NuScore is NUVC's primary scoring system for startup pitch decks, powered by the VCGrade v5.2 engine. It produces a composite score on a 0–10 scale by evaluating 7 investment dimensions: Team, Problem & Market, Solution & Product, Traction, Financials, Risk & Fragility, and Conviction. The algorithm combines a hybrid LLM judge — which reasons over the deck the way a senior VC would — with a deterministic rule-calibration layer that enforces consistent range behaviour and prevents grade inflation. A 4-tier cross-check protocol resolves disagreements between the two signal sources.
The score is calibrated on 610+ labeled examples from 4 independent sources: 20 known-outcome decks, 110 Startmate accelerator applications scored by experienced evaluators, 191 production scores, and 159 VC investment memo extractions from 15 Australian VC firms. A NuScore of 7.0 is not arbitrary — it corresponds to a pitch that would typically clear a first-round filter at a top-quartile early-stage fund. Score 7.0+ unlocks full investor contact details. A score below 5.0 indicates the startup is still building core foundations; above 8.0 signals genuine investor-readiness.
Every NuScore is accompanied by a confidence level (High, Medium, Low, or Uncertain) that reflects how much extractable signal was present in the deck. The score waterfall decomposition shows exactly which signals moved the score and by how much — e.g., "Team: +0.89, Solution: +0.74, Traction: -0.33". The raise probability estimator converts scores to fundraising likelihood: 75% at 8.5+, 55% at 7.5–8.5, 35% at 6.5–7.5, 20% at 5.5–6.5, 10% below 5.5.