How can you effectively communicate the value proposition of a spacecraft innovation to potential investors?

1 Know your audience

Before you pitch your innovation, you need to research your audience and understand their background, interests, goals, and pain points. This will help you tailor your message to their needs and expectations, and avoid jargon, assumptions, or irrelevant details. You can use online tools, such as LinkedIn, Crunchbase, or AngelList, to find out more about your potential investors, their portfolio, their investment criteria, and their feedback on other pitches.

2 Define your problem

The first step to communicate the value proposition of your innovation is to define the problem that you are solving and why it matters. You need to show that there is a significant market demand, customer need, or social impact for your solution, and that the current alternatives are inadequate, expensive, or inefficient. You can use data, facts, stories, or testimonials to illustrate the problem and its consequences, and to capture the attention and empathy of your audience.

3 Present your solution

The next step is to present your innovation as the best solution to the problem that you have defined. You need to explain how your innovation works, what are its unique features and benefits, and how it differs from the existing or potential competitors. You can use diagrams, images, videos, or demos to demonstrate your innovation and its value proposition, and to make it more tangible and memorable for your audience.

4 Validate your traction

The fourth step is to validate the traction of your innovation and prove that it has the potential to succeed in the market. You need to provide evidence that your innovation has been tested, validated, or adopted by customers, partners, or experts, and that it has achieved or can achieve measurable results, such as revenue, growth, or social impact. You can use metrics, testimonials, awards, or endorsements to showcase your traction and credibility.

5 Explain your business model

The fifth step is to explain your business model and how you plan to generate revenue, reduce costs, and achieve profitability and scalability. You need to outline your target market, customer segments, value proposition, revenue streams, cost structure, and key resources and partners. You can use a canvas, a table, or a chart to present your business model and its key assumptions and hypotheses.

6 Ask for your ask

The final step is to ask for your ask and specify what you are looking for from your potential investors. You need to state how much money you are raising, what is your valuation, how will you use the funds, and what are the milestones and projections for your innovation. You also need to highlight the return on investment, the exit strategy, and the risks and challenges that you are facing or anticipating. You can use a slide, a table, or a graph to summarize your ask and its rationale.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?