Beacon Submission Questions
Preview everything you'll be asked before you start. The form takes about 15-20 minutes.
$10 submission fee. Every submission receives a detailed investment memo.
1. About You
What's your email? (Required)
We'll send your Beacon investment memo to this address.
Founder 1 - Name (Required)
Founder 1 - Role (Required)
Founder 1 - LinkedIn PDF (Required)
Go to your LinkedIn profile > click 'More' > click 'Save to PDF.'
Personal motivation (Required)
What have you personally seen, done, or experienced that led you to this problem? Why does this feel personal to you?
Do you have a co-founder? (Required)
If yes, the following questions repeat for each co-founder (up to 3 total): Name, Role, LinkedIn PDF, and personal motivation.
Notable advisors or investors (Optional)
Names and affiliations. e.g. 'John Smith (former CTO at Stripe), backed by First Round Capital'
2. Your Company
Company name (Required)
Company description (Required)
Describe what your company does in one sentence. No jargon, no buzzwords. Pretend you're explaining it to a smart friend who doesn't work in tech. 200 character maximum.
Website (Optional)
If you have one.
When did you start working on this? (Required)
e.g. 'Last month,' 'January 2025,' '3 years ago'
Location (Required)
City
3. The Problem and Solution
Problem statement (Required)
What problem or opportunity are you going after? Describe a specific person or company affected by this today. What does it cost them in time, money, or frustration?
Solution approach (Required)
How do you believe this problem gets solved? What needs to change in the world for this to work?
Product explanation (Required)
What are you building? Walk us through what a customer actually experiences from start to finish.
Market timing (Required)
Why is now the right time for this to be solved? What specific technological, regulatory, or societal shift made this possible? Don't just say 'AI.' Tell us what specific capability or change unlocked this.
Target customer (Required)
Who are you building for right now? Be specific. e.g. 'independent coffee shops in NYC with 1-3 locations'
Market expansion (Required)
Where does this expand over time? What's the bigger market you grow into once you've nailed the first customer?
Current alternatives (Required)
What does your customer do today to deal with this problem? Who do they pay, or what do they cobble together?
4. Traction and Business
Progress metrics (Required)
What progress have you made so far? Revenue, users, pilots, waitlist, LOIs, customer conversations. Include numbers and dates. If you're pre-product, tell us what you've done to test whether people actually want this.
Revenue model (Required)
How do you make money, or how will you? Who pays, how much, and how often?
Competitive landscape (Required)
Who are the existing players in this space? Include startups, incumbents, and big companies that could enter.
Competitive advantage (Required)
Why would a customer pick you over them?
5. Fundraising
Product stage (Required)
Total funding raised (Required)
Current fundraising (Required)
Fund allocation (Optional)
If you're raising, what will you use the money for? What milestones will it help you hit?
6. Your Pitch
Video pitch (Optional)
Got a video pitch? Drop the YouTube link here. Record a video under 2 minutes. Pretend you just stepped into an elevator with an investor. Tell them what you're building, why it matters, and why you. No slides, no script, just talk. Upload to YouTube as 'Unlisted.'
Additional context (Optional)
Anything else we should know? Context that doesn't fit elsewhere.
Payment
$10 submission fee, paid via Stripe at the end of the form. The fee ensures every application gets a thorough review.
Ready to submit?
Every founder receives a detailed Beacon investment memo within 5 business days.