Pitching to Investors@mstafford

#MiniBarCamp

MiniBar

Mini MBA #10: Business Model Development---

Matthew Stafford

@mstafford

@mstafford#MiniBarCamp

Never a better time

• Global opportunities

• Cheap(er) teach

• Access to resources is high (global)

• Startup support is high

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Money!• Accelerators

• Crowdfunding

• SEIS/EIS

• Low interest rates (Start-Up Loans + Angels)

• ‘City meets tech’

• Corporate venturing

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You..?!

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Easy Money...?

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• Lack of skills/credible management team

• No unfair advantage

• Do not ‘do it’

• No proof of concept/No validation

• Poor business model

• Small market

• No clear exit

Why so tough?

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Moan, Moan, Moan

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Wrong Money, Wrong Time

• Big VC

• Small VC

• Business Angels

• Corporate Venturing

• Grants

• Accelerators

• FFF

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Wrong Money, Wrong Time

• Big VC

• Small VC

• Business Angels

• Corporate Venturing

• Grants

• Accelerators

• FFF

Most start here

Difficulty Level

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Venture Capitalists

• Scale & Exit

• Tech businesses

• Big markets

• 10x return

• Milestones

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So Where to Start?

• At the bottom

• FFF

• Why should an investor back you if your own network hasn’t?

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Start at the Bottom

• Big VC

• Small VC

• Business Angels

• Corporate Venturing

• Grants

• Accelerators

• FFF

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They all Startup this way

[to Eduardo back at the Carribbean Night party ]Mark Zuckerberg: “We're gonna need a little start-up cash to rent the servers and get it online.”

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When to Raise, Where?

Pre-Seed Seed Pre-Revenue Early Growth Sustained Growth

FFF

Accelerators

Business Angels

Venture Capital

IPO/Trade Sale

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What do you need?

• Team

• Market

• Product

• Traction

• Potential Returns

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Milestones

• Proven Team – have done it before in the sector?

• Product – MVP with proof?

• Exits in the sector?

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Finding Investors

• Do your research - right people, right time

• Know your investor

• Ask people to help

• Network

• And do something more than just write a plan - do it

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Success is...

• Raise money at the right time

• Raise money from the right people

• Network Intelligently

• Seek Advice

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Ask me...

@mstafford

Ask others...

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