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PITCH SLAP ACADEMY
Transforming Exceptional Entrepreneurs into Unstoppable Fundraisers.
“Elite founders treat fundraising like the sales game it is. They learn the rules, get great coaches, and practice until they master the basics.”
PITCH SLAP ACADEMY
Transforming Exceptional Entrepreneurs into Unstoppable Fundraisers.
“Elite founders treat fundraising like the sales game it is. They learn the rules, get great coaches, and practice until they master the basics.”
"Mike is a masterclass."
- Fleur Leussink | Founder, IMIN
Some of the funds that invested in founders I've coached
"Mike is a masterclass."
- Fleur Leussink | Founder, IMIN
Some of the funds that invested in founders I've coached
“LOVE WHAT YOU'RE BUILDING, BUT..."
Sound familiar?
Tired of getting ghosted by VCs who never follow up? Sick of burning runway on pointless coffee meetings that end with "keep us updated"?
Meanwhile, you're watching mediocre startups raise millions while you
- with the better tech - can't get past first base.
Time for a reality check: those mediocre startups may have a weaker product than yours… but the best product doesn’t always win the fundraising game. They may have started with better connections than you, but connections can be built. If they’re getting funded and you’re not, it’s almost certainly because they have better process, preparation and execution.
Fundraising isn't rocket science - it's a game. And like any game, there are rules.
Rules that most founders don’t learn until it's too late…
I'll be sharing the exact playbook I’ve developed while coaching hundreds of
founders who have raised billions of venture capital.
No BS. No fluff. Just what works.
“LOVE WHAT YOU'RE BUILDING, BUT..."
Sound familiar?
Tired of getting ghosted by VCs who never follow up? Sick of burning runway on pointless coffee meetings that end with "keep us updated"?
Meanwhile, you're watching mediocre startups raise millions while you - with the better tech - can't get past first base.
Time for a reality check: those mediocre startups may have a weaker product than yours… but the best product doesn’t always win the fundraising game. They may have started with better connections than you, but connections can be built. If they’re getting funded and you’re not, it’s almost certainly because they have better process, preparation and execution.
Fundraising isn't rocket science - it's a game. And like any game, there are rules. Rules that most founders don’t learn until it's too late…
I'll be sharing the exact playbook I’ve developed while coaching hundreds of founders who have raised billions of venture capital.
No BS.
No fluff.
Just what works.
Ready to join the Founders who get funded?
You're a great fit if:
- You've built something real
- You've got real users who love your product (and the data to prove it)
- You've got enough runway to not be desperate (that means at least 6 months)
- You can handle straight talk and aren't precious about your assumptions
- You're ready to master this fundraising game instead of playing it blind
- Maybe you have some investors already interested and watching your moves. Let's turn that 'interested' into 'signed'.
You're not ready if:
- You think someone else can raise money for you (spoiler: they can't)
- You're still in the idea phase (come back to us when you've built something)
- Your founding team has holes
- You think money will fix your product or traction problems (it won't)
- You want someone to do the work for you - as opposed to doing the work and developing the muscle yourself.
- You're running on fumes (desperation stinks and VCs can smell it!)
Ready to join the
Founders who
get funded?
You're a great fit if:
- You've built something real
- You've got real users who love your product (and the data to prove it)
- You've got enough runway to not be desperate (that means at least 6 months)
- You can handle straight talk and aren't precious about your assumptions
- You're ready to master this fundraising game instead of playing it blind
- Maybe you have some investors already interested and watching your moves. Let's turn that 'interested' into 'signed'.
You're not ready if:
- You think someone else can raise money for you (spoiler: they can't)
- You're still in the idea phase (come back to us when you've built something)
- Your founding team has holes
- You think money will fix your product or traction problems (it won't)
- You want someone to do the work for you - as opposed to doing the work and developing the muscle yourself.
- You're running on fumes (desperation stinks and VCs can smell it!)
I'll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear - and I’ll teach you what to do.
Ever worked with a good personal trainer? They show you the precise exercises to get the fitness results you want in minimum time. That doesn’t mean minimum effort from you – quite the opposite. It’s not going to be easy, but if you keep the right form and mindset, and pick up the right tricks, you’ll get the results you’re after.
Are you ready to upgrade your fundraising game?
