Should have just walked out. If you take the role of someone who will be humiliated like that, then you will be treated that way. You made the most of it by using it as practice, but you also painted yourselves as people who were desperate for scraps. Remember, you are the prize, not them (to an extent). Don't lower your value in their eyes.

To be honesty, it meant a lot to us to be there and in the moment I just wasn't able to process what was actually happening.

The NZ startup funding scene is bare and so the guys with money now think they're gods.

But very true, ultimate beta move.

Don't be too hard on yourself. As long as you learn from it and use it for the next encounters, it is a net gain. What happened with your startup btw?

Yeah encouraging more founders to hop on a flight to california.