Start-Up Round-Up – 2025

Overview

This annual event bringing together start-up founders, angel investors, single family offices, and venture capital fund managers for a day of meetings, panels, and networking.

Start-up founders are invited to submit their business plan, intro deck, video overview, and any other media for this afternoon event at the offices of Highline Beta.

Our process is we send the idea/company media to the angels/family offices & CAASA-member venture capital fund managers, along with a ranking form.  On the day, we have two, 30-minute interview sessions where the matched start-ups and investors meet + 2 panel discussions and networking reception.

We invite all start-up founders to apply.  Our investors each have unique requirements and preferences; pre-seed, seed, series A (and so on…); all industries including AgTech, RegTech, PropTech, Cryptoassets…all areas of endeavor; whether having an active raise or simply looking for exposure for the next raise.

We typically have 12 start-ups and all presentations are in person and capacity for this event is approximately that number.  All start-ups are responsible for their travel expenses and must be CAASA members to be eligible ($200 fee to join; no cost to participate in the event).

Timeline:

April 18th – Deadline for Founders to send us their deck & other media.
April 20th – We send the presentations to all investors to review and rank by the end of the month.
April 30th – Deadline to have the matchings/pairings determined.
May 12th – We gather at the Highline Beta offices and have a great day!

MSC Cruises Get-away Give-away 2025

We are happy to partner with MSC Cruises for a super prize to be awarded to one of our event attendees (must attend and complete a ballot to be eligible).

Draw will occur at our Networking Night on October 7, 2025.

*Subject to travel restrictions, all details provided to the lucky winner upon receipt.

When

Monday, May 12th

  • May 12, 2025
  • 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET

Where

Highline Beta

372 Bay St. Suite 200, Toronto, ON M5H 2W9

2024 Founders & Angels/Investors

Start-Ups – Apply to Participate!

Members –  Submit your presentation below. CAASA team will reach out to confirm after reviewing the pitch decks.

Non-members – To be able to register to Start-Up Round-Up Pitch Competition 2025, you need to be a member of CAASA – click the link below to register for CAASA Membership for $200 CAD.

Deadline to submit your deck/propaganda is April 18.

Agenda 2024

Day 1

  • May 12, 2025
  • 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm

  • May 12, 2025
  • 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Day 1

2:00 pm

Registration & coffee

All Founders, Angels, and VCs are asked to be at the venue by 2pm to register for the day.

2:20 pm

Introduction

Briefing to all on the upcoming sessions, room/area assignments, and expectations of and for all throughout the event.

2:30 pm

First Pitch

Curated pairings (Founder presenting to Angel and/or VC) will provide opportunity to pitch and answer questions.  Each of the Founder decks’ will have been read already by the investors so an abridged pitch can be made.

3:00 pm

Second Pitch

Curated pairings (Founder presenting to Angel and/or VC) will provide opportunity to pitch and answer questions.  Each of the Founder decks’ will have been read already by the investors so an abridged pitch can be made.

3:30 pm

Coffee break

Quick refresher.

3:45 pm

Surviving and Thriving as a Start-Up

Step one: survive. Step two: thrive. Step: three…think about that after step two! Seriously, though, start-ups sometimes get ahead of their skis with far-reaching ideas of what they will do once they ‘make it’. The reality is not all will make it and energy, perhaps, should be put toward step one and two. This panel will feature start-ups from all three stages – an excellent opportunity to hear how they make it happen.

Speakers TBD.

4:30 pm

Taking First in the Beauty Pageant

Start-ups spend a great deal of time dreaming up, planning, and tweaking their product offering as well as their pitch (deck). This panel will discuss the main areas that founders should focus on to appeal to investors who will take their company to the next level. Practicable advice for all!

Speakers TBD

5:00 pm

Reception

6:00 pm

End of Start-Up Round-Up

See you next year!

Member – Investor

End Investors: Pensions, Endowments, Foundations, Sovereign Wealth Funds, or Single Family Offices

Register Now

Non-member – Investor

End Investors: Pensions, Endowments, Foundations, Sovereign Wealth Funds, or Single Family Offices

Register Now