Presenting to VCs
Bridging the CEO / VC Communications Gap
October 29, 2008 | 6:00-8:30 PM | Two Palo Alto Square | Palo Alto
Event Sponsor: Morgan, Lewis& Bockius, LL

Your company presentation is the single most important fundraising document. Delivered at a VC partner meeting or shared over email, your company overview defines who you are, what you do and the extent to which your firm sounds like an attractive investment opportunity for angels, VCs or strategic investors.

When you pitch to VCs, do you know what VCs hear when you speak? Do you present what VCs actually want to know -- or merely communicate your passion for your product? The company presentation is one of your most important fundraising documents.  Delivered at a VC partner meeting and shared over email, your pitch defines who you are, what you do and whether or not your firm sounds like an attractive investment.

The VC TaskForce is pleased to offer a Company Presentation workshop for executives responsible for crafting and delivering the company's investor pitch. Our goal: bridging the communications gap between what CEOs want to say and what VCs want to hear.

Learn what the key 'must have' elements are in a 'perfect pitch'. Learn what the most serious red flags are that lead to early disqualification. What makes a great story? How do VCs distinguish a great technology from a great company? A great company from a great investment? Do you have a 'winner's circle' or an 'San Quentin' management team?  How do you mitigate early stage risk and build credibility? How do you deal with VC Attention Deficit Disorder?

This session will combine a tutorial on how VCs evaluate companies and what they are looking for from your pitch and an interactive workshop in which you will build the elements of a ‘perfect pitch’ and receive guidance from Ron and other session participants.

The session will be highly interactive.  A key success factor to raising money is successfully pitching to a VC partnership.

Sections:

• Presentation: Best practices in pitching to the partners of a VC firm
• Developing your Presentation: Attendees will be asked to develop and deliver various presentation topics.
  
  • The points for a slide on the company’s focus
  • A slide describing the team
  • A slide describing the company’s business opportunity
  • A summary slide discussing why this company represents a good investment
• Coaching: A workshop where attendees are coached on the key elements of investor pitching and content.