Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – if you are an investor and would like to be connected with a startup outside of UnDemo Day®, please reach out to Christina ([email protected]). An introduction will be made about a week after the event. Additionally, Fall UnDemo Day® includes plenty of space for open networking, as well as a live music event the night prior. 

Up to two people from each startup can participate in 1:1 meetings. All  individuals need to be  registered. If you would like a second person from your startup to have access to 1:1 meetings, please reach out to Christina ([email protected]). The individual who initially applied will be automatically granted 1:1 meeting access.

As many people as you’d like but each individual needs to be  registered. If your organization is taking 1:1 meetings, please be sure to inform Renaissance whether you’d like separate meeting schedules for your members or if you will take startup meetings together. Up to two people from the same organization can take the same 1:1 meeting schedule.

Venture Capital funds, Corporate VC, and angel investors from across the U.S. participate in UnDemo Day®, and they represent a wide range of sector and stage focus areas. Most investors who participate invest in tech, healthcare, or industrial sectors (mobility, manufacturing, or materials). Participating investors make investments from pre-seed to growth stages. Startups will receive information on the investors that are part of their 1:1 meeting schedule, and a full list of participating firms will be available closer to the date of the event. Past investor participants include 5AM Ventures, Arboretum Ventures, Edison Partners, Frazier, Greycroft, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Invest Detroit Ventures, Material Impact, Menlo Ventures, Mercury Fund, Next Coast Ventures, Plymouth Growth, Red Cedar Ventures, Revolution Ventures, and Sierra Ventures, among hundreds of others.

200+ startups apply for each UnDemo Day® event. All sectors are represented, with more than half of applying startups focused on technology or healthcare, and about one third focused on mobility, manufacturing, materials, or energy. Typically participating startups are fairly early, though historically more than half are generating revenue. Investors can request a complete list of participating startups by reaching out to Christina ([email protected]). 

We are not able to accommodate rescheduled meetings due to the tight timeframe of the schedule during UnDemo Day®. If you would like to connect with an investor or startup outside of UnDemo Day®, you can reach out to the other party directly (contact information is on the 1:1 meeting calendar invitations). You can also reach out to Christina Drake at Renaissance ([email protected]). An introduction will be made about a week after the event.

To be considered for 1:1 meetings with investors, startups need to apply in advance of the stated deadline. Investors will review the information startups include in their UnDemo application to determine which startups they’d like to spend time with during UnDemo Day®. Investors make these selections as part of the registration process, based on alignment of sector and stage focus. Renaissance will then create custom 1:1 meeting schedules for investors and startups. Meeting schedules will be finalized and distributed about a week before UnDemo Day®. In order to participate in 1:1 meetings, startups must complete the Startup Application, and investors must register and complete the meeting selection form. 1:1 meetings during Spring UnDemo Day® are virtual. 1:1 meetings during Fall UnDemo Day® are in person in Detroit. 

Startups and investors participating in 1:1 meetings during Fall UnDemo Day® will be scheduled for 20-minute slots between 2-4:30pm ET. Each startup will have a table (Renaissance will designate each startup’s location and there will be signage) and will be stationary, while investors will move about the room based on their custom schedules. Startups may bring paper materials to share with investors, but please note space is very limited, so do not bring a lot of items, and do not bring any displays (there will not be room). WiFi will be available, but 1:1 meeting tables may not be positioned near a power outlet, so you should not rely on being able to charge a device during meetings. 

Investors interested in participating in 1:1 meetings with startups can register at undemoday.com. After you register, you’ll receive a link to the startup database as well as a link to a form where you can indicate which startups you’d like to meet. Note investor registration typically opens about two months prior to an UnDemo Day® event.

Startups interested in participating in 1:1 investor meetings are invited to complete an application at undemoapp.com. Please read the information on the application form carefully to make sure you qualify. Participating startups should be venture-ready: incorporate cutting-edge technology; have high potential for ultra-fast growth and revenue generation; and likely to be an attractive acquisition or IPO within 5-8 years. Information startups include in their application will be shared with participating investors, who will make their 1:1 meeting selections based on alignment of sector and stage. Note the startup application typically opens 3-4 months prior to an UnDemo Day® event.

2025 Fall UnDemo Day® is on October 1 in downtown Detroit. The agenda is below; all times are Eastern Time:

11:30am: Registration opens
12pm: Startup Lunch & Learn with subject matter experts (pre-registration is required)
1pm: Open networking
2pm: Curated 1:1 meetings between startups and investors (20-minute slots)
4:30pm: Fall UnDemo Day® concludes

There will be a networking and live music event the night of September 30, in downtown Detroit. Venue and details will be announced in mid-summer 2025.

