It is always said that “First impression is the Last impression”.
And when it comes to fundraising the first and foremost thing required is Pitch Deck and this is going to be our first impression to investors. People are always cautious about making pitch deck and end with putting almost every data they have, which is not required. Some great investors have already defined How to make a pitch deck? And we should give it a serious thought.
So, what are the 3 most important things investors want to see in the pitch deck? What grabs the investor’s interest? We discussed with some of the good known investors. Let’s check what they said:
Mahavir Sharma, Chairman- TIE Global: said three important slides in pitch deck are Idea, team, and competition. “A true Startup is someone that has solved a problem and the solution of which would not need much marketing and effort to scale up.”
Ashwin Raguraman, Bharat Innovation Fund: outlining the top 3 things he looks for in a pitch-deck are:
- How complex the problem is?
- The uniqueness of the product, team, revenue, and growth.
- What will you do? How is your product going to change the way in the future? Is your product going to change the way I live my life?
Navin Surya, Investor & Mentor: said for him 3 important things in pitch deck are Idea, Founder, and Execution Plan. He said he looks for a combination of Innovation, Execution Capability and Experience of Founders or Founding team.
Pavan Kumar, F50 Elevate:focuses on Market Insights, addressable market, and how to become a dominant player. According to him, Startup is not a business but it is an idea to disrupt, innovate. It should be able to take a risk to create an impact.
Sanjay Budhwar, Angel Investor:Team, Idea, and business model are the 3 most important things in a pitch deck. For him the team plays a crucial role in startups followed by the idea and If these two things are in place, rest will follow.
Amit Singal, Investor: plays a pivotal role in a pitch deck. For him also a good team is very important to start a business. If the Team is good, they will fine-tune the idea, and traction will automatically follow.
Mohit Mittal, India Quotient: Problem, Solution, and Team (back missionary founders but not opportunists) are main attention areas in any startup. Unique ideas and real product value should be taken seriously. He said “If your company is doing well all investors will give funds. You need to focus on the runway i.e. how to survive if no funds are there. Also, focus more on product building as a wrong product will lead nowhere.”
Therefore somewhere we can say a strong and powerful team with a focused idea and product/service is the key area for any investor. They are trusting on the team, the people who are standing in front of them, and explaining their business model.
So, it is nothing but it is you who is playing an important role in your pitch deck. You are the master of your plan. Only you can bring the funds, the traction, and the revenue for your business.
Our very famous entrepreneur, Steve Jobs truly said that “People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint”.