Blackstone LaunchPad Pitch Template

Problem What kind of pain is your customer experiencing? How many people does this pain affect? How big is the whole market? How is this issue being addressed today? Is it a one-sided or two-sided market?

Solution What is your solution to the problem? Is it a product or service? How does your solution make the customer’s life better? Address your customer archetype(s), desired gains, and current pains How is your solution or product unique compared to existing solutions available? Don’t get into deep competitive analysis, just provide an overview

Underlying Secret Sauce Provide more detail on the technology and/or process that you have developed to deliver your new/unique solution. If appropriate, discuss patent status If not patentable, how is your solution unique?

Business Model How will you make money? Subscription or recurring revenue? Fee or one-time sale? Funding via grants (i.e. non-profit)? Pricing mechanisms and expectations

Marketing and Sales Calculate the Total Addressable Market (TAM), Served Available Market (SAM), and Share of Market (SOM) Who is your target customer, and what defines an “ideal” customer prospect? Target customer may not necessarily be the end user! Describe how people will learn about your offering, how you will get them to buy, and (optionally) how you hope to retain them as customer longer term

Competition Who is your existing competition? What are their strengths and weaknesses vs. your solution? (Make a matrix showing your product and attributes vs. all competitors) What are your competitive advantages? Will you compete on differentiation (i.e. functions, service) or cost?

Financial Projections Simple pro-forma summary financials (generally 3-5 years): Profit and loss Units sold x unit price Cash flow and investment dollars needed Number of customers/sales/users Number of employees

Team Founders and management – include pictures, background, experience, successes, etc. Remember: investors will invest in an “A” Team with a “B” Idea before a “B” Team with an “A” Idea. They want to know you can execute. Board of Directors or Advisors

Key Milestones Achievements to date (if you have them) Beta tests Customers Letters of support Prior financial backing Plans for future success/growth, and potential use of any investment funding you seek by showing “cash on the calendar” in a timeline or Gantt chart

Value Proposition Restate the pain, opportunity, and why your solution is unique Our _____________ help(s) ___________ who want to ________________ Products and Services Customer Segment jobs to be done by _____________________ and _______________________. verb (e.g., reducing, avoiding) and a customer pain verb (e.g., increasing, enabling) and a customer gain (unlike _________________) competing value proposition

Closing Sell it! Name, logo, and slogan Contact information