Pitch Practice with fnInvestor Gopi Rangan (June 30, 2026)
Virtual · ZoomScale, Lead & Lifetime Members Only:
Watch, Pitch, Learn: Join fnInvestor Gopi Rangan, Founding Partner at Sure Ventures, for a virtual pitch practice where you’ll have an invaluable opportunity to fine-tune your pitch, learn from the investor’s perspective, and potentially open the door for further conversations.
Key Event Details:
- Pitching Opportunity:
- RSVP & Selection: While RSVPing is necessary, spots are not guaranteed. Only three founders (Scale, Lead & Lifetime Members) will be selected based on criteria set by the investor. The selection will happen a week before the event.
- Pitch Format: Each selected founder will have three minutes to pitch their startup. This is your chance to deliver a concise, impactful pitch—essentially an "extended elevator pitch." Time is limited, so make sure you focus on the core elements of your startup’s story, value, and vision.
- Mandatory Dry Run Requirement: Before the event, you'll need to complete a dry run of your pitch with Aaron Ganek, a pitch deck expert and startup advisor. This is a critical step to ensure you're prepared and confident going into the pitch practice session.
- Feedback: After each pitch, you will receive seven minutes of feedback (5mins from the investor, 1min from Kevin Holmes, and 1min from one of your peers). Take notes and ask clarifying questions, as this could provide invaluable insights for refining your pitch moving forward.
- Post-Event Follow-Up:
- If there’s mutual interest, you may have the opportunity to connect with the guest investor to dive deeper into your pitch and explore potential next steps with your startup.
- Not Ready to Pitch?:
- Even if you’re not ready to pitch, you can still join the session as an observer. This is a great opportunity to watch, learn, and ask questions. You can gain insights from the feedback provided to others, and have the chance to engage directly with the investor.
How to Participate:
- The pitching opportunity is for Scale, Lead and Lifetime members only, while Launch is able to be a spectator (watch).
- RSVP to secure your spot (although not guaranteed to pitch, you’ll still be able to watch and learn).
- Prepare for the dry run with Aaron Ganek beforehand to refine your pitch.
- If selected, pitch and get feedback from the featured fnInvestor.
- Kindly review the 3-Minute Pitch Guide for a comprehensive understanding of the process.
- If you’ve pitched in the last 30 days, you’re still welcome to register—but spots aren’t guaranteed, as we want to give others a chance too. You may be placed on the waitlist in case of no-shows or last-minute changes, so stay ready, be prepared, and bring your best!
Investment Criteria:
- Invests in: Early stage (pre-seed and seed)
- Sectors: Insurance (InsurTech), Fintech, HR benefits, aging and care, mental health, wealth management, and related sectors focused on safety and prosperity
- Investment locations: Primarily United States
- Investment range: $500k to $1M
Gopi Rangan is the Founding Partner of Sure Ventures, a Silicon Valley–based early-stage venture capital firm. He focuses on investing in pre-seed and seed-stage startups with a mission to enable peace of mind for individuals and businesses, particularly across insurance, aging, care, mental health, and wealth management.
In addition to his investing work, Gopi is a faculty member at INSEAD, where he teaches entrepreneurship, and is actively involved in mentoring founders through organizations such as Creative Destruction Lab. He also hosts The Sure Shot Entrepreneur podcast, where he shares insights from founders and investors.
Confidentiality Reminder
All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity.
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