The most important dos and don'ts for your investor pitch
InnoWerft is the company builder in the Rhine-Neckar region and beyond. Every year, the innoWerft team sees over 500 pitches and supports startup founders on their way to a successful financing round. Some of these pitches are convincing across the board, but many have a lot of potential for improvement. In this blog post, the experts at innoWerft share what makes a really successful pitch.
The best VC pitch wins, not the best startup
Especially with very young start-ups, experts often see that the team with the best pitch wins a contest and not the team with the best solution. Perhaps you have developed an innovative technology? It is crucial for its success that you can also "sell" it. Convincing other people is not an easy game. That's why you should prepare and plan your pitch particularly well. You spend almost the entire day working on your product. Investors, on the other hand, see numerous solutions. Help them to recognise and understand the potential behind your idea with a good pitch. If you manage to do this, you will be a whole step closer to successful financing.
The 10 most important slides - How to make your VC pitch a complete success
Basically, a good pitch only needs 10 slides. Of course, every story is different and one founder will need more slides and another founder less. If you use these 10 slides, you will be very close to achieving the optimum in any case. Incidentally, this structure comes from Guy Kawasaki, who is a successful investor himself (The 10/20/30 Rule of PowerPoint - Guy Kawasaki).
1st title
The title slide is essential. Note that it fulfils two functions: On the one hand, the title slide should arouse the listener's curiosity, and on the other hand, it contains key information such as the name and logo of the company, the name of the person presenting and contact details such as an email address or mobile phone number.
2nd problem
On this slide, you should clearly describe the problem. Only if investors understand which pain points exist for a specific target group can they judge whether you are able to solve them. Perhaps there is no problem and you have simply found a way to make the world a little better? Then this information should also be included on the second slide.
3. value proposition
On the following slide, you should present your own solution to the problem you have just described. It is particularly important to make it clear why exactly you have the right solution. What is your individual value proposition? The information about your unique selling proposition is important information for investors to differentiate you from other similar ideas.
4th Magic
Many founders love their product. You can therefore use this slide to explain your product. What technology is behind it? Perhaps you also have a concrete example, such as a time comparison with existing solutions or an impressive video? Visual materials are the key to success here and should be clearly superior to text. However, also note that you should only use this slide to demonstrate your product. InnoWerft experts often see pitches in which the product is presented for over five minutes - that's too much! You are certainly an expert in your product, but it must be recognisable that you also know the market and the competing companies and can present a strategy for sales success. The following slides in the VC pitch will help you with this!
5. business model
The business model is essential in a VC pitch. After all, investors want to get the money they invest in your idea today back tomorrow. Therefore, explain in detail how you generate sales and ultimately profits and why customers would rather bring their money to you than to a competitor company in the future.
6. go-to-market plan
On the following slide, you should also describe in detail how potential customers will become aware of your product. Which beachhead market do you choose? (Selecting Your Beachhead Market - Leadership Institute For Entrepreneurs) What activities are you planning in the areas of marketing and sales?
7. competition analysis
Start-up founders also often underestimate a well-researched competitive analysis. It is not enough to simply outline the competitor companies. Rather, it must be clearly recognisable in which areas there are differences and why customers will prefer your product to a competitor's product.
8. management team
The team should never be neglected either. Introduce yourself and your team mates. What skills and previous successes make you the perfect team to realise the idea? Who contributes which skills and where? A heterogeneous team that brings different strengths to the table is considered by investors to be a key factor in the success of startups.
9. financial plan and key figures
A coherent financial plan and important key figures are also essential for a VC pitch. These help investors to draw conclusions about the startup's level of maturity. You can also use previous analyses to show the future potential of your startup.
10. current status and utilisation of capital
On the last slide, you should describe your "ask" in concrete terms. How much capital do you need and what do you want to use it for? What is the current status and to what extent can your company develop further with the capital you are seeking? Also bear in mind that you should address a specific call to action to your counterpart.
Your pitch dramaturgy - The show must go on!
Your pitch starts with an exciting introduction. Make your audience curious and grab their attention. A good start is almost half the battle.
Even more important is the end: this makes your pitch "unforgettable" - even if five more start-ups pitch after you: your audience will remember that. Take them with you on your journey and invite them to join you in making the world a little better.
Between a very good introduction and a really good ending, you build trust: step by step, with logical, comprehensible steps. Don't make it too complicated - that makes your audience think - and while they're thinking, they can't listen to you.
In this phase, it is essential that you address typical questions, because every question that comes up and is not answered creates doubt. In particular, if you notice that people often ask the same question about your company, be sure to include this in your pitch.
Also bear in mind that people only have a very short attention span. A maximum of 18 minutes is often mentioned. You should therefore present the most important arguments right at the beginning of each slide. It is also important for the dramaturgy that you present your pitch fluently. A good tip for this is to memorise the first three sentences of your presentation. Getting off to a good start will give you a feeling of confidence, which will have a positive effect on your subsequent appearance. In general, the well-known principle applies: practice makes perfect!
Advanced users should also take a storytelling (Storytelling: The recipe for good stories - WELT) to your advantage. People love stories and investors are no exception, because stories increase the power of imagination and we can easily remember stories - unfortunately not a list of facts. Stories also often contain a problem that needs to be solved. By the way, the hero of the story is you and your solution to the problem!
Would you like more ideas on pitch dramaturgy from a successful investor? Be sure to watch the TED Talk by David Rose! (David S. Rose: 10 things to know before you pitch a VC for - YouTube)
Investors invest in people - your appearance leads to success
The majority of investors invest in people, not in products or companies. That's why it's crucial that you don't neglect the team. Explain to your audience why you and your team can make this solution a (financial) success. On the one hand, arguments that speak in your favour play a major role here. On the other hand, you need to be convincing with your presentation. Can you credibly convey to investors that you can sell the product? Are you enthusiastic? Do you show the passion that makes you get up every morning for your startup? Do you have a vision for your startup? Where are you today and where will you be in a few years? And how committed are you? Are you building five other companies on the side or are you devoting your full attention to this one idea? Who is involved in the company as a shareholder and is therefore particularly incentivised? Integrity plays a special role for most investors - they are entrusting you with a lot of money! Clear and sensible arguments and an appropriate demeanour will strengthen you; excessive exaggeration or sloppiness will damage you.
Pitch Deck vs. Read Deck - Why the difference makes all the difference!
It is important to note the difference between a pitch deck and a read deck. The pitch deck is intended for presentations. It usually contains numerous visual elements and very little text. If you will be sending the deck to investors after your pitch, be sure to send them a read deck. In this, you can address all points in writing. This should be detailed enough so that even people who have not seen your pitch can understand and comprehend everything right away. Perhaps it also contains explanations that you were unable to present in the short time available for the pitch? But here too, you should keep within an appropriate framework. Put yourself in the investor's shoes: They see a variety of decks every day. That's why you need to convince them directly with your documents. Present a good, compelling story and put the most important points at the beginning or in the foreground of each slide!
Let's pitch a VC!
Your pitch is perfect and you need feedback? The experts at innoWerft will take a look at the so-called Open pitch individually for you for one hour. Here you can present your pitch in a safe environment and receive valuable and appreciative feedback. Try it out now! The entire innoWerft team wishes you every success with your successful VC pitch!