{"id":15467,"date":"2024-08-09T06:47:42","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T06:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1409251"},"modified":"2024-08-09T06:47:42","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T06:47:42","slug":"tnw-startup-pitch-battle-how-to-pitch-a-complex-product-in-3-mins-and-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=15467","title":{"rendered":"TNW Startup Pitch Battle: How to pitch a complex product in 3 mins \u2014 and win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Pitch battles are a great way for <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/startup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">startups<\/a> to gain exposure and attract a room full of potential investors, future employees, and new customers, all in a quick-fire three minutes on-stage.<\/p>\n<p>But\u2026 what if you have a complicated product that solves a problem that\u2019s unfamiliar to most of the audience? Or what if you need a PhD to actually understand the technology behind your solution?<\/p>\n<p>Whether you have a finance platform that disrupts a common accounting woe or a product that pushes the boundaries of quantum mechanics, it can be extremely difficult, not only to explain your approach in a condensed time period but to actually make people (especially judges) care about it.<\/p>\n<p>We spoke with the winner of TNW 2024\u2019s Startup Pitch Battle, Barbara Bachus, COO and co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exomatter.ai\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Exomatter<\/a>, to find out how she prepared for the big win and what advice she would give future competitors who feel their product may be too complex to win a pitch battle.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\" readability=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/conference\/tickets?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=display&amp;utm_campaign=global_tnw_media_event-registration_retargeting_launch_2025-tnw-conference-amsterdam_TNW\" data-event-category=\"Article\" data-event-action=\"In Article Block\" data-event-label=\"TNW Conference 2025 - Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 - Save the date!\" target=\"_blank\" readability=\"7\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"ica-text__title\">TNW Conference 2025 &#8211; Back to NDSM on June 19-20, 2025 &#8211; Save the date!<\/p>\n<p>As we wrapped up our incredible 2024 edition, we&#8217;re pleased to announce our return to Amsterdam NDSM in 2025. Registration now!<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1409255 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/08\/TNW-FINAL-PITCH-BATTLE-14.jpg\" alt=\"TNW Pitch Battle 2024 kicks off\" width=\"1280\" height=\"765\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1409255 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/08\/TNW-FINAL-PITCH-BATTLE-14.jpg\" alt=\"TNW Pitch Battle 2024 kicks off\" width=\"1280\" height=\"765\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Being the platform behind great inventions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Enterprises are continuously evolving how their products are made. Whether it\u2019s finding ways to make refrigerators more energy-efficient or building faster, safer aeroplanes, R&amp;D processes to find and develop new materials are still based on trial and error.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that means they\u2019re going into the lab and doing thousands and thousands of experiments. It can take up to six years to develop just one material. This is a waste of chemicals and energy in the lab,\u201d Bachus says, pointing out that 50% of a company\u2019s carbon footprint comes from materials production and R&amp;D.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge to develop new materials became exacerbated during the pandemic when supply chain disruptions sent businesses scrambling to find new inputs for materials. The move away from less sustainable polymers and other inputs has also put pressure to find and develop new materials fast.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why Bachus and her team created Exomatter, an AI-powered material development platform that helps companies in the manufacturing, enterprise, and chemical industries find better materials for their products faster.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you think about batteries, they rely on materials. If you\u2019re thinking about how you can recycle some product, it relies on materials. All the building materials that capture CO2 from the atmosphere rely on finding better materials. So materials are the key and core driver of all innovation out there and all environmental impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although the materials challenge is an extremely important issue, Bachus admits that \u201cit\u2019s not the sexiest topic,\u201d which is why she was so excited to have Exomatter in the spotlight as the winner of TNW 2024\u2019s Pitch Battle competition.<\/p>\n<p>She shared her tips for capturing audiences and impressing judges on stage.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4 tips for pitching a complex product (and winning)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1409256 size-full js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/08\/TNW2_bel-66-1.jpg\" alt=\"TNW Pitch Battle 2024 announcing the winner: Exomatter\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1409256 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/08\/TNW2_bel-66-1.jpg\" alt=\"TNW Pitch Battle 2024 announcing the winner: Exomatter\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Put it into context<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Consider: What\u2019s the impact of the challenge or problem you\u2019re facing? Can you put it into context by comparing it to something everyone can relate to?