Fundraising
Demo Day
The culminating event of an accelerator program where startups pitch their companies to a room of investors.
Demo day is the graduation event of startup accelerator programs like Y Combinator, Techstars, and 500 Startups. Startups deliver short pitches (usually 2-3 minutes) to an audience of investors, press, and industry observers. For many startups, demo day kicks off their seed fundraising process — investors who are interested follow up for deeper meetings immediately after. YC's demo day has become one of the most competitive investor events in the world, with attendance by top VCs from every major firm. Demo days signal legitimacy and create urgency among investors who fear missing a breakout company.