The document provides guidance on pitching to investors, beginning with constructing an effective elevator pitch that introduces a company, its solution, customers, and value proposition. It then discusses the components of a full investor pitch, including problem, solution, market size, competition, business model, traction, funding request, growth plan, forecasts, team, and exit strategy. Presentation tips are also provided, emphasizing practicing the pitch, facing the audience, relaxing, using large font, and being energetic and passionate.
4. Who are you pitching to?
Elevator Pitch
• Goal: introduce what you do
• 30-90 seconds
• Network to get follow up meetings
5. Elevator Pitch
Introduce your company to the audience
• We are [company].
• We make/provide/sell [your solution]
• For [target customers]
• Who need to solve [problem].
• Unlike [competition]
• Our solution [unique value proposition].
6. Elevator Pitch
• We are Car2Go.
• We provide a car rental service
• For mobile urban citizens
• Who need a car for short trips but do not own a
car.
• Unlike rental car companies and taxis
• Our service offers per minute car rental that
allows customers to use and leave cars wherever
they are, for less than 50 cents per minute
Example
8. Who are you pitching to?
Full investor pitch
• Goal: find out who is interested
• Less is more
• 5-15 minutes
• Present for 5-7 minutes max
• 10 slides max, with backup
• Use remainder for Q&A
• Questions = Interest!
9. • “One thing I like to tell founders is the more you
talk, the more you have an opportunity to say
something that people don’t like. Talk less and it
will probably be better.”
Michael Seibel, Partner Y-Combinator
• “There is no danger with having too
short a pitch because an interested
party will ask for more information.
There is great danger with having
too long a pitch because you’ll bore
the audience.”
Guy Kawasaki, Startup Guru
11. Investor Pitch
What to include in your pitch
• Start with your elevator pitch
• Add details on
• Problem
• Solution
• Market size
• Competition
• Business
model
• Traction
• Your “ask”
• The “plan”
• Forecast
• Team
• Exit
12. Investor Pitch
What problem are you solving?
• Describe the market opportunity
• Tell a story!
• Why has it not been solved
• Share your unique insight
How will you uniquely solve this?
• Describe your solution
• Demo (sometimes)
• What is your “secret sauce”?
• Sell the company, not the product
13. Investor Pitch
How big is the market?
• Describe the market opportunity
• Be specific!
Who are your competitors?
• Direct competitors and “Alternatives”
• How are you different
• Compare, e.g. 2x2 quadrant
• Be realistic
• Never, ever say “no competition”!
15. Investor Pitch
How will you make money?
• What is your business model
• How will you “monetize” your customers
What is your traction?
• How many customers/users do you have
• What is your revenue
• How fast are you growing
• Other relevant metrics
• Cost of acquisition
• Conversion
• Cost of Goods Sold
16. Investor Pitch
What are you asking for?
• How much are you raising?
• What do investors get in return
• Know investment terms
• Or, are you looking for advisors, mentors, staff?
What will you do with the money?
• What will the funds be used for?
• How will you execute on the growth plan?
17. Investor Pitch
What is your forecast?
• Make sure it is realistic
• Optional slide – make it part of your backup
• Interested investors will ask for this!
Who is on your team?
• People invest in people, not ideas
• Optional slide – only if strong & relevant
18. Investor Pitch
What are your “exit” plans?
• State your intentions
• Highlight comparables in the industry
Questions from the audience
• Always leave time for this
• Know your state of business
• Know your metrics
• Have additional details as “backup” slides
• Don’t answer if you don’t know
21. Top 10 Presentation Tips
Practice
Do not read
Face the audience
Relax & slow down
Practice
Walk around
Be energetic & passionate
Font size 24+
Looks matter
Repeat questions
Practice
23. Accelerators
Local resource to help prepare your pitch
• Programs to create your “lean canvas business
model”
• Mentors/Executive-in-Residence
• Investor networks
This is how you talk about your company to people who are interested, if maybe not financially. You’re not asking anything of them, but instead you’re just explaining what your company does in three simple sentences.
1. What does your company do?
Seibel said, “You have to be able to do [this] in a way that is simple and straightforward … You have to assume I know nothing. Literally nothing about anything.” A good way to do this is to pretend like you’re talking to your mom or grandpa, and if they can’t understand in one sentence what your company does (no matter how techy), you need to simplify it more.
