysis’ by Pitchdrive’s pool of experts. This layer of experience and insight whittles the field down to produce the final batch of start-ups. 

These front-runners will undergo rigorous interviews. Founders will be put through a high-pressure 30-minute round of questioning by experts, covering every aspect needed to satisfy their requirements before investment is offered. 

How does the Pitchdrive data engine benefit founders? 

Aside from being a fantastic resource for business angels looking for great opportunities, our data engine has a host of benefits for start-ups going through the system.  

Speed 

Pitchdrive’s data engine performs research and analysis that would normally take days in a matter of seconds. This means we can get founders closer to the investment they need much more quickly. Our aim is that capital raising takes weeks, not months. 

Opportunity 

It doesn’t matter where you studied, where you work, or where you’re based. If you’re a founder seeking investment, Pitchdrive’s data engine will provide actionable insights on how to raise your game. 

Experience 

Start-ups making the final round will have the opportunity to be put through their paces by experienced experts asking all the important questions. This is a vital step for founders seeking investment. Even if you don’t make the cut, you’ll know how to improve for next time. 

Pitchdrive’s ultimate aim for start-ups is to help you find investment for your business in a way that allows your work to speak for itself. Our data engine is another tool that allows us to do this, freeing up your time to get you back to doing great work.