Pitch Practice with fnInvestor Mahesh Narayanan (October 9, 2025) — in Virtual — Founders Network event

Pitch Practice with fnInvestor Mahesh Narayanan (October 9, 2025)

Virtual · Zoom
Free · Guests welcome

Scale, Lead & Lifetime Members Only:

Watch, Pitch, Learn: Join fnInvestor Mahesh Narayanan, Managing Partner at Neuvation 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:

  1. 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 five minutes of feedback (3mins 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!

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Investment Criteria:

  • Invests in: Pre-Seed, Seed
  • Sectors: Brain Health
  • Investment Locations: Global
About the fnInvestor:

Mahesh Narayanan is a biotech entrepreneur, investor, and impact-driven leader with a background in neuroscience and biotechnology. He is the Managing Partner at Neuvation Ventures, a Baltimore-based impact investment fund launched in 2023 that is dedicated to advancing brain health. Neuvation Ventures focuses on funding ideas, research, and early-stage companies in neurotech and related fields, with the mission of reducing early-stage failure rates and expanding offerings for the community. The fund provides pre-seed and seed capital to help founders establish proof of concept and product–market fit in this highly underserved sector.

Mahesh is a two-time bio- and med-tech founder, with one successful exit, and brings first-hand experience in building companies at the intersection of science, healthcare, and technology. His entrepreneurial journey has given him deep insights into the challenges early-stage founders face, particularly in translating scientific innovation into market-ready solutions.

In addition to his work at Neuvation Ventures, Mahesh has held key leadership roles supporting early-stage startups. He joined Journey VP/Newchip as a Venture Partner in 2019, where he advised startups across biotech and healthcare, and later became the Life Sciences Director at Newchip Accelerator in 2022. In this role, he worked closely with founders on product development, commercialization strategy, and fundraising, helping to bridge the gap between groundbreaking science and scalable businesses.

Through his work as a founder, investor, and mentor, Mahesh is committed to cultivating a thriving ecosystem for life sciences and neurotechnology innovation. His vision is to empower entrepreneurs to tackle unmet needs in brain health and to foster breakthroughs that can transform lives globally.

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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