Startup companies seeking financing need to present potential investors with a “pitch deck” that stands out. Entrepreneurs should know what investors are looking for in a presentation before they wind up to deliver their pitch.
Richard D. Harroch, managing director and global head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, tells Allbusiness.com that startups need their pitch deck – typically a PowerPoint presentation of 15 to 20 slides – to tell a compelling and interesting story without omitting the key information that investors are looking for.
Harroch says the best way to showcase a startup’s products, technology and team is to make sure a pitch deck PowerPoint has these 15 slides:
- Company Overview – grab the viewer, show the potential for growth
- Mission/Vision of the Company – a 15-second elevator pitch on the company’s goals
- The Team – include photos, job titles, relevant work experience and expertise
- The Problem – show the problem the product will solve and identify potential customers
- The Solution – include why the solution is better than others on the market
- The Product – include key features and what future products are planned
- Market Opportunity – define market, show dollar size, include graphs
- Customers – show existing customers and partners
- Technology – include patents and why it will be difficult for others to duplicate
- The Competition – identify competitors and why your startup has the advantage
- Traction – testimonials, press, sales, website traffic, app downloads, etc.
- Business Model – pricing, customer acquisition costs, how you will make money, etc.
- The Marketing Plan – paid search, social media, TV, radio, email marketing, etc.
- Financials – revenue, expenses, three to five-year projections, “burn rate” etc.
- The Ask – how much money you are seeking, how it will be used, how long it will last
To read more of Harroch’s do’s and don’ts to perfect the pitch deck, go here.
