7 knockout pitches every startup needs to watch
Logan Merrick

7 Knockout Pitches Every Startup Needs To Watch

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You’re reading part 5/5 in the Buzinga crash course: How To Raise Startup Funding By Giving Investors What They Really Want

Go to part 1: The Essential Guide To Pitching Your App To Investors

Go to part 2: The Information Memorandum Investors Actually Want To Read

Go to part 3: The Financial Planning Template For App Startups

Go to part 4: The Secret To Acquiring Venture Capital

I’m not going to sugar coat this – pitching is terrifying.

Combine these natural ‘race day’ nerves with the fact that most startups don’t have a clue what to include in their investment pitch, it’s no wonder rejection is common in early stage startup funding.

That’s why I’ve put together this list of my 7 absolute favourite pitches for startup inspiration.

Pick and mix the tactics from these pros to mould the perfect pitch delivery that will have investors begging for a piece of the action.

But before you watch any of these best startup pitch videos, your pitch will be useless without the right slide deck to accompany it!

Get your downloadable pitch deck template here first.

  1. Candace Klein – SoMoLend

This 5 minute pitch won Startup 2012 against 8 finalists and hundreds of applicants.

Klein is an incredible pitcher who has raised over $1.2 million in cash prizes from winning 27 competitions.

Her top tips for an incredible pitch:

  • Projection
  • Passion
  • Mastering your slide deck
  • Being a complete ‘geek’ about your business, industry and competitors to the point that you can recite information at the drop of a hat

2. Erik Torenberg – Rapt.fm

This pitch is much more of a performance than typical startup pitches!

They clearly know their target user, and for the audience and the brand, it worked perfectly. What they lack in hard numbers they make up for in selling their team.

3. Ryan Spraetz – Keen

Analytics and data aren’t exactly sexy topics, so Keen has cleverly used storytelling to make their pitch memorable.

It’s also a very growth-minded pitch (almost to the point of being futuristic) and explains how Keen is built to remain competitive and adapt to collect data from all iOT devices.

This shows that they have validated their market and there is enormous profit potential for investors in the years ahead.

4. David Arnoux – Twoodoo

(Pitch starts at 1.25)

Arnoux perfectly describes the pain point, something that everyone who works can relate to.

How you illustrate the problem can have a massive effect on how your solution is perceived by investors.

If you can perfectly capture that there is a dire need (AKA massive untapped market demand) for your app, this will make your solution look even more attractive than it hopefully already is.

See also: 5 Tips To Validate Your App Idea And Launch Quickly

5. Raja Palanniaannan – Origin

This one is a must watch for startups that don’t have a lot of traction to draw off.

What he does have is a fantastic working product, a great team and a huge market – all the foundations investors are looking for!

See also: What Startups Need To Get Done Before Seeking Funding

He finishes the pitch by saying what they have done in the 100 days since inception – granted, it’s a lot – and asks the audience to imagine what they will do in the next few years.

6. Parker Conrad – Zenefits

Pure confidence is infectious, and this pitch has it in bucketloads.

Combine that with the casual delivery and some attention-grabbing metaphors (“Insurance brokers should be worried cause we’re drinking their milkshake“) and you’ve got a winner.

The most important part of the pitch is the product demo, however.

Investors are visual and no one could argue how user friendly and quick to set up Zenefits is after the live, on screen demonstration.

The more of a product you have to work with, the more leverage you have with investors. A working prototype is ideal, but even design specifications will go far in your pitch.

7. Timo Kauppila – Catchbox

Few startups could ask for more than pitching a product in the exact consumer situation it was built for.

You probably won’t be able to say the same for your product or service, but it shows how beneficial it can be to engage the audience.

There is no right or wrong way to pitch a business, as you can see from these examples.

Ultimately, your signature pitching style should be one that fits your brand, audience and ideal investor.

I hope this list has been helpful and entertaining!

Let me know of any pitches you think should be included in the comments below.

Go back to read the other articles in this crash course…

 

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Logan Merrick

Logan Merrick is the co-founder and Director of Buzinga, as well as one of Australia's most recognised entrepreneurs, keynote speakers, investors and mentors. His writing on startups, technology and mobile marketing has been featured in The Australian, Business Insider, Startup Smart, Smart Company, and more.