Short & simple presentation I used to support my seminar at Gruenderszene.

1. Approaching VCs: Basics, DO’s and DON’Ts
Berlin, 27.3.2013

2. Early-stage Venture Capital firm based in Berlin
investing internationally (focus Europe)
Current key investment themes and examples:
SaaS
Network
effects
Commerce

3. Currently investing Point Nine Capital Fund II (40m Euro)
PNC I - 6m Euro (launched 2009/10)
PNC II - 40m Euro (launched 2012)
Investment size: 100k - 1m Euro + follow-on
Stage: seed / series-A

4. Early stage investment landscape (largely simplified)
Angels / Accellerators /
VCs
Incubators

5. Other investor types / financing sources
BANKS (need collaterals / cash flow / history)
CORPORATES (can make sense, issues with exit)
STATE SUPPORT (varies over time / by region)

6. VC investment landscape looking from Berlin
(super simplified, based on perception and not exhaustive :-)
€5M+
€1-5M
Investment
size
€500k
Accel-
erators
Business
Grants Angels
€100k
F&F
Seed Series A Series B
Stage

7. How VCs work and make money....
Look for potential for fast growth:
- market (opportunity / competition)
- team

8. VCs develop theses and patterns and spend a lot of time looking
for companies that match them
Point Nine Capital in 2012:
- 2500 business plans
- 10 investments
=> we invested in 0.4% of business we have seen in 2012. other
investors will have a similar rate

9. VCs tend to specialise, but in general they look for:
Amazing teams
Great products
Huge / fast growing / not very competitive market opportunities
Great unit economics
Traction
Exit

10. Approach - network!
Do your research
Try not to cold approach
Networking wins, info@ is weakest channel

11. Approach - have a Deck!
+/- 10 slides - be visual + numbers
english only
no paper
no 50 page business plan
no NDAs
=> the initial info needs to grab attention and
explain basics, not everything!

12. To be included in the basic info pack:
Simple/simplified concept description + vision
Product screenshots / links
Market definition and size (not always easy, but give it a go)
Competition / comparables
Traction / KPIs / unit economics
Team
Next 12 months budget / capital required

13. Get prepared!
Read (blogs > books):

14. Good luck!
@pawell
www.pawel.ch
pawel@pointninecap.com