Meet Mike
Meet Mike
- 35+ years deep in Silicon Valley (as both founder AND investor)
- Coached 5000+ founders on fundraising mastery
- Partner at 500 Startup' Fintech Fund (overseeing 80+ early stage investments, 4 of which are now unicorns)
- 8x founder with 4 successful exits (saw one through IPO)
- Ran the world's largest fintech pitch competition
- Guest lecturer at Stanford and UC Berkeley on venture capital
- Current Venture Partner at GPO Fund, MiddleGame Ventures, Pella Ventures & Revolution DAO
- Investment Committee member for SCVentures
Meet Mike
Meet Mike
- 35+ years deep in Silicon Valley (as both founder AND investor)
- Coached 5000+ founders on fundraising mastery
- Partner at 500 Startup' Fintech Fund (overseeing 80+ early stage investments, 4 of which are now unicorns)
- 8x founder with 4 successful exits (saw one through IPO)
- Ran the world's largest fintech pitch competition
- Guest lecturer at Stanford and UC Berkeley on venture capital
- Current Venture Partner at GPO Fund, MiddleGame Ventures, Pella Ventures & Revolution DAO
- Investment Committee member for SCVentures
'Mike is a masterclass. There’s a vault of information in every one of his sentences and an obvious depth of knowledge derived from years of skilled work. He has a unique ability to tailor his sound advice to any company, and makes it easy to understand and implement even when you’re just starting out. To spend an hour with Mike is worth 1,000 hours of trying to figure it out yourself. Thanks Mike!'
Fleur Leussink
Founder | IMIN
'Mike is a brilliant and invaluable resource for VCs and Founders in FinTech alike and I cannot recommend him enough. His global experience is unmatched and provides a sophisticated and nuanced perspective across a variety of geographies and markets. He has an ability to maintain incredible depth of knowledge on specific financial topics while also balancing big picture vision to make strategic decisions. He is thoughtful, open-minded and truly loves working with entrepreneurs as it shines through in every interaction.'
Sara Nohan
Investor | CVX Ventures
‘Mike is brilliant and one of the best advisors I've ever had, he immediately understood the business and gave me the best advice in different areas such as strategy, fundraising, sales. Each minute spent with Mike was incredibly valuable. ‘
Virgínia Folgueiro
Co-founder and CEO | menta
'Mike is a masterclass. There’s a vault of information in every one of his sentences and an obvious depth of knowledge derived from years of skilled work. He has a unique ability to tailor his sound advice to any company, and makes it easy to understand and implement even when you’re just starting out. To spend an hour with Mike is worth 1,000 hours of trying to figure it out yourself. Thanks Mike!'
Fleur Leussink
Founder | IMIN
'Mike is a brilliant and invaluable resource for VCs and Founders in FinTech alike and I cannot recommend him enough. His global experience is unmatched and provides a sophisticated and nuanced perspective across a variety of geographies and markets. He has an ability to maintain incredible depth of knowledge on specific financial topics while also balancing big picture vision to make strategic decisions. He is thoughtful, open-minded and truly loves working with entrepreneurs as it shines through in every interaction.'
Sara Nohan
Investor | CVX Ventures
‘Mike is brilliant and one of the best advisors I've ever had, he immediately understood the business and gave me the best advice in different areas such as strategy, fundraising, sales. Each minute spent with Mike was incredibly valuable. ‘
Virgínia Folgueiro
Co-founder and CEO | menta
HERE'S WHAT YOU GET
The Pitch Slap Fundraising Roadmap:
The building blocks of becoming an effective fundraiser and running a great fundraising process. Expect hard-hitting lectures, best-in-class tools and templates, and battle-tested exercises.
Understanding the Investor Mindset:
You’ll never be successful at fundraising until you know and understand what’s driving the investor in front of you.
Diagnosing your Business:
Is your business ready for fundraising? What’s delivering results and what’s falling short? Are you actually fundable? Are you fixable?
Capital Formation Analysis:
What kind of capital is right for you? What kind of risk/reward does your business represent now and in the future?
Ideal Investor Profile Framework:
Unpacking how much capital you need, what you’ll achieve with it, and mapping it to angel and venture expectations to develop your ideal investor profile.
Building Your Investor Database:
Learn where to find investor leads, and put together your database of qualified investors. Discover the best modern tricks and tools to make sure you’re reaching out to only the investors that are a perfect fit for you, and your business.
Creating Your Investor Materials:
Create a magnetic narrative that does your business justice, and investors won’t ignore. Leverage the best tools, and templates for building pitch decks, blurbs, social profiles, emails and investment memos that work for you and for the investors.
Develop your financial model:
Learn exactly what metrics investors obsess over, how to model growth that passes the smell test. Master the art of showcasing realistic ambition without the fantasy hockey-stick projections. Your financial model isn't just numbers—it's your credibility on a page.
