Pitch Surgeries
Got an idea but not sure what to do next? Maybe your business is up and running and you need a little help to figure out what comes next? Book a Pitch Surgery and get the guidance you need! Book your Pitch SurgeryWhat’s a Pitch Surgery?
A Pitch Surgery is a practical session where you get to test your pitch and get feedback from Enterprise Lab coaches and peers.
Whether you’re looking to get in front of investors, pitch for prizes in a competition or just convey your idea in a succinct way, get some friendly and constructive feedback from the experts. Up to three ventures will take part in each surgery, with each venture having the chance to pitch and receive questions, observations and feedback.
Who are they for?
Pitch Surgeries are available to all Imperial College students and alumni and their co-founders.
Whether you’re a complete pitch newbie or an experienced demo day pitch master – these interactive sessions will provide helpful tips, pointers and feedback.
These interactive sessions are all about providing helpful tips, pointers and feedback – and what matters most is your commitment to learning the basics and adapting your approach until you find the formula that works for you.
To book a Pitch Surgery you must:
Be an Imperial College student, alum or postdoc (non-Imperial founders are welcome to attend with you)
Have an idea for a business OR have set-up a business
Have a Pitch Deck and Pitch ready to deliver
How do they work?
Pitch Surgeries are the ultimate safe space where you can voice your thoughts out loud and get sound advice.
Surgery sessions are up to an hour long and involve 3 separate founders/teams to one E-Lab coach. We’ll ask you to tell us and your peers about yourself and deliver your pitch. You’ll then get feedback from us and your fellow entrepreneurs to help you figure out what you’re going to do next.
You’ll also get the opportunity to give feedback and help your peers with their pitches. You’ll be surprised by how much you can help and learn by listening to another founder’s pitch.
When do they happen?
We run Pitch Surgeries every week throughout term time and you can book a slot online. Surgery slots tend to go quickly and we try to increase capacity when things get busy.
Click on the link below to view availability and book your first session now!
Meet the Pitch Surgery Team
Ben Mumby-Croft
Director of Imperial Enterprise Lab
Expert enterprise educator, marketer and of course, our Director. Ben’s been heavily involved in enterprise education throughout his career and knows more than a thing or two about helping you get where you want to go.
Lisa Makarova
Pitching Expert-in-Residence
Lisa has successfully raised capital and helped other founders succeed through her venture – ZebraFarm, a startup skills platform. She’s a coach and guest lecturer at Imperial and the Royal College of Art and has helped many founders create a winning pitch by putting story-telling at the heart of their bids.
Victoria Nicholl
Entrepreneurship Development Manager
Victoria runs IVMS at the Enterprise Lab and co-runs the Network for Coaching and Mentoring Entrepreneurs, so is perfectly placed to help you get the support you need.
FAQs
How is a Pitch Surgery different to Business Coaching or Experts-in-Residence?
Business Coaching and Experts-in-Residence are more formal one-to-one sessions (one individual or team), whereas we’ll often run Pitch Surgeries with up to 3 teams. They’re a brilliant way to meet other entrepreneurs, share ideas and learn from one another’s experiences. Pitch Surgeries are also more informal, so if networking makes you a little nervous, this is the perfect place to practise.
What about confidentiality and IP?
We operate our Pitch Surgeries in a similar way to the Chatham House Rule. That’s to say that by coming to a session, you agree to openly discuss your ideas together and use what you’ve learned, without compromising the other teams’ confidentiality or revealing any sensitive information.
I can’t see any availability for a while. Is there a waiting list?
Yes. You can add yourself to our waiting list, which also helps us see if there’s a lot of demand and if we need to increase the number of surgeries. We’ll email you as soon as a slot becomes available.
What happens afterwards?
We’ll provide feedback and point you in the direction of other resources at E-Lab that will help you refine your pitch. When ready, you can book another Surgery slot and show us your new pitch.
Pitch Surgery slots go quickly so don’t hang around, book now!
Book your first session now, and we’ll advise, inspire and point you in the right direction so you can turn your idea into reality!
Can’t see a slot? Add yourself to the waiting list and we’ll let you know as soon as one becomes available.
