During March in SXSW, you can expect to see a few things – lots of swag, startup t-shirts, badges everywhere and plenty of business card exchanges. What you weren’t expecting to see -- an elevator inside the Mashable House in which you could pitch your startup for a chance to win $15,000. But that’s exactly the priceless surprise MasterCard® and Mashable partnered to create this year -- the Priceless® Elevator Pitch.
And it’s pretty simple. If you’re a MasterCard® holder, just come to Mashable House (305 E. 5th Street, Austin, TX), for a Priceless Surprise. sign up to pitch your new business idea, solution or product, and our bellhop will escort you into the Priceless Elevator. Once the door closes, you’ll have up to 60 seconds to pitch your idea for a chance at the grand prize of $15,000.
On Friday, more than 40 startup founders took on the elevator, and there’s some stiff competition. These pitchers were coached along by staff and VCs, and also got a little something special from MasterCard after giving their pitches.
Each day, the pitches are evaluated and scored by startup experts and VCs from firms like Lerer Ventures, ff Venture Capital, SoftTech and Fortis Partners. Three finalists from each day will win prizes, and on the final day (3/15), the best Priceless Pitch will be awarded a $15,000 grand prize to help bring the idea to life. Watch the video below to see what the Priceless Elevator Pitch opportunity is all about, and check out all the pitches on YouTube.
Prep your Priceless Pitch and come down to the Mashable House. Don't forget to bring your MasterCard -- you’ll need to show it to get into the Priceless Elevator.