Deal volume is dropping worldwide even as total investment remains strong. Investors are doing fewer deals but putting more capital into each one. The message is clear: in this faster, leaner funding climate, founders have to produce more, prove more, and connect more deeply to make their mark.

At The Startup Station, we’re seeing this shift firsthand. During AI Week NYC, we hosted our second Speed Pitching event, a high-energy, human-centred matchmaking experience that’s reimagining how early-stage deals get done. It’s a new platform that blends entertainment and venture capital to expand access to funding for diverse founders. We are starting in the US, but plan to expand internationally as the same fundraising challenges persist worldwide.

More than 50 founders, half of them women, sat down with top-tier investors including Gaingels, Origin Ventures, Legendary Ventures, Laconia Capital, Lightscape Partners, and Reach Capital. Each founder had three curated meetings. No fluff. No panels. No waiting around. Just focused, efficient, and meaningful exchanges designed to answer one question: Is there a fit?

One startup walked away with an immediate “yes.” Two weeks later, they and another startup are in late-stage talks with one fund. Another investor is in talks with five startups! Most founders left with one to three follow-up meetings. That’s not luck, it’s the power of structure, preparation, and human connection at work.

The rise of speed pitching: where efficiency meets connection

Traditional pitch events and demo days have long been a staple of the startup ecosystem, but they’re often inefficient. Founders spend weeks preparing for three to five minutes on stage. Judges are often investors or sponsors who aren’t the right fit – by industry or stage. Many are there for exposure or as a favour to Demo Day organisers. Startup founders often don’t know who else is in the room, making it difficult to know whom to approach after presenting.

Speed Pitching flips that model on its head. Each investor meets nine startups that exactly match their criteria, and each founder meets three investors ready to invest in them. Each conversation lasts eight uninterrupted minutes – long enough to assess chemistry, short enough to stay sharp.  As I often say, you don’t need more than eight minutes to know if there’s potential.

This format reflects the new reality of fundraising. With fewer but larger deals being made, investors are more selective and more decisive. They are looking for founders who understand their markets, can articulate their financial paths, and bring unique human insight to the problems they’re solving.

The return of human-centred networking

Ironically, as AI reshapes every corner of business, what’s returning to the centre of fundraising is humanity itself. Our Speed Pitching events are as much about people as they are about capital. Investors repeatedly tell us that early-stage success is about execution, and execution is about people.

That’s why founder–market fit – the alignment between a founder’s lived experience and the problem they’re tackling – has become such a strong predictor of success. Investors want to see conviction, clarity, and adaptability. They look for founders who’ve internalised their market’s pain points and can respond intelligently to early feedback.

Equally important is financial clarity. Founders today must tell a disciplined capital story: how each dollar translates into milestones, what their key drivers are, and how they’re planning for sustainability. A compelling pitch isn’t just about passion; it’s about precision.

But even amid these analytical demands, what makes our events different is the energy in the room. Founders aren’t just pitching; they’re connecting. Investors aren’t just evaluating; they’re listening.

We combine curated investor meetings with live music, raffle prizes, and original parody entrepreneurship songs (like “I Hate it When I Get Another Term Sheet”, "Every Cent You Pay, I’ll Be Watching You”, or “Startup Life, or Where’s the Money?”– a take on ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money”).

Daniel Cohen-Dumani, founder of Experio Labs, reflected on the event: “Grateful to have been invited to this incredible Speed Pitching event during AI Week NYC. The energy in the room was a reminder of the power of connection – founders learning from founders, and meaningful, targeted conversations with investors that turn ideas into momentum. Huge thanks to Victoria Yampolsky orchestrating such a well-run, high-impact experience. From the 1:1s to the community vibe, it was the kind of night that accelerates relationships and opens real doors. Loved seeing so many diverse, visionary builders in one place – and hearing about the immediate ‘yes’ and the many follow-up meetings already in motion. This is what an ecosystem at work looks like.”

Those moments of discovery, affirmation, and connection are what Speed Pitching is all about.

Opening the door: equity and access for diverse founders

Perhaps the most important dimension of this movement is access.

Half of the founders who joined us in October were women. Many were from backgrounds historically excluded from venture networks. That’s not by accident. We curate our cohorts intentionally, ensuring that investors meet brilliant founders they might not encounter otherwise.

Funds like Gaingels and Wocstar Capital and angels like Rafa Barroso, recently named one of the "Top 50 Most Influential Angel Investors" in LatAm by Forbes México and Pygma, all known for backing diverse and underrepresented founders, are leading the charge, but access can’t stop with a few. The entire ecosystem benefits when great ideas can rise purely on their merits, not on who’s in the founder’s Rolodex.

By removing the friction from early-stage introductions, Speed Pitching creates a level playing field. Every founder gets the same amount of time. Every investor gets equal exposure to innovation. The format eliminates gatekeeping and replaces it with transparency, efficiency, and opportunity.

Investors are noticing

Investors, too, are finding value in this structure. As Laconia shared after the event: “Earlier this month, we joined The Startup Station’s Speed Pitching event, bringing together 50+ founders and a powerhouse group of investors committed to supporting diverse entrepreneurship. Events like these highlight the incredible momentum within New York’s startup community, and how collaboration continues to push it forward.”

When both sides of the table walk away inspired and energised, something meaningful has shifted.

Speed Pitching isn’t just about compressing time; it’s about expanding opportunity. It’s about bringing humanity, inclusion, and precision back into the fundraising process. Because at the end of the day, capital flows where connection thrives, and that’s something no algorithm can replace.

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.