Prospective members often ask what we look for when a company pitches for investment, so we have put together the following guide for what we look for here at Canterbury Angels.

The Pitch Deck - In most cases the pitch deck will be what opens the door to getting the opportunity to pitch. Therefore, it needs to be professional, attractive, and highlight the big opportunity.

The Pitch - At an investor evening, startups have somewhere between five and seven minutes to showcase their company so starting off with a strong opening is vital.

The Problem - They need to be able communicate what problem they are solving and be clear about the service or product they offer.

Timing - Timing is vital, so we want to hear why now if the time that we should invest in them.

The Competition - We need to know about the competition, what exists now and what the future holds and the company plan to address this.

The Market - What it the size of the market? We want to know why the business has the potential to become huge and how much of the market they think they can capture.

Traction - How is it going so far? Have they got a minimum viable product, do they have customers and what partnerships are already in place, plus have they received any publicity?

Profit - How are they going to make money, are there different models that will be used and a range of revenue streams?

The Metrics - We want to know about the key financial metrics of the business and that the founders understand these and how to impact them to ensure the success of the company.

The Risks – Have the founders considered all of the risks that the business presents and what is being done to mitigate them?

Intellectual Property - One such risk is the valuable IP that many startups have, so we want to know how this can be protected. Is the technology easily replicated? Are copyrights, patents and trademarks in place?

The Exit - All investors want to know how they are going realise a return so a company needs to be able to communicate viable exit options that will create value

The Investment - How much investment are they asking for and most importantly how are they going to spend it? Plus, are they clear on why spending it creates value?

And last but not least...

THE TEAM – It is often said that Angel Investors invest in the people not the business, so we need to know what makes the team special. Are the founders coachable and do they have the resilience to get through the ups and downs of creating a business?

As you can tell, there is a lot to look out for, but ultimately a founder with passion and the drive to keep on going when the going gets tough is already a head of the game!