Last week, I tuned into an insightful interview with Yair Reems, Partner at Extantia Capital, conducted by Yoann Berno of Climate Insiders. Yair and his team focus on funding climate tech scale-ups, and their perspective is invaluable for founders seeking investment. Here are my three main takeaways from the podcast that you should consider while preparing your pitch:
1. Know Your Competition and Differentiate: When investors like Extantia receive your pitch deck, the first thing they do, is dive deep into researching the current state of technology and your competitors. It’s crucial to provide a clear justification for why your product is superior and do it from the start.
2. Is Your Product a “Drop-In” Solution?: Investors want to know if your product can be seamlessly integrated into existing manufacturing processes and supply chains, or if it requires a complete redesign. A drop-in solution is far more attractive because it means less disruption and faster adoption.
3. Do You Have an Off-Take Agreement?: Most greentech/cleantech products target B2B markets, meaning your clients are likely large corporations that could become regular buyers. An off-take agreement shows customer trust and makes your financial projections more predictable. Often, the existence of an off-take is a deal-breaker. No off-take, no money.
Listen to the full episode for more insights: https://youtu.be/R-hk5qFrRXI?si=4jO3Zlbd6fjDO1y2