Pitching for Investment

A well-structured and considered presentation to any investor group is essential and is, fundamentally, a synopsis of your business concept and business plan.

It is worth considering two ‘decks’, a short ‘elevator pitch’ which should be no more than 4-5 slides and allows investors to quickly decide whether they are interested or not. This can be sent by email to potential investors. 

If you are fortunate enough to be invited in front of an investor group, a more detailed deck will be required. The Web is awash with suggestions about structuring these presentations, but most consist of a core set of elements: 

• Key details about the company team and the presenters’ roles​ 

• The technology, products and/or services​ you are developing 

• Target market(s), including data on growth and trends​ 

• Competitors and the company’s competitive advantages​ 

• The business model – how the company will reach and sell to the end user​ 

• Timescales and milestones along the way​ 

• Any key issues to address before spinning out the company​ 

• The ‘ask’ (how much investment do you need?) and how will it add value? 

It is worth looking at the websites of the investors you are targeting as they will often describe what they are looking for in a presentation or business plan. The Staff Enterprise team and your business mentors can also advise.