Intro
Venture Partner
- Expert in product growth from discovery to scale
- 20+ years in tech with 100+ millions of users, 2x Founder
- Mentor @ Startup Wise Guys, TechStars, Google for Startups,
- Expert @ Ukrainian Startup Fund, Seeds of Bravery
My saved intro
In my career I went the path so far UX→PM→CEO→VC
Grew from UX to PM and then to Founder and CEO of my own startup and to VC side.
Difference between Investors
Old-money, Family Officies, VC, Angels and Syndicates.
- How they operate.
- Whom they are searching for.
- How to connect with them.
3d-level of investments for people
- (1) Real Estate,
- (2) Bonds and Fortune 500
- (3) Startups
When is the right time to attract investment for a startup.
- Bootstrapping
- Early stage
- Pre-seed stage
All other
- Searching for the Investor
- Where and when to incorporate and minimize bureaucracy
- Connecting, relationship and Due Diligence
- Post-investment collaboration
ZAS Ventures’s Approach
“$3K MRR→3mo→30%MoM growth”
- Early engagement: ZAS Ventures encourages startups to approach them at least ~3 months before their fundraising round. If possible, show that you are initiating this process early.
- Pre-Seed Stage with SaaS / Cloud or similar scalable tech: ZAS Ventures focuses on SaaS, cloud infrastructure, B2B platforms, and tech that can scale globally.
- Targeting U.S. Market: ZAS Ventures likes founders who aim at the U.S. market (among global reach). If applicable, show how your product is positioned to enter U.S. regulatory / market / customer segments.
- Mentorship & Advisors from U.S. tech ecosystem: Having U.S.-based advisors or hiring first U.S. execs is something we value.
- Revenue / ARR growth: 3K MRR and 30% MoM Growth
How to craft Pitch deck — tell your story
5 pillars of your story:
- Problem
- Market Opportunity
- Solution
- Team
- Traction
Numbers VCs take care about
- MRR/ARR — all the revenue should be recurrent
- LTV>CAC
- TAM→SAM→SOM — there are rules, but …
- TAM should growth with CAGR over 10%
- SAM more 1B, really?
- Valuation
- Burn Rate
- Runway mo
- Payback Period
The 10 Components of a Strong Fundraising Pitch
Covering these components—not as slides, but as essential topics to address:
- State the Problem Clearly
- Use simple language and personification to show the problem is real and worth solving.
- Explain What You Do
- Quantify your value creation in one sentence, focusing on customer benefits over product features.
- Define Your Customers and Market Strategy
- Clarify your TAM, SAM, and SOM, and signal strategic thinking about market segments and growth.
- Competitive Landscape
- Show you’ve researched competitors and understand how customers currently solve the problem.
- Unfair Advantage
- Highlight what sets you apart—team, technology, market knowledge, or regulatory edge.
- Revenue Model
- Clearly explain how you make money, your assumptions, and key metrics like CAC and LTV.
- Team
- Investors invest in people first; show competence, self-awareness, and a bias toward action.
- Traction
- Back up claims with milestones, revenue, or proof of momentum and commitment.
- Funding Ask
- Ask for what you actually need to reach the next milestone, not just what investors typically offer. Focus on outcomes, not just outputs.
- Opportunity and Exit
- Show future growth potential and possible exit scenarios for investors.
Homework
- Present a 5‑slide narrative: Problem → Solution → Market → Traction → Ask