Startup Grilling: Reverse Pitch, 2025
One of Our Most Famous Events is Back! Get Ready for the Reverse Pitch Event 2025
📅 June 12, 2025 | 🕕 17:30–22:00 | 📍 Vlny Štvanice, Prague
Forget what you know about pitching.
At Startup Grilling, investors are the ones in the hot seat – literally.
This is the 3rd edition of our iconic summer BBQ event where the tables turn: investors pitch to a jury of startup founders, while the grill is sizzling and the drinks are flowing.
🍖 Who's getting grilled this year?
We’re excited to announce the first confirmed investors who’ll pitch on stage while handling the flames:
Peter Lasinger – Managing Partner, 3VC (AT)
Laurent Hengesch – Founding Partner, Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital (LU)
Zdenek Fred Fous – General Partner, PurposeTech (CZ)
Ondřej Lipold - Newest Partner at Tensor Ventures (CZ)
👩⚖️ Meet the Jury:
This year’s investors will be grilled by a jury of hands-on startup founders:
Anežka Svobodová – Co-Founder, ClimbLife
Peter Varga – Founder & CEO, Lafluence & Trendin
Tomáš Malovec – Founder & CEO, Born Digital
Expect direct questions about strategy, traction, and real execution. No sugar-coating.
📍 New Location: Vlny Štvanice
This year, we’re moving to a new venue right by the river, next to Prague’s startup hub – Karlín.
Vlny Štvanice offers a laid-back summer atmosphere perfect for grilling, chilling, and serious networking.
💥 What’s on the menu?
🔥 Reverse Pitch stage
🧑💼 Curated guest list of 150+ founders, investors & ecosystem leaders
🍹 Drinks & snacks (including veggie options)
🏐 Beach volleyball (optional - showers on site)
🪵 Fire pits with marshmallows & Czech-style sausages
✨ Big summer vibes & last networking before the break
PROGRAM:
17:30 – Doors Open
18:10 – Welcome
18:15 – Introduction of Jury & Format
18:20 – 🔥 VC1 Grilling & Jury Q&A: Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital
18:28 – 🔥 VC2 Grilling & Jury Q&A: 3VC
18:35 – 🔥 VC3Grilling & Jury Q&A: PurposeTech
18:40 – 🔥 VC4 Grilling & Jury Q&A: Tensor Ventures
18:50 – Food, Networking, Beach Volleyball
🍴 What else is available on-site?
A food truck offering warm meals and extra snacks for purchase throughout the evening
Bar service with drinks available all night
A laid-back summer vibe by the river – stay as long as you like and make the most of it
🤝 Powered by our partners – without whom this event wouldn’t be possible:
3VC – backing fast-growing tech companies from DACH & CEE with a focus on execution and product excellence.
Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital – an early-stage venture capital firm from Luxembourg investing in ambitious founders across Europe, with a sharp focus on purpose-driven innovation and long-term partnerships.
PurposeTech – a specialized Czech pre-seed fund investing in solutions within health, climate, and education/future of work.
Tensor Ventures – a deep tech VC fund supporting bold founders building transformative technologies in AI, robotics, advanced materials, and beyond.