Mastering the art of virtual pitching at our TIA Live event

Last Friday, we concluded the first event in our Like-A-Guru series, a training-based series aimed at enhancing one’s career and personal skills with the help of industry experts.

Attended by our Tech in Asia Core and Live subscribers, the topic at hand was how startups that are looking to raise funds can nail virtual pitches as more conversations shift online. The interactive workshop, which covered a holistic approach and offered a guide on VC financing for all funding stages, was hosted by pitching guru Gavin Teo, general partner of Altara Ventures.

At the end of the workshop, each participant took home a practical working template that could help them deliver effective pitches and take their businesses to the next level.

Session overview

Gavin kicked off the session by providing an overview on the various stages of financing and how VCs typically invest. He provided some tips on how to put a startup’s pitch into context, as well as the good and bad reasons for raising a round.

Next, he walked our workshop participants through the anatomy of a pitch and the critical points that need to be conveyed when making one. With the absence of physical cues during virtual pitches, Gavin also highlighted the importance of knowing which digital platforms are popular with VCs. (Pro tip: From his poll of VCs, the most commonly used platform is Zoom.)

A great deal of time was also spent going through how founders can move a deal forward. Gavin gave our participants good insights into the various characters (Analyst/Associate, VP/Principal/Director, MD/Partner) that a founder would meet during the course of pitching and essential tips on how to pitch to them, how to secure a meeting with them, how to turn them into allies, and what to avoid.

Our participants also learned the telltale signs when a VC is keen to take the conversation forward and what they can do in different situations.

During the hour-long workshop, Gavin took questions from our engaged audience and imparted to them nuggets of information based on his own experience as a VC.

The workshop was carefully crafted to ensure that our audience got the maximum value out of their subscription with quality content, valuable business lessons, a practical working template, and the chance to get acquainted with fellow founders from the region.

Catch up on the full session

Don’t miss out on what your peers have gained! If you are not a Core or Live subscriber, simply subscribe to Tech in Asia Live at just US$4.92/month and watch the full session on how to master virtual pitches here.