A pitch deck is an essential fundraising tool for startups... and it can't be reduced to a PowerPoint presentation!
Raising money from investors is difficult and time-consuming, so it is crucial for you to show the value of your project through a pitch deck that articulates a compelling and promising opportunity... and it's not about theatre or propaganda!
Why is the Pitch deck important?
The pitch deck is the primary communication tool used by entrepreneurs to reach potential investors, by email or in person.
You usually only have one chance to enter into a discussion!
Every active investor reviews hundreds of startup pitches every month. And 9 out of 10 end up in the bin.
Getting an appointment to meet investors and present your idea is already a great success for entrepreneurs.
What usually follows is a big disappointment, as less than 1% of these entrepreneurs succeed in being financed by business angels and only 0.05% succeed in obtaining financing from investment funds or VCs.
How to avoid the pitfalls?
To raise money for your startup, you need to think like an investor. As an early stage investor, I have directly invested in 14 startups to date.
Some ecosystems also allow for a better understanding of the constraints on entrepreneurs but also of the perception of opportunities by investors over time, whether in emerging technologies or in "hype" markets:
In Europe, EBAN and EIC clearly play a major role in this respect: the former by intervening in early-stage, the latter by financing advanced technology.
As a business and strategy expert for the European Commission's EIC Accelerator, I can say that companies that access the funding offered by, for example, the EIC Fund and the EIB are clearly in the Champions League in terms of fundraising... they do not access without reason a potential of more than €15 million.
If you want a specific accompaniment:
- Pitch deck http://stephaneroecker.com/pitch-deck
- EIC accelerator http://stephaneroecker.com/eic-accelerator