The 2018 edition of the SiGMA Pitch has just scored a major coup as Melissa Blau has been secured to present and headline the competition.
The Pitch was a breath of fresh air in 2017, and the addition of Blau promises to give proceedings a level of authority that the industry veteran brings to the table.
An iGaming luminary for a number of years, Blau has all the necessary expertise and experience to anchor the event with aplomb. The founder and director of iGaming Capital is no stranger to mentorship and advisory roles, and has a great background in venture capital. Her wide array of talents promises to dovetail perfectly with the underlying purpose of the SiGMA Pitch.
Blau is the CEO of Veltyco, a publicly-listed marketing service and operator in the iGaming sector – and also founder of iGaming Capital, a leading iGaming consulting business working with gaming operators and suppliers to develop their iGaming operations in the US market.
She has been in the online gaming sector for over 14 years as an operator and adviser, and prior worked in the venture capital and banking sectors for seven years. Through iGaming Capital, Blau is a founder, investor and adviser in several companies in the iGaming, crypto, blockchain, eSports and fantasy sports sectors.
Blau’s prior experience in the iGaming sector includes senior executive roles with operators as well as in a banking advisory capacity. In addition to role as an adviser and consultant, Blau is the business and finance editor of iGaming Business Magazine as well as chairman of the Clarion Startup Launchpad competition.
Prior to her entry into the iGaming sector, Blau was a co-founder and general partner of a $450m media-tech venture fund. She has a BA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Harvard University.
As part of her role, Blau will provide mentorship to the participating start-ups as they prepare for the event, giving them the tools they need to present their case clearly and effectively. Each presenter will be given specific feedback on their stage presence, as well as the relative strengths and weaknesses of the substance of their pitch. This commitment builds on the previous success of the Pitch, and promises to enhance the level of care and attention the participants receive in the run-up to the event, weeks before the actual show.
The participating start-ups will have access to the kind of attention and advice that usually comes at a great monetary cost, making the 2018 edition of SiGMA’s Pitch – with Blau headlining proceedings – an essential ticket for start-ups and venture capitalists alike.