The Pitch
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
The Pitch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Pitch
- Legal name
- The Pitch, Inc.
- Website
- https://thepitch.show
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Pitch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Podcast Media
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Live & Interactive Podcast Platforms (Live Shows, Call-ins) (MPACADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Live Audio Q&A, Coaching & Mentorship Platforms (MPACAEAI), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)
Keywords
Where The Pitch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Pitch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- The Pitch Fund Management: The Pitch operates a $20M venture fund that invests alongside VCs in companies featured on the show. Generates revenue through management fees and carried interest on fund returns.
- Listener Investment SPVs: Listeners invest alongside professional VCs through Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs), with $2.52M+ invested by listeners. The show facilitates these investments and earns economics on deal flow.
- Podcast Advertising: Standard podcast advertising and sponsorship revenue from the 30M+ downloads and 600K+ subscriber audience. Distribution handled through Vox Media Podcast Network.
- Patreon/Membership: Patreon membership program offering exclusive content, bonus episodes, and insider access to episode breakdowns and founder interviews.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free podcast access for all listeners |
| Subscription | Monthly | Patreon membership for exclusive content |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Pitch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Pitch is a media platform built around a flagship podcast where real startup founders deliver 15-20 minute unscripted live pitches to panels of 4-5 active venture capitalists who make genuine investment decisions on air. The platform extends into The Pitch Fund, a $20M venture fund that co-invests alongside show VCs via SPVs, plus a newsletter, YouTube archive, blog, and Patreon membership with exclusive content.
Product overview
The Pitch is a media platform centered on its flagship podcast show, where startup founders pitch live to real venture capitalists who make actual investment decisions on air. The platform has facilitated $26.3M invested in 74 startups across 15 seasons. The product ecosystem includes the core podcast, The Pitch Fund (a $20M venture fund co-investing with show VCs), the blog content hub with startup insights, a video archive on YouTube, and a weekly newsletter. The platform differentiates from Shark Tank by featuring real VCs, zero deal failure rate, standard VC terms (SAFEs, convertible notes), and listener investment opportunities via SPVs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Pitch Fund: A $20M venture fund that invests alongside VCs in companies featured on The Pitch podcast. Founded in 2023, it allows listeners to invest in startups from the show.
Products and services
- The Pitch Podcast Flagship startup podcast featuring 15-20 minute unscripted live pitches from real founders to real venture capitalists who make actual investment decisions on air. Free to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms; 197+ episodes across 15 seasons.
- The Pitch Fund $20M venture fund (Fund I) that invests alongside the VCs featured on the show into companies that pitch on air. Open to accredited listeners; offers co-investment access to startups vetted live on the show via SPVs and direct fund participation.
- Patreon Membership Paid Patreon subscription offering exclusive content, bonus episodes, uncut pitch versions, and insider access to episode breakdowns and founder interviews.
Quantifiable outcome
- 74 startups funded with $26.3M raised on the show
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Pitch
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Pitch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Pitch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Vox Media Podcast NetworkcoreStrategic partnership for sales, marketing, and distribution. The Pitch joins the Vox Media Podcast Network while remaining independently owned. Vox handles advertising sales and extends distribution reach across their podcast network.
- Gimlet MediaminorThe Pitch was acquired by Gimlet Media (then an independent podcast company) in June 2017 for its second season. Gimlet was subsequently acquired by Spotify for ~$230M in February 2019. The Pitch was sold back to original creator Josh Muccio in July 2022.
- DECKOminorPartnership with DECKO (pitch deck development company) for 'The Ultimate Pitch Deck Guide for Startups' blog series. Educational content partnership providing pitch deck guidance to founders.
- Hustle Fund Angel SquadminorPartnership with Hustle Fund's Angel Squad program for 'How to Get Started as an Angel Investor' blog content. Educational partnership for angel investing education.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Pitch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Shark Tank: ABC's flagship entrepreneur pitch show where founders pitch celebrity-investor panels for equity. The Pitch positions itself explicitly as the 'antithesis of Shark Tank' by featuring real VCs investing real money rather than scripted entertainment — making it the most comparable pitch-format business.
