The document provides tips on pitching an Internet of Things (IoT) startup to investors. It discusses researching investors' focus areas and getting introductions. When pitching, emphasize traction, the problem being solved, the team, and ask for feedback. Follow up with a thank you email highlighting these areas and next steps. 500 Startups is looking to invest in IoT startups focused on areas like security, communication software, and helping companies transition to service models.

1. How to pitch your IOT startup to investors
Internet of Things World 2016
Edith Yeung | @edithyeung | April 7, 2016

2. Edith Yeung is a Partner at 500 Startups’ Mobile
Collective, focusing on investing in mobile apps and
consumer internet startups.
Before 500, Edith was the VP of marketing & business
development for Dolphin Browser. Dolphin Browser is a
Sequoia-backed mobile browser with over 150 million
installs worldwide. She also founded RightVentures -
seed stage investment firm focusing on mobile and
consumer internet companies. Prior, she led many
operation roles at Oracle, Siebel, AT&T, Symantec,
Telstra, Cisco, Autodesk, etc.
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

3. /
Since July 20101,500+ investments3
500 Startups Is the Most Active Seed Investor in
the World1
$240M in AUM2
The various geographies highlighted in the map result from investments we have made across all 500 Startups funds.
1. CB Insight https://www.cbinsights.com/blog/2015-early-stage-investors/
2. Approximated as of 2/23/2016 and includes the following 500 Startups funds: (a) 500 Startups, L.P. and 500 Startups-A, L.P. (together, “Fund I”), (b) 500 Startups II, L.P. and 500 Startups II-A, L.P. (together, “Fund II”), (c) 500 Startups III, L.P. and 500 Start
ups III-A, L.P. (together, “Fund III”), (d) 500 Startups IV, L.P. and 500 Startups IV-A, L.P. (together, “Fund IV”), (e) 500 Startups Annex Fund, L.P. (“Annex”), (f) 500 Luchadores, L.P. (“Luchadores”), (g) 500 Durians, L.P. (“Durians”), (h) 500 Mobile Collective,
L.P. (“Mobile Collective”), (i) 500 Kimchi, L.P. (“Kimchi”), (j) 500 TukTuks, L.P. (“TukTuks”), (k) 500 Startups JP, L.P. ("Japan”), (l) 500 Istanbul, L.P. ("Istanbul”), (m) 500 Nordics, L.P. (“Nordics”), and (n) 500 Falcons, L.P. (“Falcons”), (o) 500 Kulfi, L.P. (“India
”), and (p) 500 Fintech, L.P. (“Fintech”).
3. Approximated as of 2/29/2016 and includes first and follow-on investments from all 500 Startups funds.
Over 20 countries

4. IoT will encompass between 20 and 30
billion connected devices by 2020
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the
network of physical objects or
"things" embedded with
electronics, software, sensors,
and network connectivity, which
enables these objects to collect
and exchange data.
Source:
Chris
McCann
h9ps://medium.com/@mccannatron/esports-­‐market-­‐ecosystem-­‐map-­‐c6ae5bc6a7d0
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

5. IoT Startups Raised Over $1.9B In 2015
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co
Source:
CBInsights-­‐
h9ps://www.cbinsights.com/blog/internet-­‐of-­‐things-­‐startup-­‐funding/

6. What 500 Startups is looking for:
Invest in founders with strong vision, manufacturing know-how,
hardware & software, data domain expertise, engineering excellence
focusing on:
• Virtual Reality
• Augmented Reality
• Family / home
• Kids
• Women
• Elderly / medical
• Real Estate
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co
• Industrial
• IoT security & privacy
• IoT communication software
• Software & hardware that could
help build & force large companies
to evolve from a product-centric
model to a service-centric model

7. What 500 Startups is looking for:
Invest in founders with strong vision, manufacturing know-how,
hardware & software, data domain expertise, engineering excellence
focusing on:
• Virtual Reality
• Augmented Reality
• Family / home
• Kids
• Women
• Elderly / medical
• Real Estate
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co
• Industrial
• IoT security & privacy
• IoT communication software
• Software & hardware that could
help build & force large companies
to evolve from a product-centric
model to a service-centric model

8. Silk Labs – IoT Security
Strong vision, manufacturing know-how, hardware & software,
engineering excellence from Mozilla and Firefox.
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

9. How to get some $$$ from investors
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

10. Before pitching an investor…
• Research what stages (seed, Series A, B, C, etc), check size,
industries, categories, geography, frequency the specific investors
focus on
• Get warm intro from other investors (already invest in you) or
entrepreneurs they invest in
• Short & precise pitch email
• Traction
• Product
• Pain point
• Team
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

11. Early stage IoT / Hardware Investors
• Flextronic's Lab IX (http://flextronicslabix.com)
• Bolt (https://www.bolt.io)
• Brinc.io (http://brinc.io)
• Highway1 (http://highway1.io)
• Lemnos Labs (http://lemnoslabs.com)
• HAX (https://hax.co/)
• Hardware.co (http://hardware.co)
• AlphaLab Gear (http://alphalabgear.org/program)
• BetaSpring (http://www.betaspring.com)
• TechStars (http://www.techstars.com/programs/iot-program/)
• 500 Startups (http://500.co/)
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

12. Series A IoT Investors
• Intel Capital (http://www.intelcapital.com/)
• Qualcomm Ventures (https://www.qualcommventures.com/)
• Foundry Group (http://foundrygroup.com/)
• Khosla Ventures (http://www.khoslaventures.com/)
• Andreessen Horowitz (http://a16z.com/)
• KPCB (http://www.kpcb.com/)
• True Ventures (https://trueventures.com/)
• NEA (http://www.nea.com/)
• Sequoia Capital (https://www.sequoiacap.com/)
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

13. During your pitch
Be sure to cover the following:
• Product demo (if you have it)
• Traction, traction, traction
• Team (team, investors, advisors)
• Market size & target market
• Pain point
• Product
• Business model
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co
• Competition
• Market Trends
• Unfair advantages
• Your ask! (Money /
advice / intros)
• Ask for feedback

14. After the meeting…
Email follow up within 24 hours
• Thank them!
• Deck
• Traction
• Team
• Action items
• Your ask
• Ask for follow up meetings or phone calls
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co

15. You can find my presentation at:
• Deck http://www.edith.co/#blog
• Email edith@500.co
• Twitter @edithyeung
• Newsletter http://www.edith.co/#newsletter
Edith
Yeung
|
@edithyeung
|
edith.co