Executing Your Outreach Strategy:
Tighten up your inbound engine and create a killer outreach strategy that will actually land you meetings. Learn to harness the latest tools, social media and networking techniques to exert control of the investment timeline to build FOMO (without being an ass) and turn ‘interesting’ into ‘we’re interested’.
Creating your Data Room:
Build a bulletproof data room containing everything you and your investors need to know that accelerates due diligence. Always deliver the right material, in the the right format so you look like a professional, not a punter.
Getting to the Close:
Learn the ‘idiot tests’ that investors use on you (sometimes without you even knowing it) and be ready to nail any curveballs they throw your way. Decipher the investment terms, and dodge the ones that’ll screw you later. Gain insight into valuation methods, and understand trade-offs.
And, of course:
Our team is constantly scouring for the latest tricks, hacks, investor datasets and tools, so you don’t have to.
HERE'S WHAT YOU GET
The Pitch Slap Fundraising Roadmap:
The building blocks of becoming an effective fundraiser and running a great fundraising process. Expect hard-hitting lectures, best-in-class tools and templates, and battle-tested exercises.
Understanding the
Investor Mindset:
You’ll never be successful at fundraising until you know and understand what’s driving the investor in front of you.
Diagnosing your Business:
Is your business ready for fundraising? What’s delivering results and what’s falling short? Are you actually fundable? Are you fixable?
Capital Formation Analysis:
What kind of capital is right for you? What kind of risk/reward does your business represent now and in the future?
Ideal Investor
Profile Framework:
Unpacking how much capital you need, what you’ll achieve with it, and mapping it to angel and venture expectations to develop your ideal investor profile.
Building Your
Investor Database:
Learn where to find investor leads, and put together your database of qualified investors. Discover the best modern tricks and tools to make sure you’re reaching out to only the investors that are a perfect fit for you, and your business.
Creating Your
Investor Materials:
Create a magnetic narrative that does your business justice, and investors won’t ignore. Leverage the best tools, and templates for building pitch decks, blurbs, social profiles, emails and investment memos that work for you and for the investors.
Develop your
financial model:
Learn exactly what metrics investors obsess over, how to model growth that passes the smell test. Master the art of showcasing realistic ambition without the fantasy hockey-stick projections. Your financial model isn't just numbers—it's your credibility on a page.
Executing Your
Outreach Strategy:
Tighten up your inbound engine and create a killer outreach strategy that will actually land you meetings. Learn to harness the latest tools, social media and networking techniques to exert control of the investment timeline to build FOMO (without being an ass) and turn ‘interesting’ into ‘we’re interested’.
Creating your Data Room:
Build a bulletproof data room containing everything you and your investors need to know that accelerates due diligence. Always deliver the right material, in the the right format so you look like a professional, not a punter.
Getting to the Close:
Learn the ‘idiot tests’ that investors use on you (sometimes without you even knowing it) and be ready to nail any curveballs they throw your way. Decipher the investment terms, and dodge the ones that’ll screw you later. Gain insight into valuation methods, and understand trade-offs.
And, of course:
Our team is constantly scouring for the latest tricks, hacks, investor datasets and tools, so you don’t have to.
Weekly live sessions:
HOTSEATS
Perfect your pitch and master your storytelling skills.
CLINIC
Dive into fundraising challenges and keep each other accountable.
FOUNDER INNER CIRCLE
Build lasting relationships with peers who understand your journey.
Practice your pitch and receive direct feedback from Mike Sigal and storytelling experts
Ask questions, and troubleshoot your biggest fundraising blockers in real time
Connect with fellow founders in structured peer sessions focused on strategy, leadership, and wellness
Watch and learn as your colleagues' pitches get deconstructed and rebuilt week after week
Get expert guidance on decoding investor signals and managing complex feedback loops
Develop lifelong sounding boards to support your growth beyond the program
Master challenging trap questions through real-world simulation and expert critique
Trade invaluable war stories and insights about angels, VCs, and current market dynamics
Share experiences and challenges in a confidential environment built on trust and vulnerability
Guest investors and founders will reveal how they truly perceive you and your pitch
Master deal terms and valuation norms while avoiding costly pitfalls that can derail your raise
Weekly live sessions:
HOTSEATS
Perfect your pitch and master your storytelling skills.
Practice your pitch and receive direct feedback from Mike Sigal and storytelling experts
Watch and learn as your colleagues' pitches get deconstructed and rebuilt week after week
Master challenging trap questions through real-world simulation and expert critique
Guest investors and founders will reveal how they truly perceive you and your pitch
CLINIC
Dive into fundraising challenges and keep each other accountable.
