A startup founder’s dream is to find themselves locked in a room with a person who will write them their big check. The Innovation Gateway program is helping make that dream a reality. No, they’re not attempting to trap investors in boxes with our startup founders, but they have developed a new program that will equip founders with the skills and data necessary to be pitch perfect for investors.
“With our existing programming, we help our teams get non-dilutive funding through University of Georgia, state, and federal funding programs,” said Dan Geller, director of startups at Innovation Gateway. “However, we found that some teams struggled with securing dilutive capital from investors. In short, we help them gather data to create a compelling and data-based pitch.”
Securing major investment can often feel more difficult than inventing a product itself. Companies that have completed Innovation Bootcamp have learned the fundamental aspects of entrepreneurship, and those that go on to complete I-Corps’ customer discovery thoroughly understand their market, yet questions about how to talk to investors often arise.
What makes a pitch compelling to investors? Mastering the Art of Pitching Strategies, or MAPS, bridges this gap to provide startups with everything they need to develop a defensible presentation with data investors are eager to see.
“The most important thing we help teams develop are defensible metrics for their business,” said Geller. “Valuation, market-size, customer base—these are all very difficult numbers obtain. MAPS walks the teams through these numbers and helps them to identify realistic data to support these key metrics.”
During the program, participants will learn how to communicate their value proposition clearly to investors with the support of their own data-driven financial models. Teams will not only be prepared to deliver the pitch but also to defend their numbers from the intense line of questioning of potential investors.
At the end of the program, participants put their new skills to the test by delivering and filming an elevator pitch—a polished, camera-ready version they might one day give to investors face-to-face… elevator optional.
