Before we move to How to Pitch to VC, note that Investors invests in the Entrepreneur First and then in the Idea.
You need to Master the pitch in a way that you get their full focus & attention .
Rattle them to the Core . Your First Impression matters here as to how much you are yourself involved and committed to the idea you are working on .
Use the 10-20-30 Formulae :i.e : 10 Slides - 20 Minutes - 30 Point Font
Know your Investors as to -
1) Who have they invested in before ? [ The industry, the startups, locations etc ]
2) How they have been successful ? [ The Terms , Returns they expect , other modes of operations , partners they work with ]
3) How well do they know Your Industry ? [ Their Team , Their Past experiences & startups they have invested in your domain ]
4) How much Time they can devote to your Idea ? [ Their involvement , Their likes/ dislikes w.r.t. investments/ products they have previously invested in etc ]
Note that gone are the days of an Elevator Pitch, instead try for #twitpitch [ Sort of a Tweet] , where by it would be great for an investor to grab his/her attention in 140 characters !!!
The 10 Slide Pitch must be as Follows :
Slide 1 : About Yourself : Who you are & What you Do ?
Slide 2: The Problem : Make the Investor picture a problem which needs to be fixed.
Slide 3: The Solution : Once the problem is known, show what solution(s) your startup can provide to that problem.
Slide 4: Business Model: What Investors like to see here is how shall you make money? The distribution strategy & gross margins expected.
Slide 5: This defines the Unique Proposition or the 'Secret Sauce' as they say behind your product / service.
Slide 6: Explain your Marketing strategy as how will you reach to Customers.
Slide 7: Mention the challenges and competition which you face in the market.
Slide 8: The Team matters the most. Mention who your managers are ,Board composition , Advisors , Promoters , Mentors and even current Investors in case any.
Slide 9: Offer Your Projections with Metrics as to how do you see your startup perform in the next 3-5 year timeline.
Slide 10 : The last slide generally is uncovering your next steps as to how & where will you use the funds you are trying to raise through this deal.
For more advisory on Venture Capital Funding for Startups , connect to us at :
info@startupsmantra.in & Visit Our Website : www.startupsmantra.in