1.
Beyond the Pitch Deck:
A Practical Guide for Raising
Investment Capital
Lori Murphree
CFO
Early Growth Financial Services
Peter Mansfield
Partner
Mansfield + Associates

2.
About Your Presenters
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3.
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Pitch decks are important…but they’re
only one piece in the fundraising puzzle

4.
Presentation Overview
• Psychology of raising capital
• Fundraising mindset
• Common fundraising mistakes
• Maximizing fundraising opportunities
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• Preparing for the
meeting
• Presentation
• Follow-up
• Closing the deal

5.
The Psychology of Raising Money
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• How to get into the fundraising mindset
• Your state-of-mind: Confidence (support with smoke
& mirrors, if necessary)
• Meeting of equals: An exchange of equivalent values
• Investor state-of-mind: Tapping into their psyche (and
accommodating giant egos)

6.
Common Fundraising Mistakes
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• Lack of understanding of
investor motivations
• Bad timing
• No clear fundraising
objectives
• Not using milestone funding
• Raising too much/too little
• Not understanding cash-
flow
– Underestimating expenses
– Over-estimating future
revenue

7.
Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities:
Laying the groundwork
• Understand the investor: Personal and
professional
• Understand their firm: Investment criteria,
state of their funds
• Understand their portfolio: Identify
partnership opportunities
• Looking for more than just money
• Work your network: Introductions &
referrals
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8.
Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities:
Before the meet
• Set goals: meeting by
meeting
• Prepare for investor
questions:
– Business model: users or
revenue?
– Why you fit their portfolio?
– How much do you need?
• Who should go?
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9.
Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities:
During the meeting
• How should you behave?
• Things to emphasize
• Questions to ask
• Get referrals!
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10.
Maximizing Fundraising Opportunities:
After the meeting
• How long to wait before
following up?
• How to follow up with VC
portfolio companies
• Referral follow-up
• How to read the signs –
what are the investor’s
intentions
• Staying on investor’s radar
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11.
Closing the Deal
• How to pace the deal
• Be transparent
• When to get outside counsel
• Due diligence process
• Establish what you expect from
your investors
• Create relationship structure
(reporting, etc.)
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12.
Thank You and Q&A
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Peter Mansfield
310.564.6314
peter@mans.com
@mansf
Lori Murphree
917.969.9593
lmurphree@earlygrowthfinancialservices.com
@EarlyGrowthFS