🏛️ The Deal Lounge — Series A+ Edition

Where Traction Meets Capital. Strategy Meets Scale.

This is not a pitch competition. This is a curated, executive-level capital and strategy room built exclusively for companies that have moved beyond promise and into proof — founders actively scaling growth, expanding distribution, and raising larger rounds with precision.

The Series A+ Edition brings together Series A, Series B, and growth-stage founders alongside institutional investors, strategics, and operators positioned to unlock capital, customers, and partnerships at speed.

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💼 Investor Evaluators

Name	Role
Paul Williams	Chief Procurement Officer, University of California
Pablo Grodnitzky	Managing Partner, Plus Ultra Capital Partners
Leena Mendoza	Strategic Advisor, Intentional Leadership / Silicon Valley Advantage
Ning Sung	Investor, Sand Hill Angels
Tess Robinson	Managing Partner, FTB Capital Group
Abhijith Neelamchalil	SF Venture Lead, Legendary Ventures
Ananya Indwar	Vice President, WestBridge Capital
Rupam Shrivastava, CFA	General Partner, Frontiers Capital
David Gutierrez	Vice President, Private Shares Fund
Joey Kong	Investor — Web3 & AI, Langrenus Fund
Vince Kohli	Exponential Global Impact Tech Capitalist / Startup Judge, MIT / Venture Mentor, Trillion Global Capital

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⚡ The Format — Ruthless & Outcome-Driven

Every session runs on a tight, high-signal structure:

• 🕐 5 minutes per company total
  • 2-minute scale story from the founder
  • 3-minute rapid-fire investor Q&A
• 👥 1 founder vs. 4–5 aligned funds
• 🎯 Real-time outcomes: Pass • Follow-Up • Move to Deal Room
• 🚪 Top founders advance into private, closed-door Deal Room discussions designed to convert traction into term sheets, strategic partnerships, and growth commitments

Expect sharper questions, a higher bar, and conversations centered on unit economics, GTM efficiency, expansion strategy, leadership hiring, and durable competitive moats — not hypotheticals.

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📋 Agenda

🚪 Doors Open & Networking
Guests arrive, check in, and begin informal introductions and relationship-building with founders, investors, operators, and partners.

🎯 Deal Lounge Session 1
Selected companies present their growth story to the investor panel. Each founder delivers a concise pitch followed by investor Q&A, generating clear signal around traction, readiness, and next steps.

📊 Investor Checklist Presentation with Pablo Grodnitzky
Pablo Grodnitzky walks through an investor-focused evaluation framework covering product-market fit, revenue quality, GTM readiness, capital efficiency, and team strength — helping founders understand exactly what separates a promising company from a truly investable one.

🎯 Deal Lounge Session 2
A second group of companies presents to the investor panel, with additional opportunities for targeted feedback, founder-investor engagement, and Deal Room advancement for standout companies.

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👤 Who Should Attend

For Founders

• 🔍 You want serious, fast investor feedback
• 🎤 You can pitch clearly and concisely under pressure
• 💰 You're actively fundraising or preparing to raise

What you gain:

• Direct exposure to multiple aligned funds simultaneously
• Live Q&A with clear next-step signal
• A real pathway into closed-door Deal Room conversations

For Investors

• 📂 You want curated, high-quality deal flow
• ⚡ You prefer fast filtering with structured Q&A
• 🤝 You want follow-ups that convert into real conversations

What you gain:

• Structured pitches with rapid diligence-style Q&A
• Side-by-side comparison across companies in the same category
• Fast identification of who's worth advancing

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📝 Intake Forms — Complete Before Attending

All participants are strongly encouraged to complete the relevant form to ensure optimal matching:

• 📋 Series A+ Investor Intake — Match with growth-stage companies aligned to your check size, thesis, and priorities
• 🚀 Series A+ Startups Intake — Get matched with the most relevant investors, strategics, and operators based on your traction and stage
• 🛍️ Apply for a Vendor Table — Showcase your product, service, or brand to a curated room of Series A+ founders, investors, and operators
• 🌟 Apply to Be a Sponsor — Premium brand visibility, curated introductions, and partnership opportunities throughout the program

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🏢 Venue Sponsor

The Kilpatrick Team at NAI Northern California is a commercial real estate advisory group specializing in investment sales, acquisitions, and leasing across office, retail, multifamily, and mixed-use assets throughout the Bay Area. With over 30 years of market experience, a proprietary database of 25,000 active investors, and more than $2 billion in total transaction volume, they serve private owners, family offices, and institutional investors as strategic partners in commercial real estate.

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🚗 Parking Information — 1000 Van Ness

On-site parking is available with direct building access from the garage.

• Garage Entrance: Corner of O'Farrell Street and Polk Street
• If driving north on Van Ness: Turn right onto O'Farrell Street — the garage entrance will be on the left at the end of the block, just before Polk Street
• 💵 Rates: $8/hour | $28 daily maximum
• Building Access: Take the elevator from the garage to the Lobby level — the Grand Gallery will be directly in front of you upon exiting