At the end of the four months of blueMoon Incubator, blueMoon startups will be ready to participate in Lions Den, a one-off event in which prospective investors (Lions) will have a chance to hear each startup’s pitch and make an immediate investment decision.
Lions Den is a highly visible and publicized event. Lions invest in blueMoon startups on an equity basis and determine the appropriate valuation for each company based on the merits of the business plans and projections presented, the profile and potential of the founder team, and their own interests. Because the Lions have had a chance to meet and interact on a monthly basis with our startups during Lion Lunches during the incubation, their evaluation of the startups is not solely on the basis of the few minutes of the Lions Den pitch but on their observation and assessment of each startup team over four months.
Lions engage with blueMoon because they themselves were likely once exceptional youth entrepreneurs and are committed to promoting youth entrepreneurship in Ethiopia, and because they are excited by the possibility of discovering exceptional investment opportunities. Even if the Lions don’t invest in the startups, their participation in the Lions Den would have given them a unique perspective on exceptional young entrepreneurs and the potential for a lifelong relationship where they may engage with them in the future in other mutually beneficial ways.