Congratulations!

{Name},

We are excited to invite {STARUP NAME} to participate in the:

Venture Capital Investment Competition
{region} Regional Finals
hosted by {Host School}
Friday/Saturday, {date}, 2021
8:30AM to Noon

We are excited to have you join us, along with investors from {list a few of the VC firms that will be represented at the event} as well as six student VC teams very excited to meet you and perhaps offer you a term sheet {optional list schools}.

To ensure you get the most out of the event (the “most value-per-time-invested”), please read the following carefully. Remember your goal is to get the most term sheets from the student teams. To that end, please be prepared to treat the student teams like real investors. Students will consent to an NDA, promising to keep your proprietary information confidential. They will need as much transparency from you as possible to be able to get to term sheets in a day.

Please be prepared to provide the teams with an “investor package” just as you would with a VC firm performing due diligence on your startup. By Monday, {date} end of day, please create a shared folder to include:

• An extended “leave-behind” deck: sometimes called the “investor deck.” This should not be the same as the tight 10-minute pitch you give at the event.
• Financial projections: The more detail, the better, but high level projections at the least. Feel free to doctor the numbers if you are concerned about releasing the real thing (this can be summarized on a slide in the pitch deck or a separate spreadsheet file).
• An equity ask: including the funding requested and your valuation expectations (this can be on a slide in the pitch deck).
  • If you are currently raising a convertible note or a SAFE, please switch to an equity round for the purposes of this competition.
  • This will greatly increase  your probability of receiving term sheets, and it will make your due diligence sessions more targeted and productive.
• Anything else: if you have anything that would help a VC firm condense their due diligence into 36 hours, please include it! Students will receive your materials at 5PM two days prior to the event. The more you give them, the less they need to find on their own. This could include: product demo videos, market and/or report(s), customer reviews, testimonials, letters of intent, etc.

Students will not be calling your customers or following up on references.

For the event itself, please be prepared with a tight, well-rehearsed 10-minute pitch. Note that this is not a cold pitch. Your audience will have done their homework! Try not to repeat any simple things from the deck that they will already know. For example, you can assume they will have already watched any videos you made available to them. Aim higher. This is not a typical first meeting with investors. More like the second or third meeting, condensed.

We are excited you will be joining us for this event! Please do not hesitate to email me if you have ANY questions.

Best,

___

{include mobile phone number in case of emergency}