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The Demo Day “Reverse Pitch” That Landed $1.7M for Levels
The “Reverse Pitch” That Seeded Levels' $300M Valuation
Marco Fazio & Branden Coluccio
May 06, 2025
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📍 New York, New York
In 2019, Sam Corcos was busy building Levels, a metabolic health startup helping users optimize their blood sugar using real-time data.
But the market was crowded, and most investors didn’t “get” why continuous glucose monitoring would matter to healthy people.
Instead of pitching investors the usual way, Corcos flipped the script at Demo Day and used a “reverse pitch” tactic that made investors chase him-and led to a $1.7M pre-seed round.
Here’s how Sam threw a change-up into his pitch:
The Play: Make Investors Pitch You
Instead of the standard Demo Day pitch, Corcos ended his presentation with a bold slide:
“We’re only taking checks from investors who can help us solve these 3 problems.”
He listed the following:
Navigating FDA regulations
Building a direct-to-consumer brand
Scaling a medical hardware supply chain
He then invited investors to reach out only if they had direct experience or connections to help solve these challenges.
The Results:
🚀 50+ inbound investor emails in 48 hours
🚀 $1.7M pre-seed round closed-oversubscribed
🚀 Top angels and operators joined the cap table (including founders from Stripe, Instagram, and Uber)
Why This Worked for Levels:
Scarcity & Exclusivity: By making investors qualify themselves, Corcos flipped the power dynamic. Investors wanted in, not out.
Laser-Focused Value: He attracted only those who could truly help, not just write a check.
Signals Confidence: Investors want to back founders who know exactly what they need and aren’t afraid to ask for it.
Efficient Fundraising: No time wasted on “tourist” investors-every meeting was high-value.
💡 How to Steal the Levels “Reverse Pitch” Playbook
1. Identify Your 2–3 Biggest Challenges. Be brutally honest about what you need most from investors.
2. Publicly Filter for Value-Add. In your pitch, make it clear you’re only seeking investors who can help solve those challenges.
3. Create FOMO Through Scarcity. Frame your round as exclusive-let investors know not everyone will get in.
4. Respond Quickly to Qualified Inbound. Prioritize meetings with those who fit your criteria and politely decline the rest.
5. Use Your Story in Outreach. After Demo Day, reference your “reverse pitch” in follow-ups to reinforce your selectivity.
Key Takeaways from Levels’ Seed Round Success:
🐇 Flip the Script: Ask investors to pitch you on how they can solve your startup’s biggest challenges, not the other way around.
🐇 Qualify the Money: Publicly state the specific expertise or connections you want from investors, so only the most valuable partners reach out.
🐇 Signal Confidence: By being selective and focused in your ask, you demonstrate conviction-making your round more attractive and exclusive.
🐇 Move Fast on Fit: Prioritize meetings with investors who meet your criteria and politely decline the rest to keep momentum and raise smarter capital.
Startups Currently Raising
These innovative startups are actively fundraising from around the world.
Will one of our 30,000+ founders become the the next success story?
Artisan (USA): AI-powered platform creating autonomous “AI employees” to automate outbound sales and repetitive business tasks for modern teams.
🔗 artisan.co
📄 Pitch Deck
💰 Raising: $11.5M | Committed: Fully raised (Seed round)
Stan (USA): Creator commerce platform enabling digital creators to monetize their content, goods, and services directly to fans.
🔗 stan.store
📄 Pitch Deck
💰 Raising: $5M | Committed: N/A
Supliful (Latvia): Supplement dropshipping platform for fitness creators and coaches to launch custom brands with no upfront cost.
🔗 supliful.com
📄 Pitch Deck
💰 Raising: $1.1M | Committed: N/A
Raising capital for your own company?
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Sam Corcos didn’t just pitch investors-he made them pitch him. By stating exactly what Levels needed (and what they didn’t), he raised smarter money, built a stronger network, and set the tone for a $1.7M seed round. In a crowded market, confidence and focus are your best fundraising hacks.
Start Building.
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