5 tips on pitching your startup virtually to investors

For some, attending conferences is a great opportunity to obtain insights from industry experts. For others, it’s a platform to connect and forge valuable relationships with potential investors. 

With these in mind, Tech in Asia and Surge, Sequoia Capital India’s rapid scale-up program, have teamed up to make Startup Arena Pitch Battle more beneficial for the community. The competition will have four regional events, each focused on a different area: Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the rest of Southeast Asia, with a grand finale that will be held at this year’s conference.

As an Arena winner, you will get exclusive access to Surge’s company-building expertise and office hours with Sequoia Capital India and Surge. And that’s not all – you can expect an increase in user interest, media coverage, and potential investment offers. To top it off, the champion of our Arena battle will get to engrave their legacy on the Tech in Asia Arena Startup Pitch Battle trophy and pocket a sweet cash prize of US$27,000.

But before that, have you ever done an online pitch yourself?

Pitching your business to the region’s most prominent investors and founders may probably be one of the most nerve-wracking parts of your life, especially when you do it online. If you’re not used to pitching virtually, here are a few tips on how to excel at it.

Prepare your setup

First things first, make sure your environment and the background that will show up on camera is professional.

You can minimize the possibility of glitches and disruptions by making the necessary arrangements such as selecting a location where you won’t be interrupted and where there is a high-speed internet connection. 

If there are art pieces or decorations in your background, the focus of the audience won’t be on you but on the things behind you. Pick a dedicated spot in your place and set up your equipment so that it is facing a neutral-colored wall. 

Write down a script

An online pitch can feel much like throwing words into a bottomless well. As a result, we end up filling the void with senseless noise.

Do remember that pitching online is not an exercise on improvisation. To help get your message across to the audience, you’d need to write it all down first. Practice your script and memorize the most important parts of your pitch so you don’t miss out important information, describe something for too long, or even stutter. 

Practice how to be engaging 

Arena pitch battle winners during Tech in Asia 2019 in Jakarta / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

In a virtual setting, it takes extra effort to convey the energy you would show during an in-person pitch. You need to work that much harder to keep someone’s attention, as people naturally find it hard to watch something online without being distracted if it isn’t engaging.

Vary your voice’s tone and pitch to keep the presentation dynamic. Speaking from a standing position can help with this and will allow you to breathe better as you speak and engage your body.

Visuals are key

All entrepreneurs spend countless hours thinking about every last detail about their business. But for an investor pitch, less information is better than too much.

Don’t try to fit too many words, graphics, data, and colors on one slide. You’ll end up visually overwhelming your audience, and your message is likely to get lost in the shuffle. Simple and straightforward presentations always do better than a detailed presentation full of bullet points.

Do follow up

Pitching to investors can be tricky, but keeping the conversation open can be even more difficult. Following up is always important, but even more so when pitching virtually. 

By following up, you give investors a reason to re-engage after your pitch. Investors are always busy with constant meetings and hear countless pitches, so don’t let the chance fade away and try to do your best to engage in a dialogue again with your investor after the pitch.

Think you’re ready to pitch? 

Here’s your chance to present at the Startup Arena, Southeast Asia’s largest pitch battle. This is your opportunity to not only polish your pitching skills but also to put the spotlight on your startup in front of thousands of seasoned investors and decision-makers. 

Applications for Startup Arena Pitch Battle are open to all startups in the growth stage with less than US$3 million in external funds raised. In addition, you should have:

• A working prototype
• Proven traction with a strong team
• An English-language pitch

Applications close on September 11, 2020, and the seats are going fast, so it’s time to hurry. 

Put the spotlight on your startup in front of seasoned investor-judges and thousands of decision-makers, and get the chance to win US$ 27,000 in prize money.

If you’re keen to be a spectator, you could book your tickets at a 55% discount here. If you’re a Core or Live subscriber, login here to RSVP at no additional cost.