You can make a literal elevator pitch to Robin Hood Ventures investors

In celebration of angel investing group Robin Hood Ventures‘ 20th anniversary, folks looking for funds for their early-stage business can make a quick pitch to investors this week … in an actual elevator.

That’s right, the 30-second practice will actually play out Thursday evening at Venture Cafe at the University City Science Center. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., anyone looking to pitch their venture can do so in a one-on-one setting inside the center’s elevator (or in a nearby conference room).

You’ll have the length of time it takes to get to the building’s top floor and back to pitch to one of four of the group’s investors, Robin Hood’s Ellen Weber said.

She’s been kicking around the idea for a while, the executive director said — ever since an in-elevator exchange with a business founder who didn’t know she was in investing.

“He finished telling me about his company, and when I eventually told him I was an investor he had this moment and said, ‘Wait, I  just gave my first true elevator pitch,'” she told Technical.ly.

Thursday’s event is a chance for founders to get feedback about their pitches, be able to ask questions about the fundraising process and potentially get interest from investors with Robin Hood.

Weber said the group looks for companies that have some proof of concept, scalability, and founders who are in on their ventures 100%. Many of the 75 companies Robin Hood has invested in fit under the life sciences, healthcare IT or enterprise IT industries, but they’ve invested in others that have caught interest, too.

Thursday’s event will be first come, first served for attendees, as there’s limited time, but Weber encouraged anyone interested in learning about pitching or getting in front of investors to apply through the Robin Hood site to sit before its monthly screening committee.

The event’s details:

• Thursday, Sept. 5
• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Venture Cafe, University City Science Center ( 3675 Market St.)