Ask questions, and troubleshoot your biggest fundraising blockers in real time
Get expert guidance on decoding investor signals and managing complex feedback loops
Trade invaluable war stories and insights about angels, VCs, and current market dynamics
Master deal terms and valuation norms while avoiding costly pitfalls that can derail your raise
FOUNDER INNER CIRCLE
Build lasting relationships with peers who understand your journey.
Connect with fellow founders in structured peer sessions focused on strategy, leadership, and wellness
Develop lifelong sounding boards to support your growth beyond the program
Share experiences and challenges in a confidential environment built on trust and vulnerability
HERE'S WHY THIS WORKS
There’s a gap between being a great founder and a great fundraiser that not many entrepreneurs understand. You can be an exceptional founder and still tank at raising. Why? Because fundraising takes insider knowledge, discipline, and a whole other skillset. I’m here to show you the blindspots and make you unstoppable at the VC game.
8 WEEKS OF DIRECT ACCESS
Get your specific questions answered, strategies refined, and roadblocks removed. This isn't just theory - it's intensive, hands-on implementation and support.
NO MORE GUESSING GAMES
Every "no" costs you runway, momentum, and team morale. Time to stop spraying and praying with your outreach and start running this like the B2B sales operation it is.
BATTLE TESTED STRATEGY
I've co-founded 8 companies, exited 4, and partnered in different capacities on over 100 VC investments from pre-seed to late stage on 5 continents. I've either made or seen every dumb move possible – so you don't have to.
BUILT FOR EXECUTION, NOT EDUCATION
This isn't a fluffy course you'll waste money on, half-watch, download some PDFs from and forget all about. Implement strategy in real-time, fix what’s broken, get straight feedback, and fine tune it until it works.
COACHING + PEER LEARNING THAT DELIVERS
For great execution you need accountability. This is why you’ll not only have me on your side, but also a carefully selected group of elite founders, there to up your game every step of the way.
REAL INVESTOR PSYCHOLOGY
Understand what’s really motivating investor decisions, and act based on that - not just what they say. Learn to target the right investors, decode feedback and spot real interest by understanding what's happening behind the scenes.
HERE'S WHY
THIS WORKS
There’s a gap between being a great founder and a great fundraiser that not many entrepreneurs understand. You can be an exceptional founder and still tank at raising. Why? Because fundraising takes insider knowledge, discipline, and a whole other skillset. I’m here to show you the blindspots and make you unstoppable at the VC game.
8 WEEKS OF DIRECT ACCESS
Get your specific questions answered, strategies refined, and roadblocks removed. This isn't just theory - it's intensive, hands-on implementation and support.
NO MORE GUESSING GAMES
Every "no" costs you runway, momentum, and team morale. Time to stop spraying and praying with your outreach and start running this like the B2B sales operation it is.
BATTLE TESTED STRATEGY
I've co-founded 8 companies, exited 4, and partnered in different capacities on over 100 VC investments from pre-seed to late stage on 5 continents. I've either made or seen every dumb move possible – so you don't have to.
BUILT FOR EXECUTION,
NOT EDUCATION
This isn't a fluffy course you'll waste money on, half-watch, download some PDFs from and forget all about. Implement strategy in real-time, fix what’s broken, get straight feedback, and fine tune it until it works.
COACHING + PEER LEARNING THAT DELIVERS
For great execution you need accountability. This is why you’ll not only have me on your side, but also a carefully selected group of elite founders, there to up your game every step of the way.
REAL INVESTOR PSYCHOLOGY
Understand what’s really motivating investor decisions, and act based on that - not just what they say. Learn to target the right investors, decode feedback and spot real interest by understanding what's happening behind the scenes.
Some of the 5000+ founders I've coached
Some of the 5000+
founders I've coached
'Mike gave us direct constructive feedback without the fluff, this is key as time was of the essence, we had just two days to prepare, from this we improved tenfold. I would recommend Mike and his abilities to perceive, analyse and refine ideas into communicable ideas.'
Dylan Cazemier
Partner | Ethel
'There are some people who we should use useful silence and learn as much as possible from their knowledge, Mike is one of those people. A few minutes of mentoring with him can bring the necessary insights to make the best decision, as he has an extremely deep understanding of the global fintech scenario and current playbooks.'