<\/p>\n<p>Bachus started her pitch with the number 10<sup>60<\/sup>, this is the number of all the possible materials out there for scientists to choose from, a number that\u2019s even greater than the number of stars in the sky.<\/p>\n<p>By using this example, she was able to illustrate the size of the problem R&amp;D researchers face, even to non-technical members of the audience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Show Proof of Value towards your beachhead market<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Marc Wesselink, Co-founder &amp; General Partner at VC firm Venturerock, and one of the judges at the Pitch Battle shared that what really impressed him about Bachus\u2019 pitch was the progress their startup has shown so far.<\/p>\n<p>After her very quick introduction to the challenge, Bachus had an \u2018Executive Summary\u2019 slide sharing what the company had achieved so far and she verbally mentioned the three most important achievements (out of six) in her speech: acquiring 3 DAX and 1 MDAX companies as clients, growing from two to 12 team members, and closing 650k in revenue.<\/p>\n<p>Bachus suggests narrowing your focus down to three important factors your audience will remember. And don\u2019t go too deep into the technology, but do use keywords. For example, if your solution leverages AI, mention that because it\u2019s a hot technology right now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Choose the best speaker on your team<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This may sound obvious but many startups still believe they have to send their CEO or a <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/founder\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">founder<\/a>&nbsp;into battle. Even if someone knows your company inside and out and is a genius in the lab or behind a laptop, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019ll be skilled at wowing an audience. This is key because, as Bachus says:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you can\u2019t hook people within the first 10 seconds, you\u2019ve already lost the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Pitch to kids<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re so close to a product or industry, it can be difficult to realise what information you take for granted or what industry jargon you\u2019re using.<\/p>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s your family or friends, make sure to pitch to different audiences who may not be working in your field. Bachus suggests that kids also make for a great audience, \u201ctry to explain your technology to kids because, if they get it, then that\u2019s the right way to present it on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Getting the most out of TNW\u2019s Startup Pitch Battle<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1409257 aligncenter js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/08\/TNW-FINAL-PITCH-BATTLE-16.jpg\" alt=\"TNW Pitch Battle 2024 announcing the winner: Exomatter\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1409257 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/08\/TNW-FINAL-PITCH-BATTLE-16.jpg\" alt=\"TNW Pitch Battle 2024 announcing the winner: Exomatter\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<p>After winning the pitch battle, the Exomatter team had some great conversations with investors, both from the Netherlands and abroad, who reached out and stopped by their booth on the expo floor.<\/p>\n<p>The team\u2019s next step will be to focus on hiring great people and expanding their customer base into new markets. They\u2019re particularly interested in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.exomatter.ai\/en\/careers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">hiring some great salespeople<\/a> who can pitch their platform to new customers.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, Bachus says what she enjoyed most about TNW 2024 was the spirit and atmosphere:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt felt kind of like a huge family in those two days and that was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One piece of advice she would share with future pitch battle competitors is to take advantage of the TNW app. \u201cI didn\u2019t try it because I was there on short notice, but I heard that other startups had a lot of meetings because they already scheduled them before the conference via the app.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Think you\u2019re ready to compete at TNW 2025\u2019s Pitch Battle? <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/conference\/startups\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sign up here<\/a> to secure your spot!<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/tnw-startup-pitch-battle-how-to-pitch-a-complex-product-in-3-min-and-win\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pitch battles are a great way for startups to gain exposure and attract a room full of potential investors, future employees, and new customers, all in a quick-fire three minutes on-stage. But\u2026&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15467"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15467\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}