Seibel gave the example of Airbnb, saying that their sentence couldn’t be “We’re Airbnb and we’re a marketplace for space.” That means nothing. In contrast, most anyone should be able to understand this approach: “We’re Airbnb and we allow you to rent out the extra room in your house.”
The purpose of your pitch is to introduce your company to the audience and to attract mentors to help you return with a full presentation. Your 90 second message should be “high-level” with answers to the following
Practice. Record yourself and play it back. Learn and adjust the content
Do not read what’s on the slide, do not read from a piece of paper, do not read from your smartphone – instead, talk about your business to the audience.
Face the audience. Do not turn your back to look at the slides while talking.
Relax – remember that you know more about your business and your market than the audience. And don’t try to squeeze in too much content by speaking faster. Make sure the audience can keep up with you – they are hearing this for the first time.
Practice. In front of some colleagues and have them review the content and presentation.
Don’t sit down, or stand behind a desk. Walk around – and of course use a remote clicker
Show passion and energy – have excitement in your voice (intonation), speak clearly and loud enough. But pace yourself – short pauses at the end of sentences and in between topics give your audience some time to digest what you said. Don’t forget to look at the audience. When taking a short breather, look and smile.
Use a font size that investors can read as they are typically a bit older. 24 is the minimum, 30 is the best
During Q&A, repeat the question. This confirms you heard it correct, let’s the entire audience know what the question is, and gives you time to think about the answer.
Practice. In front of strangers that do NOT know your business. E.g.. your neighbor, brother, or mother.
Goal of pitch is to find out who's interested. Goal to get people excited about who you are and what you do. And why are you doing it
Avoid
Too many slides - guy kawasaki 10 20 30 rule 10 slides
Too many product details – you are talking to investors, not users of the product
Too many financial details
The more you talk the more you can shoot yourself in the foot
Problem in the market
How do you uniquely solve this
What is the total market opportunity?
Who are the competitors and how are you different
How do you plan to make money?
Do you already have customers?
What is your forecast for revenue/costs etc
Who is on your team
What are you looking for
What do you plan to do and how will you execute the plan
What is your differentiator. But be realistic on how you compare to competition
Be humble about it and know how to increase differentiation over time. Never say no competition
this is the part where you want to tell the investor something you know about your industry and business that they don’t know
Tip - don't put in financial forecast. If investor is interested they'll ask. Have it as backup slide
this is the part where you want to tell the investor something you know about your industry and business that they know
Practice. Record yourself and play it back. Learn and adjust the content
Do not read what’s on the slide, do not read from a piece of paper, do not read from your smartphone – instead, talk about your business to the audience.
Face the audience. Do not turn your back to look at the slides while talking.
Relax – remember that you know more about your business and your market than the audience. And don’t try to squeeze in too much content by speaking faster. Make sure the audience can keep up with you – they are hearing this for the first time.
Practice. In front of some colleagues and have them review the content and presentation.
Don’t sit down, or stand behind a desk. Walk around – and of course use a remote clicker
Show passion and energy – have excitement in your voice (intonation), speak clearly and loud enough. But pace yourself – short pauses at the end of sentences and in between topics give your audience some time to digest what you said. Don’t forget to look at the audience. When taking a short breather, look and smile.
Use a font size that investors can read as they are typically a bit older. 24 is the minimum, 30 is the best
During Q&A, repeat the question. This confirms you heard it correct, let’s the entire audience know what the question is, and gives you time to think about the answer.
Practice. In front of strangers that do NOT know your business. E.g.. your neighbor, brother, or mother.
If need help, find a local incubator/accelerator
Often help you flesh out your “lean canvas business model” which will give you most of the content of your pitch, supported by market data/research
Also have EIRs/mentor that can help you
If need help, find a local incubator/accelerator
Often help you flesh out your “lean canvas business model” which will give you most of the content of your pitch, supported by market data/research
Also have EIRs/mentor that can help you
Or an IA can help review your pitch
And once you have slayed a dragon and received investment funding, leverage it with available non-dilutive government funds. Contact an Advisor at Concierge Service to learn about available funding and other resources.
Or an IA can help review your pitch
And once you have slayed a dragon and received investment funding, leverage it with available non-dilutive government funds. Contact an Advisor at Concierge Service to learn about available funding and other resources.
