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The Life Science VC Pitch:Making the First Impression the BEST!
By Robert Meister, DNA Gateway International, LLP / DNA Bridges^®, Inc.

Landing a meeting with a venture capitalist who understands the life science industry can often be like finding water with the mystical science of a dowsing rod. If you do secure a meeting, this probably means someone the VC knows has referred you (most often the case) or your technology has truly peaked their interest. When you walk through the VC's door, you need to be prepared.

Your primary goal is to passionately convince the VC they should not miss this opportunity to move your technology forward. Meetings are often driven with the assistance of a Power Point presentation (deck). In a VC pitch, the Power Point presentation is still the industry standard for communicating business opportunities.

Keep in mind, VCs look at hundreds of presentations pitching anything from novel compounds to technology platforms. Whether you are looking for venture capital or funds from an angel investor, you typically will have one shot to present your technology.

I strongly recommend enlisting the help of a corporate development firm with science and business experience, such as DNA Gateway, to help you with your messaging and presentation. Should you embark on developing your own VC deck, here is a sample content checklist that can help guide you in making a solid first impression with a VC.

Vision

• What problem(s) are you trying to solve and where do you want to be in the future?

Corporate Snapshot

• One slide overview of the company – quick read!

Intellectual Property Rights

• As Cori Gorman indicated in her article, Mirror, Mirror, What's Our Valuation?, much of the value of an early stage biotech company is in the strength of their patents. Establish that you have solid IP status and freedom to operate. If this is not CLEARLY communicated, there is no point in moving forward.

Market

• How large is the target market for your first indication?
• How fast is the market growing?
• What is a realistic market share for your technology?

Technology

• How does your technology solve your market's indication?
• Proof of concept data?
• Safety?
• What is unique about your technology?
• Other indications?

Road to Commercialization

• What is your stage of development?
• What has been your progress to date?
• What are your future milestones?

Competition

• Who is your existing competition?
• What other companies have R&D in the pipeline that could enter into the market?
• What are your competitors' strengths and weaknesses?
• Why are you different?

The Investment Opportunity

• What funds have been raised?
• How much money are you raising?
• What is your valuation expectation?
• How will the money be spent?
• How long will the new money last and what milestones will be met?
• How much additional financing do you anticipate and when?

Management Team

• Who is the management team?
• Who is the corporate advisory board?
• Who is the scientific advisory board?
• What is their experience?
• What team members are missing and what is the plan to fill these open positions?

Development Partners

• Who are your possible partners? First indication? Other indications?
• How dependent is your model on these partners?

Summary Slide