FAQs

We know filling out applications thoughtfully takes time. In an effort to make sure your time is well spent, we've created the short eligibility form here to see if your startup fits the criteria for the competition. After submitting the form, you will receive a follow up email from our team about next steps.

Startups must:

• Be women-led (female CEO and female founder(s) own equal or majority of founder equity)
• Be tech or tech-enabled
• Be B2B or B2B2C
• Be pre Series A
• Have a product in market or working MVP
• Be US-based (for US pitch events)

Winners are eligible to receive a $100k investment from HearstLab, plus three months of hands-on support from HearstLab and our network of 160+ Scouts to help your company reach its goals in building your business, product and team. If you are in the NYC area, you can also receive access to our office space at Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan.

• HearstLab invests $100k on a customary convertible note or SAFE subject to a cap and discount based the company’s traction, stage, and market.
• The goal of Pitch HearstLab is to identify promising startups early and double down on our investment if, after three months of working together, we have strong conviction that access to HearstLab’s resources will meaningfully accelerate the startup’s growth.
• As such, we include a side letter with all Pitch HearstLab with future investments in mind, including:
  - Future investment rights – Right to invest in future fundraising rounds
  - Information rights – Rights to receive certain financial records and other information from the company. We do not require audited financials, but rather select unaudited financials each year and quarter but we work with you so this does not become burdensome.
  - Major Investor rights - Once an equity round is raised, this gives HearstLab the same rights and privileges as other Major Investors.
  - Most Favored Nation clause - If you give another future investor in this round of funding better terms than the terms HearstLab invested in, this clause gives HearstLab the benefit of those better terms.

Unfortunately, due to the quantity of applications received, we are unable to provide specific feedback for individual applications.

Yes, we record all of our pitch events. If you prefer not to be recorded, we are happy to accommodate that request.

Our evaluation process operates on a tight timeline, so we are unfortunately unable to accept late applications. We frequently host pitch events, so if you’ve missed the deadline, please subscribe to our email list and you’ll be notified about future competitions.

You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received. You will be notified by the semi-finalists announcement date if you have been selected as a semi-finalist or not.

Please email us at pitchhearstlab@hearst.com