5 Things to Know about the Investible Games

Imagine if founders had a quick, focused way to test their business model with investors and industry experts, investors had a no-fuss source of high-quality dealflow and corporates had an effective, low-risk solution to evaluate and pursue partnerships with promising startups.

That’s exactly what the Investible Games enables.

The Investible Games are unlike anything we’ve seen before in the startup ecosystem. Designed to complement Investible’s thorough due diligence process, the Investible Games is a unique experience that enables founders to unpack their business from the ground up by completing 10 high-energy challenges over two days. It does away with ineffective pitch days and outdated due diligence processes and promotes genuine connections between founders, investors and corporate industry leaders.

The Investible Games is taking place across southeast Asia and beyond as we look to unearth the world’s best early-stage startups. So, we wanted to take some time to explain how it all works.

Here are 5 things to know about the Investible Games:  

1. It moves fast, but it’s not an ‘accelerator’.

Taking place over just two, jam-packed days, the Investible Games is different from the traditional accelerators, pitch competitions, hackathons and demo days taking place across the startup ecosystem. While we support the intent of those programs and those who commit themselves to nurturing entrepreneurship more broadly, we’re not convinced it’s the best way to build successful startups or to find high-quality early-stage investment opportunities.

“The ecosystem has become so focused on pitch days and demo days, which often don’t tell you much more beyond which founder is the best orator. The Investible Games is all about building an authentic connection to the founders, enabling them to access critical feedback from investors and industry experts and de-risking the investment process for early-stage investors,” says Investible CEO Creel Price.

2. It’s based off Investible’s proven methodology.

At the heart of the Investible Games is the Investibility Index, our due diligence methodology which has been proven to increase startups’ chance of securing capital and reduce the risk of early-stage investments. In fact, the process has helped us invest in over 70 companies since 2010 with a 67.2% IRR (compound annual growth return).

We’ve used this methodology to create 10 unique business challenges that sense-check key success areas including the founder team, their understanding of the problem and competitive landscape, their business model, traction and more.

“We look at a number of different things during the Games; how the founders execute on the challenges, how they initiate and whether they can work quickly – which is important in a fast-moving startup environment. We also explore how the co-founders interact and solve problems and their ability to take ambiguity and create a result,” says Price.

3. We invite the best startups to participate.

Having screened thousands of startups around the world over the last few years, we know that the future’s most promising businesses don’t necessarily live around the corner or in capital cities. Our scouts are constantly spanning the globe for high-potential startups, with a thorough screening process that ensures only the best of the best are invited to take part in the Investible Games.

“We’re looking for high-quality startups that are ready for the next step, as we give all of the participating startups access to serious, early-stage investors and the opportunity to be evaluated as a potential investment for the $20 million Investible Early Stage Fund,” says Price.

4. It’s truly ‘founder-friendly’.

Most companies take equity from start-ups participating in their accelerators and innovation programs, or charge for the benefit of accessing their mentors. We don’t. We take the time to identify startups that we think can benefit most from it and invite them to participate, for free, as part of our due diligence process.

“Startups don’t want to and shouldn’t have to give up months of their time or equity at such a crucial, early-stage in their business. The Investible Games enables us to provide real rewards, real insights and real networks, for free and without taking a slice of startups’ equity,” says Price.

5. It’s beneficial for investors and corporates as well as founders.

The Investible Games enables founders to receive feedback from investors and industry experts while also giving those experts access to market-defining companies 18 to 24 months before they hit mainstream. The selectivity of our due diligence screening process means that investors can access stronger deal-flow, in a format that offers and insight into our investment methodology.

The Investible Games is also a way to bring corporate’s and startups together toward real outcomes. The founders gain direct feedback from industry veterans and unique insight into the corporate processes while corporates get a glimpse into the future. By hosting the Investible Games in cities around the world, we are able to gather valuable insights on what industry trends are emerging, country-specific trends and how those learnings can be shared to drive future growth.

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