2. Approaching Investor
Best way to get in is through
entrepreneurs’ reference
Investors trust people they’ve
backed in the past
Usually know within 10 minutes
Prefer founding CEO and with a
team of founders
Don’t approach VCs that are
funding competitors
Angels are ok – often invest in
several companies within the same
industry
3. Approaching Investor
Don’t expect a “Yes” after the
first meeting
Build a relationship with the investor
Don’t send a long email / business plan
If you have no reference, it will take a
month of interactions (in-person and
email)
The more time you spend with an
investor, the more likely he is to invest in
you
The goal of each meeting is to get the
next meeting
Be patient
4. Before the Pitch
Skip the associates and go straight to partner level
Don’t ask investors to sign NDA
Learn the VC language – KPI, business models, term
sheet language
Create your pitch deck
Practice your pitch in front of peers and other
entrepreneurs
Be confident not arrogant
5. Creating the Pitch Deck
Use simple bullet lists
45 min presentation, 15 min Q&A
Show a demo
Iterate after every pitch
6. Standard Pitch Structure
1. Problem 5. Team
2. Solution/Demo 6. Competition
3. Market Size 7. Business Model
4. Traction
8. Funding
7. Logistics
Don’t be late; arrive early to setup
Bring equipment and backups (cables, adapters, USB drive, etc.)
Don’t show up alone; bring 1-2 team members
Give each person a role; investors want to see good teamwork
8. During the Pitch
These are the factors investors look for:
Traction
Team
Social Proof (who else is investing?)
Product
Market
Many entrepreneurs fail to highlight the team
Investors prefer an A team with a C idea, over a C
team with an A idea
9. During the Pitch
Entrepreneurs often forget to fully discuss the
problem and skip straight to the solution
If you have a clear problem, it is possible to pivot if
your solution fails
If you only have a solution, the entire company falls
apart
10. During the Pitch
Don’t go overboard on numbers and projections
Don’t hide or downplay the competition
Emphasize what makes you better or unique
Don’t be too attached to your business plan; show
that you are open to new opportunities
11. Demo
Don’t show up without a demo or
mockup
Don’t be afraid of running
overtime on the demo especially if
the investor shows interest
Don’t point out problems/bugs in
your demo, just move on
Most importantly, be passionate
about your product
12. Valuation
Valuation is not a science, based on supply-and-demand
in current market
Your company is worth as much as you can convince
investors its worth, be ready to justify your price
13. Q&A
Take notes during the meeting
Don’t mention which investors have rejected you
Don’t dodge questions, answer directly and honestly
Investors will only invest in people they can trust
14. After the Meeting
Send “Thank You” email on the same day
Prepare for rejection