Idea to IPO pitch night
🦄 8 Founders. 5 Judges. 1 Wild Room.
You’re invited to a high-voltage night where Melbourne’s boldest founders take to the stage to pitch their startups - live.
Forget slide decks that make you yawn. This is not your usual pitch comp.
Our panel of operators, investors, technologists, and exited founders will score each pitch on the Idea to IPO Scale:
❌ Nope = “Please Pivot.”
🧐 Hmm... = “Something’s here.”
🤝 Let’s Talk = “You’re onto something.”
👀 Double Take = “Clear signal.”
💸 Invest =“Where’s my wallet?”
Only the best will rise. The rest? Get real-time feedback and a shot at redemption with the People’s Choice Award (you vote. live. via QR code.)
🎯 What’s Happening:
🔥 3-minute pitches by up and coming founders
🎤 Raw feedback from a cross-disciplinary judge panel
🗳️ Live audience voting for your favourite
💰 Prizes, investor intros & eternal bragging rights
⚡️Sparks, conversation, and serious founder energy
⚡️ For Founders, Builders, VCs, and the Curious:
Come to pitch. Come to scout. Come to cheer. Or come to see the next unicorn born before your eyes. Mingle with 100s of other founders before and after!
Judges:
Kostas nikou: Former VP Palo Alto Networks, exited founder, angel investor and all round legend!
Pip Stocks: Multi Founder, Investor and RMIT activator LaunchHub Coach.
Amber Main: Serial Founder & Ecosystem Builder, Events enthusist and Multi Venture Partner.
Kane Daniel Ricca: Global Brand and Marketing Strategist, Moncler, Coca-Cola, Harrods, Qatar Airways. CEO of DARE Venture Group. "Autodidactic Polymath and Entrepreneur" - The Guardian
Founders interested in pitching, please submit your application here by the 1st of May. Founders selected to pitch will be notified before the 7th of May.
Want more connection? Join Sparks & Invest in your network, get curated group matches to other like-minded Entrepreneurs, creatives, builders, artists, professionals, investors & operators. Warm, curated, and IRL. The best sparks of innovation and opportunity happen when you are least expecting it!
Hosted by
IRL by Amber x SPARKS⚡️x Early Access x Strictly Live (Hayleigh Grima) + Friends 🫶
👉 RSVP Now — Spots Are Limited
"Building Melbourne's Silicon Valley brick by brick" ⚡️