Marcelo Bragaglia
CEO | Scalable
'Mike was a huge help during the 500 Startups Accelerator, and has continued to be a massive help even after we graduated. I don't know anyone with as deep and understanding or network in the financial technology arena, and what's more important, he actually leverages both those assets to help his portfolio companies. If we needed a specific partnership with a bank, custodian or tech service provider, Mike was like a Navy SEAL in hunting down the person we needed to talk to and getting the deal done. We owe a lot to Mike.'
Jay Lipman
Co-founder | Ethic
Only 8 Spots. Our selection process is rigorous.
Frequently asked questions
'Mike gave us direct constructive feedback without the fluff, this is key as time was of the essence, we had just two days to prepare, from this we improved tenfold. I would recommend Mike and his abilities to perceive, analyse and refine ideas into communicable ideas.'
Dylan Cazemier
Partner | Ethel
'There are some people who we should use useful silence and learn as much as possible from their knowledge, Mike is one of those people. A few minutes of mentoring with him can bring the necessary insights to make the best decision, as he has an extremely deep understanding of the global fintech scenario and current playbooks.'
Marcelo Bragaglia
CEO | Scalable
'Mike was a huge help during the 500 Startups Accelerator, and has continued to be a massive help even after we graduated. I don't know anyone with as deep and understanding or network in the financial technology arena, and what's more important, he actually leverages both those assets to help his portfolio companies. If we needed a specific partnership with a bank, custodian or tech service provider, Mike was like a Navy SEAL in hunting down the person we needed to talk to and getting the deal done. We owe a lot to Mike.'
Jay Lipman
Co-founder | Ethic
Only 8 Spots. Our selection process is rigorous.
Frequently asked questions
THE NEXT MOVE IS YOURS.
Fundraising Is A Game Most Founders
Don’t Learn To Play Until It's Too Late.
Keep playing the guessing game, or learn how it actually works.
Don't miss out on the last spots for our July 2025 cohort.
THE NEXT MOVE IS YOURS.
Fundraising Is A Game Most Founders
Don’t Learn To Play Until It's Too Late.
Keep playing the guessing game, or learn how it actually works.
Don't miss out on the last spots for our July 2025 cohort.
What others are saying
What others are saying
What you can expect from the course
What you can expect from the course
Module 1. Understanding Grief
You will learn:
- The neurobiology of grief and its mental and physical side effects
- Why the "stages of grief" model is a myth, and other common misconceptions
- How to embrace the wide range of emotions in grief
- What secondary losses are
- The ways grief can impact your relationships with others
- The neurobiology of grief and its mental and physical side effects
- Why the "stages of grief" model is a myth, and other common misconceptions
- How to embrace the wide range of emotions in grief
- What secondary losses are
- The ways grief can impact your relationships with others
Module 2. Your Self-Care Blueprint
You will learn:
- How to identify your support circle
- Steps to create a personalised self-care checklist
- Techniques for managing grief-related stress and anxiety
- Ways to improve your sleep
- Strategies for incorporating moments of peace and calm into your day
- How to identify your support circle
- Steps to create a personalised self-care checklist
- Techniques for managing grief-related stress and anxiety
- Ways to improve your sleep
- Strategies for incorporating moments of peace and calm into your day
Module 3. Continuing Bonds
You will learn:
- The concept of continuing bonds and how it differs from traditional grief theories
- Ways to preserve and honour memories of your loved one
- How to manage difficult milestones, like birthdays, anniversaries and holidays
- How to create meaningful rituals and traditions that keep your connection alive
- The concept of continuing bonds and how it differs from traditional grief theories
- Ways to preserve and honour memories of your loved one
- How to manage difficult milestones, like birthdays, anniversaries and holidays
- How to create meaningful rituals and traditions that keep your connection alive
and so much more.
Explore our
membership plans
Unlock the benefits of our flexible membership options. Whether you’re looking for a short-term commitment or a full year of access, we have a plan for you:
12-Month Membership
Get a full year of access for the price of 9 months—that’s 3 extra months FREE.
Words of our community
Words of our community
THE NEXT MOVE IS YOURS.
Fundraising Is A Game Most Founders Don’t Learn To Play Until It's Too Late.
Keep playing the guessing game, or learn how this actually works.
8 spots. Q4 2024. Decision time.
THE NEXT MOVE IS YOURS.
Fundraising Is A Game Most Founders Don’t Learn To Play Until It's Too Late.
Keep playing the guessing game, or learn how this actually works.
8 spots. Q4 2024. Decision time.
The Pitch Slap Academy. All Rights Reserved.
The Pitch Slap Academy. All Rights Reserved.