One-liners and investor messaging
Best Investor Pitches and What Green Founders Should Know
The Best Pitches These Investors Ever Saw - And What Every Green Founder Should Know
Founders, sponsors and fund managers who are writing a one-liner or one-pager and want to hear how investors react to real examples.
5 key takeaways
- Founder story builds early trust. One panelist said that for early stage investors like them, the founder story matters a great deal. One pitch opened with a personal path from childhood paralysis to gaming to YouTube, and each step led to the business he was qualified to run.
- A good one-pager answers key questions. The best one-pager mentioned had nearly everything an investor wanted, such as buying at 45 to 55% under cost. The only gap was the minimum investment.
- Clarity gets a second look. The CSN one-liner said it was seeking capital for specialized investment, and panelists could not tell what it did. They noted a possibly strong opportunity can be overlooked when the focus is confusing.
- Green founders should stress team. Without a track record, panelists suggested leading with the team. A transferable skill from another field, such as a legal background, can also show you can figure things out.
- Prove progress without big funding. One panelist said founders should build a prototype and make progress with little money. Waiting for 20 million to arrive risks wasting it even after funding.
What you will hear
A panel of investors at a Family Office Club event shares the best pitches they have seen. One panelist praised a one-pager that included everything except the minimum investment, including a plan to buy at 45 to 55% under cost. Another liked a founder story about a man paralyzed as a child who became a top 10 Halo gamer. A collapsible cup prototype lost ground because it seemed it would tip over.
The second half reviews live one-liners and one-pagers from the room. Senior Living Conversion Capital scored well because it stated what it does, the expected results and why the team is qualified. A one-liner for CSN drew low scores because its focus was unclear. Panelists also told founders without a track record to stress the team, build a cheap prototype and show up at events in person.
On the record
- One praised one-pager described buying at 45 to 55% under cost but left out the minimum investment.
- The Senior Living Conversion Capital one-liner cited 30-plus years of multi-family experience and targeted 18 to 22% IRRs.
- The Kindubay Properties one-liner cited $300 million executed across 2,000 multi-family assets with 15% plus net IRR and 2x equity.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: The Best Pitches These Investors Ever Saw - And What Every Green Founder Should Know. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Worth quoting
"I think, for us being early stage investors, the founder story is very, very important."
"If you don't really have a lot of experience out there, you really need to have an extremely valuable value proposition and differentiation."
"If someone looks at the one-pager and it's clear from the visual, and it says Doctors Investor Club, you're not confusing them from the first step."
Related questions
- How do I create a pitch video for investors?Record a one to three minute video of the founder talking straight to the camera.
- How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
- What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
Questions about this video
What did panelists like in the Senior Living Conversion Capital one-liner?
They liked that it gave specifics. It covered what the firm does, the expected results and why the team is qualified. One panelist said it gave enough information to want to see the one-pager.
What should a founder do without a track record?
Panelists suggested stressing the team and showing transferable skills from another industry. One also said to prove the idea with low cost efforts and a prototype instead of waiting for large funding.
Why did the CSN one-liner score poorly?
Panelists said it was not clear what problem the company solves or what the specialized investment was. They also said the one-pager was not visually catchy.
Put this into practice with the one-liner builder. See all one-liners and investor messaging resources.
