While your faculty and student inventors are confident when it comes to their invention’s usefulness or capabilities, their pitching skills are often lacking. It can be cringeworthy as a researcher excitedly tells an exasperated investor a long-winded, technology-driven story that does little to address the market need, competition, scalability, time-to-market, and other critical factors for VCs.
In short, your inventors need your guidance to break down the invention and pitch it in a consumable way that doesn’t dwell on scientific minutia, and hits the critical factors investors care most about. Clarity and market focus are key, and that’s where the TTO is invaluable.
The University of South Carolina’s Technology Commercialization Office has guided hundreds of inventors in the start-up creation process, and as part of that process they provide seasoned mentoring on pitch deck creation and presentation. We’ve tapped the leadership team at UofSC’s TCO to bring you this practical, skill-building program.
You’ll learn how to tell your start up’s story in a captivating, creative pitch deck that wow investors and potential partners – and gets the backing it to succeed. Our team of presenters will discuss why and how every pitch must address these 5 simple but critical questions:
- What is your business idea as opposed to what is your invention?
- Know your market: Who needs it, and why?
- How can you solve the problem?
- Why is now the right time?
- How will you (or your investors) make money?
You’ll also gain keen insights and lessons learned from pitching in the real world – the good, the bad, and the truly ugly:
- Examples of pitch decks that got businesses funded, and ones that failed, so you can learn from their experiences
- Guidance on pitch deck templates, and whether you should build your deck from scratch
- How to organize a pitch deck that can stand on its own, while also enhancing your formal presentation
- Best practices and common mistakes to avoid
