At our 2023 conference, we introduced the first-ever Venture Atlanta pitch competition! The finalists in the competition pitched live to the Venture Atlanta audience and then participated in a Q&A session with a panel of investors. We took note of the most common questions the investors asked so that you can make sure you’re prepared to answer these questions during your next pitch.
Categories
Reason for Starting Your Company
Marketing, Sales, and Retention
Technology, Integrations, and Compliance
Reasons for Starting Your Company
- What was your inspiration for starting this company?
- What is your unique value proposition?
- What’s the return on investment (ROI) for your customers?
Competition
- How do you plan to compete with big incumbents in this category?
- How do you think emerging technologies will affect your success?
Marketing, Sales, and Retention
- Where does the majority of your revenue come from?
- What is your customer profile, and where and how do you get your customers?
- What’s your marketing strategy?
- Tell us about your sales cycle.
- What pushback have you received when trying to sell your product or service?
- What’s your gross margin?
- Talk about usage, retention, and expansion.
Technology, Integrations, and Compliance
- Tell us about your intellectual property.
- Do you require customers to use your entire suite of technology, or do you integrate with other technologies?
- If integrations are required, how does that affect onboarding?
- How do you approach compliance?
Your Company’s Future
- What is your burn rate?
- What are your plans for the investment money?
- Where do you see your company in 5 to 10 years?
- Make sure that you have answers to these questions before meeting with investors! If you found this helpful, you might enjoy our post on Startup Pitch Tips.
If you’re looking to raise capital, consider applying to pitch at the next Venture Atlanta conference.Contact us if you have any questions about the opportunity!
