How Investors Evaluate Startups at the First Meeting

Learn the 4Ts framework a working VC uses to assess startups, straight from someone writing cheques in Australia right now.

Ben Grabiner from Side Stage Ventures will walk through the 4Ts framework,TAM, Team, Tech, and Timing,that he actually uses when meeting founders seeking investment. You'll learn what signals conviction in those critical first minutes, what mistakes kill a pitch before it starts, and how to position your startup in ways investors think about. This is practical insight from someone actively writing cheques in the Australian ecosystem, not theoretical venture capital commentary. The session is structured as a fireside chat, so expect a conversational deep-dive rather than a lecture, with space for the questions founders and aspiring investors in the room care about most.