- How I Built This (Gimlet / Spotify): NPR/Gimlet podcast hosted by Guy Raz featuring in-depth interviews with founders of iconic companies. Closest direct comparison in business-foundership podcasting and audience overlap with The Pitch's aspiring-founder and early-stage-investor listeners.
- Masters of Scale (WaitWhat): Reid Hoffman's startup and business podcast featuring investor-founder conversations. Comparable in target audience (founders and investors), premium production values, and host-driven brand, though Masters of Scale sits more in the thought-leadership lane versus The Pitch's live-deal format.
- Acquired: Long-form podcast dissecting the business and investing stories behind iconic companies. Highly relevant direct peer in business/investing podcasting with overlapping investor audience and similar narrative-driven format.
Others
- Gimlet Media: Former corporate parent of The Pitch (acquired it in 2017, sold it back to Josh Muccio in 2022). Gimlet was itself acquired by Spotify for ~$230M as part of a larger podcast roll-up — directly relevant as both a former owner and an exemplar premium podcast studio comparable to The Pitch's production model.
- Republic: Retail-investing platform enabling individuals to co-invest in private startups via SPVs and Reg CF/Reg A+ offerings. Closest comparable to The Pitch's listener SPV mechanism ($2.52M+ deployed) — both monetize community audiences by routing them into startup investments.
- Crunchbase: Startup and venture deal-flow database with a paid media arm covering the venture ecosystem. Comparable to The Pitch's positioning as a discovery and intelligence layer for startup deal-making, though Crunchbase is information-led rather than content-led.
- Y Combinator: World's most active startup accelerator running biannual demo days with hundreds of investor-attended pitches. The Pitch operates a similar pitch-to-investor surface area at smaller scale and with media monetization layered on top — making YC the reference point for the demo-day format The Pitch emulates on-air.
Broad incumbents
- AngelList (now Wellfound): Largest online platform for startup deal flow, angel investing, and venture fund administration. Comparable to The Pitch Fund as it routes capital from individuals into startup deals, but operates at materially broader scale and across geographies.
Emerging players
- The Hustle (HubSpot Media): Business and startup newsletter/media brand acquired by HubSpot. Comparable business model — free newsletter + community monetized through ads, events, and subscriptions — and overlapping target audience of startup operators, founders, and investors.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Pitch social profiles
Digital presenceThe Pitch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Pitch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Pitch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Pitch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Pitch
What does The Pitch do?
The Pitch is a media platform built around a flagship podcast where real startup founders deliver 15-20 minute unscripted live pitches to panels of 4-5 active venture capitalists who make genuine investment decisions on air. The platform extends into The Pitch Fund, a $20M venture fund that co-invests alongside show VCs via SPVs, plus a newsletter, YouTube archive, blog, and Patreon membership with exclusive content.
Is The Pitch a public or private company?
The Pitch is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Pitch founded?
The Pitch was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Pitch based?
The Pitch is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Pitch make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. The Pitch Fund Management is the primary driver. The others are listener Investment SPVs, podcast Advertising and patreon/Membership.
Who are The Pitch's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Shark Tank, How I Built This (Gimlet / Spotify), Masters of Scale (WaitWhat) and Acquired. Others are Gimlet Media, Republic, Crunchbase and Y Combinator. AngelList (now Wellfound) is listed as a broad incumbent. The Hustle (HubSpot Media) is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Pitch have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Pitch.
What industry is The Pitch in?
The Pitch's product category is Startup Podcast Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAJ, Podcast Live & Interactive Podcast Platforms (Live Shows, Call-ins), with a secondary code of MPACAEAI, Live Audio Q&A, Coaching & Mentorship Platforms. Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.