Henri Mäkivirta,
Head of Product
WHY ARE WE BUILDING NODE BY SLUSH?
The past years have proven that investments do happen without face-to-face meetings and that there is value in virtual sessions when well-curated and topical. The first version of Node was launched in the Fall of 2020. We wanted to explore more accessible ways for founders to meet investors and get in touch with those who have done it before. From the start, we steered away from boring webinars and built every concept interactive. That’s why we built Node with a clear vision: to become the go-to platform for relevant first investor-founder touchpoints.
Since Node’s inception, we’ve hosted 25+ virtual matchmaking sprints between founders and investors, averaging over 50 meetings per sprint. From every one of those 15min 1-on-1 meetings sprints, there has been reported follow-up meetings. This is how we scale the investor touchpoint for founders.
We have hosted 200+ sessions with the top founders and investors. Through Node by Slush, startup founders have forged meaningful connections with leading founders, operators, and investors from Europe and beyond. Slush is on a mission to help and create the founders to change the world. To support you year-round: we are building Node by Slush.
WHAT IS NEW?
We’re excited to announce that the year-round Node community is now seamlessly integrated into the Slush Platform. Now, Slush goers and Node community members can effortlessly purchase tickets to Slush, participate in monthly matchmaking sprints, and join virtual mentoring sessions—all on a single platform with a unified database.
Current Slush Platform users can join Node with 1-click and unlock the year-round opportunities Node has to offer. Current Node community members can buy a ticket to Slush with their existing company profile through the same platform. Your company profile is for the Slush main event and, if you wish – for year-round growth on Node.
WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
DISCOVER THE POWER OF NODE:
Node by Slush is a vibrant community and platform for early-stage startup founders and operators. We offer valuable advice and mentoring from Europe’s leading founders, as well as access to investor touchpoints through one-on-one meetings and investor office hours. And here’s the best part—it’s all online, and it’s all free!
ENGAGING COMMUNITY EVENTS:
Our community thrives on monthly virtual get-togethers with mentors and investors. These events provide invaluable insights and guidance to help founders take their companies to the next level. With topics ranging from product building and fundraising to marketing, growth, leadership, and more, our mentoring sessions cover the burning questions that keep founders up at night.
UNLEASH THE POTENTIAL OF NODE:
Mentoring Session is your opportunity to ask questions from someone who has already done it before. We cover burning topics every month: product building, fundraising, marketing, growth, people, leadership, expansion, PR & comms.
Investor Office Hours are an invite-only session for Node by Slush community members to interact with leading VC funds. Learn from the most experienced investors and get a glimpse of what working with the partnering fund would be like.
Matchmaking Sprint is an opportunity for startups to pitch their company to investors in virtual 15-minute 1-on-1 meeting slots. All you need to do is apply with 1-click, and we’ll take care of the est. Several first encounters in our Sprints have led to follow-up meetings with the participating investors.
UNCOVER ENGAGING CONTENT ON VAULT:
We believe in the power of continuous learning. Unlock Node recordings and the most relevant sessions from Slush stages, exclusively available to our Node community members. With robust search and browsing capabilities, you can explore videos based on content type, topic, contributors, or focus. Whether picking up where you left off or discovering exciting content aligned with your interests, our Vault is your go-to resource.
FOR WHO?
FOR STARTUPS
Startup membership is for the founders and operators of young, often tech-driven, companies aiming for rapid growth with a scalable business model. Touchpoints to investors and advice from mentors on Node are curated for early-stage startups from the Nordics and Europe.
We have startups from all over Europe. More than half of the startups on Node are pre-Series A, and almost all were founded in the past few years.
FOR INVESTORS
We also partner with investors who make direct investments in startups – mainly VCs. The sessions and meetings are participated by early-stage investors focusing on the Nordics and Europe.
Investors get access to a pool of the most promising early-stage startups from Europe. All the startup profiles are 100% filled by the founders and operators themselves. The founders in our community are fully in control of their narrative and company updates – straight from the source.
Organize Office Hours to your fund or meet the founders 1-on-1 in monthly Matchmaking Sprints.
WHAT ARE THE NEW KEY FEATURES?
Are you ready to explore the enhanced capabilities of our platform? We’ve been hard at work refining and expanding our offerings to provide you with an even better user experience. Let’s dive into the exciting new features:
PITCH DECK HOSTING:
Gone are the days of cumbersome file sharing. Now, you can showcase your pitch decks directly on our platform. Investors can conveniently browse through them at any time, providing you with increased visibility and accessibility.
VISUALIZING DATA FOR IMPACT:
Numbers speak volumes, and we’ve ensured they’re front and center. Key data points and your profile completion score are now displayed under your company description. As your score improves, your profile becomes more visible to potential investors, giving you a competitive edge. Visualizing key metrics with historical data and traction will empower you to make better-informed decisions.
SEAMLESS PROFILE NAVIGATION:
Finding relevant information just got easier. External links and team members’ profiles are now conveniently located in the upper corner, ensuring quick access to additional resources. Plus, we’ve separated company profiles from personal profiles, streamlining how you present yourself to investors and enabling you and your co-founders to take everything out of the learning opportunities relevant to you personally.
EFFORTLESS REGISTRATION AND VIRTUAL SESSIONS:
Office Hours
Gone are the days of cumbersome registration processes and disjointed virtual sessions. We’ve simplified the entire journey. Now, you can register for Investor Office Hours directly through our platform when relevant sessions become available. Once registered, all community event sessions seamlessly flow from registration to receiving a calendar invite with the session link. No more switching between platforms—join sessions effortlessly through our integrated platform.
1-on-1 investor meetings
Take a peek behind the curtain before applying and see the investors joining the Matchmaking Sprint. And if you receive a match with an investor, the schedule is automatically updated to your profile, enabling you to easily join the calls and seize opportunities.
UNCOVER ENGAGING CONTENT ON VAULT:
We know that learning never stops, and we want to fuel your curiosity. That’s why we’re excited to bring you all the Node recordings and the most relevant sessions from Slush stages, exclusively available to our Node community members. With powerful search and browsing capabilities, you can explore videos based on content type, topic, contributors, or focus. Whether you want to continue where you left off or discover exciting content aligned with your interests, Vault is your go-to resource.
We’re thrilled to present these incredible new features, designed to empower you on your journey towards growth and success. It’s time to embrace the possibilities and make the most of our enhanced platform. Join us as we unlock new horizons together!