Epipelagic Ventures - Demo Night

Terms and Conditions

Last updated: August 10, 2026

1. Overview

These Terms and Conditions (the "Terms") govern participation in the Epipelagic Ventures Demo Night Event Series (the "Demo Night") organized at Epipelagic Ventures HQ, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA. By submitting an application, applicants agree to be bound by these terms in full.

The Demo Night is organized by Epipelagic Ventures Management LLC ("Epipelagic Ventures", "we," "us," or "our"). The specific dates for each Demo Night will be announced a few weeks in advance on the Epipelagic Ventures LinkedIn page. We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the Demo Night at any time in our sole discretion.

2. Eligibility

To be eligible to apply and participate, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be a founder or co-founder of an early-stage startup at the pre-seed or seed stage.
  • Have at least one customer, pilot user, or waitlist signup.
  • Be available to attend in person on the scheduled Demo Night.
  • Submit a pitch deck (PDF only) and a 1-2 minute video (video link only) at the time of application.

Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of Epipelagic Ventures are not eligible to participate. Past applicants and finalists of Epipelagic Ventures-led pitch competitions are eligible to apply, provided they otherwise meet all eligibility requirements for Demo Night.

3. Application

Applications must be submitted through the official application form available on the Epipelagic Ventures website. The application link will also be shared through the Epipelagic Ventures LinkedIn page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the application window will close once we have received enough qualified applications to select the required number of finalists for that month.

By submitting an application, you confirm that all information provided is accurate and complete. Epipelagic Ventures reserves the right to disqualify any applicant who provides false or misleading information.

Submission of an application does not guarantee selection as a finalist.

4. Selection of Finalists

Eight finalists will be selected by the Epipelagic Ventures Advisory Team based on the following selection criteria:

  • Problem and market need
  • Solution and product clarity
  • Market opportunity
  • Business model
  • Customer traction
  • Competitive advantage
  • Team strength
  • Overall "wow" factor

Epipelagic Ventures reserves the right to modify, supplement, or revise the selection criteria at any time, in its sole discretion, as it deems necessary to ensure a fair and effective evaluation process. All selection decisions are made at the sole discretion of Epipelagic Ventures and are final. Epipelagic Ventures also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove, disqualify, or replace any finalist prior to the Demo Night for any reason, including failure to meet eligibility requirements or other applicable selection criteria.

Finalists selected for each month's Demo Night will be notified by email at least one week before the scheduled event.

Applicants who are not selected as finalists for that month will also receive email notification around the same time. Applicants who are not selected as finalists may reapply during the application window for the following month.

5. Finalist Obligations

By accepting a finalist position, you agree to the following:

  • Submit a pitch deck (PDF only) and a 1-2 minute video (video link only) at the time of application.
  • Attend the Demo Night in person on the scheduled date and time.
  • Deliver a 4-minute pitch and product demo, followed by a 4-minute Q&A, on the scheduled Demo Night.

Failure to meet any of these obligations may result in disqualification and forfeiture of any prize entitlement.

6. Prizes

One winner will be awarded a cash prize of USD $1,000 at each Demo Night.

Prizes will be awarded as cash payments and disbursed by check or wire transfer. Prizes are non-transferable and may not be substituted for or exchanged for any other form of compensation.

Winners are solely responsible for any applicable federal, state, or local taxes arising from the receipt of a prize. Winners will be required to submit a completed Form W-9. Epipelagic Ventures will issue any tax reporting forms required by applicable law.

All prize and judging decisions are final and binding. Judging will be conducted by a panel consisting of Epipelagic Ventures staff and audience members attending the Demo Night. No correspondence will be entered into regarding judging decisions.

7. Intellectual Property

Applicants and finalists retain full ownership of all intellectual property submitted as part of their application or presented during the Demo Night, including pitch decks, business concepts, and product demonstrations.

By submitting an application, you grant Epipelagic Ventures a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reference your company name and participation in the Demo Night for marketing and promotional purposes only, including in social media posts, press releases, and website content.

Epipelagic Ventures will not share your pitch deck, video, or confidential business information with any third party without your express written consent.

8. Data and Privacy

By submitting an application, you consent to Epipelagic Ventures collecting and storing the personal and business information provided in your application, including your full name, email address, company name, company website, company stage, sector, LinkedIn URL, pitch deck, and video.

This information will be used solely for the purposes of:

  • Reviewing and evaluating your application
  • Communicating with you regarding your application status
  • Adding you to the Epipelagic Ventures community newsletter (you may unsubscribe at any time)

We will not sell or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. For full details, please refer to our Privacy Policy at http://www.epipelagic.vc/privacy-policy.

9. Photo and Video Consent

By attending the Demo Night as a finalist or audience member, you consent to being photographed, filmed, and recorded during the event. This content may be used by Epipelagic Ventures for marketing, promotional, and social media purposes, without further compensation or notification.

If you do not consent to being photographed or filmed, please notify the Epipelagic Ventures team in writing at least one day prior to the scheduled Demo Night by emailing events@epipelagic.vc.

10. Conduct

All participants, finalists, judges, and audience members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully at all times. Epipelagic Ventures reserves the right to remove any individual from the Demo Night or disqualify any applicant or finalist for conduct deemed inappropriate or disruptive.

11. Limitation of Liability

Epipelagic Ventures is not responsible for any technical failures, errors, interruptions, delays, or other issues that may affect the submission, receipt, review, or evaluation of applications.

By participating in the Demo Night, applicants agree that participation is at their own risk. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Epipelagic Ventures, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, and representatives shall not be liable for any loss, damage, injury, cost, expense, or claim arising out of or related to participation in the Demo Night, attendance at any Demo Night-related event, acceptance or use of any prize, or any technical or administrative errors associated with the Demo Night.

In no event shall Epipelagic Ventures be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages arising from or related to the Demo Night.

12. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any disputes arising from participation in the Demo Night shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Massachusetts.

13. Contact

For any questions regarding these Terms and Conditions, please contact us at:

Epipelagic Ventures Management LLC
1 Broadway, Suite 15-100
Cambridge, MA 02142
events@epipelagic.vc