We are excited to welcome you to Detroit for Fall UnDemo Day® 2025!

Stay: There are several hotel options in downtown Detroit. We have a room block at The David Whitney ($334/night). 

Getting to Detroit: Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is the largest and most common airport to fly in and out of when visiting the area. It’s a 25 minute drive to downtown. 

Arriving at Ford Field: All attendees will enter Ford Field at the Gate G entrance (1902 St. Antoine). Use this address whether you are driving, walking, or utilizing a ride share service. You will go through Gate G security on level 1 (metal detector, bag check, and an x-ray machine for larger bags and suitcases) – just like on game day. Once you are through security, you will be directed to Renaissance events registration on level 1. UnDemo Day® is taking place in the Atrium on level 1. 

Parking: Complimentary parking is available on October 1 for UnDemo Day® at the Ford Field Parking Deck. If you are parking a vehicle, use 1902 St. Antoine, Detroit, 48226 for navigation. The structure is located at the east end of the stadium, at Gate G. To enter the structure, press the button on screen to indicate you are a guest of Renaissance Venture Capital. You will receive a validated ticket that you will need to keep in order to eventually exit the structure. You will enter Ford Field at Gate G, and will make your way to level 1 to go through security. There will be signage guiding you to Renaissance events. 

Street parking and other lot parking is also plentiful in the vicinity of Ford Field. All hotels offer valet parking.

Walking: Most downtown hotels are walkable to Ford Field (7-10 minute walk, sidewalks the entire route). If you are walking, use 1902 St. Antoine, Detroit as your destination. You will enter Ford Field at the Gate G entrance on level 1, where you will go through security before being directed to event registration.

Rideshare: Use 1902 St. Antoine, Detroit, 48226 as your destination. You will enter Ford Field at Gate G on level 1, where you will go through security before being directed to event registration.

Renaissance Venture Capital is a fund of funds that invests in venture funds around the country and uses this network to help attract capital to startups in Michigan and the surrounding region (over $2.8 billion to date). Twice per year, Renaissance hosts UnDemo Day®, connecting startups with major venture capital investors around the U.S. It has become one of the most important events in the Midwest for helping attract venture capital investment to the region.

Please reach out to the events team at [email protected]. 

2025 Spring UnDemo Day® happened virtually on April 9, 2025. Pitch and 1:1 meeting opportunities during Spring UnDemo Day® are open to Midwest-based startups that are led by an underrepresented founder or CEO. 

2025 Fall UnDemo Day® will be in person in Detroit on October 1, 2025. 

Renaissance UnDemo Day® is a semi-annual event that connects Midwest startups with venture capital investors from around the U.S. The spring event is virtual, and the fall event is in person in Detroit. The goal for all UnDemo Day® events is to foster useful connections that ideally lead to investment in historically underrepresented geographies and founders.

Renaissance Venture Capital is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, so in support of the entrepreneurial community in which we live, Fall UnDemo Day® is open to all Michigan-based startups. Spring UnDemo Day® was created to give historically underrepresented and undercapitalized founders an additional opportunity for exposure to investors. Spring UnDemo Day® is open to all Midwest-based startups led by a founder or CEO from an underrepresented community (Arab American, Black, Hispanic/Latine, Native American, LGBTQ+, Veteran, and/or Woman).

• This short video is a great overview of the UnDemo Day® process, also described below:
• – Qualifying startups apply to participate in UnDemo Day®, sharing basic information about their company. The application takes about 20 minutes to complete, and requires a pitch deck. Qualifications for Spring vs. Fall UnDemo Day® are slightly different, so please read all forms carefully.

– Startup applicant information is compiled and organized by Renaissance, then made available to all venture capital investors (VCs) interested in participating in 1:1 meetings at UnDemo Day®.

– VCs, as part of the registration process for the event, will decide which startups they’d like to meet. They’ll submit their preferences to Renaissance.

– Renaissance will curate 1:1 meeting schedules for startups and investors, based on these investor preferences. 1:1 meetings are in 15 or 20-minute increments. There will be up to six or seven 1:1 meeting time slots.

• – The startups that receive the most meeting requests from investors will be included on the Renaissance Startup Hotlist, a database accessible to investors that is refreshed twice per year, following UnDemo Day® events.