The Genesis

Despite creating highly innovative solutions, delivering massive wealth for stakeholders, and transforming business models across value chains, enterprise technology startups and their founders often receive less attention and visibility with investors, media, and influencers.

The Pitch is the only industry wide two-day event that brings startup founders, enterprise technology decision makers, early-stage investors, venture capitalists, corporate venture funds, professional services, and system integrators together to identify the next enterprise startup unicorns. Innovative business leaders form the foundation of The Pitch. Known as the Constellation Academy, over 50 senior level executives, selected sponsors, and industry leaders will serve as the judges in this startup competition.

Qualified startups will submit a 7-minute video for the initial “pitch” that meets key criteria. The Constellation Academy and public voting will determine the finalists across six categories. Finalists will be invited to a closed room event where The Academy will grill the finalists for 90 minutes.

Winners in each category will be announced at the end of each section in a live two-day event.

Categories

The event will feature six categories of startups:

• Customer experience and commerce.  CX and commerce looks at the front office innovations from creative to commerce.  This category serves roles such as the CMO, Chief Customer Office, Chief Service Officer, and more.  This includes traditional areas of marketing, sales, service, and commerce but also newer areas of experience, customer data platforms (CDPs), new digital channels such as AR/VR, and concepts such as chatbots and metaverses.

• Future of work (FOW), the back office, and employee experience (EE).  FOW, back office, and EE looks at areas such as collaboration technologies, employee engagement, future of work, HR technologies, ERP, finance, suply chain, and more.  This includes all the areas that touch the office of the CHRO, CFO, Chief Supply Chain Officer, CIO and COO. 

• Data to decisions and AI.  Data to decisions and AI looks at all areas around analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence.  Roles covered often include the chief intelligence officer, head of analytics, head of automation, chief data scientist, and more.

• Core tech infrastructure and platforms.  This category is partly a catch all for the other technology categories but also includes technology tools and platform that may cross into automation, low code development, technology platforms, mobile operating systems, and security.

• Fintech.  Fintech includes new financial technologies that improve, automate, and decentralize the delivery and use of financial services.

• Healthtech.  Healthtech refers to new digital technologies that improve, automate, empower, and create new opportunities to improve patient care and provider capabilities.

Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

The Quick Version

Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. We do expect heated debate and passionate exchanges about ideas.  We also expect our guests to check their politics at the door as we have a wide and diverse set of opinons at the conference.

Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

The Less Quick Version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualised clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they'll be wearing branded clothing and/or badges.

We do expect heated debate and passionate exchanges about ideas.  We also expect our guests to check their politics at the door as we have a wide and diverse set of opinons at the conference.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.