The Performance of the Pitch

By Christopher Caudle of Make Business Social . Further to #AgileLeaders Forum on the 23 October at the Mills Fabrica in Kings Cross, London sponsored by Nan Fung Life Sciences Real Estate

The Biotech #AgileLeaders session on the 23 October 2024 in Kings Cross led by Tony Sedgwick and Graham Combe, explored a critical topic for life sciences leaders—pitch performance. The discussion was lively, with a blend of CEOs and CSOs to investors, PR experts, and business coaches in the room. The big conversation was around competition and the issue of more and more near-identical pitch decks landing on investors’ desks. So what can CEOs and founders do to cut through the noise and stand out? The consensus: It’s not just the data, market opportunity or your dazzling advisory board—it’s the human element that makes a pitch memorable (or forgettable…).

A founder or CEO’s ability to connect authentically and present a clear, well structured story with conviction can be the differentiator that draws in or turns off investors. Tony brought his recent experience in acting and performance to help us rethink the pitch process. It’s not about changing who you are but about enhancing your performance. Founders and CEOs can often unknowingly stand in the way of their own success, and by refining how they present—not just what they present—they can turn a pitch from average to compelling.

Three Actionable Insights for Start-up Biotech or Medtech Companies:

?? Invest in Personal Presence Training: Consider coaching or?training sessions on presence and storytelling, look for training based in acting and performance. This can sharpen your ability to read?investor cues in real time, adapt your pitch and build confidence making it?more interactive and memorable.

?? Build a Narrative Beyond the Data: Too often, pitch decks and presentations rely solely on metrics. Elevate your pitch by framing the data within a compelling narrative that links scientific discovery to a broader human impact and? conveying why now is the time for your innovation.

?? Put yourself in the pitch deck - literally: I’ve only seen a handful or pitch decks with embedded video. This is a missed golden opportunity for you to include a personalised introduction and connect with potential investors and partners, even before an in-person meeting.

Thanks to all the brilliant participants for their insights! Looking forward to the next session.

Graham Comment: In my opinion, this was one of the most fun and insightful events we have done. As every participant has had experience in pitching and selling, we all had very interesting points of views dependent of our experiences. We are planning more of these in 2025, so watch this space for future #AgileLeaders on the Performance of the Pitch!

Creative Disruption Forum on New Technologies in #SmallMolecule #DrugDiscovery - 12 December, Kings Cross, London.

We look forward to our next Creative Disruption Forum, hosted by Prof Tony Sedgwick and I?on Thursday 12 December?in Kings Cross, London?from 10 am to 5.30 pm.

In this Forum, we will discuss New Technology in Small-Molecule Drug Discovery and how to make your company more investable!? We have a fabulous agenda for you which is not to be missed:

The Agenda in Summary

10-10.30 am arrival with coffee & teas, biscuits & fruit

10.30-10.35 - Introduction by Prof Tony Sedgwick

10.35-10.45 - Intro about Kadans Science Partners

10.45-10.50 - Introductions to our supporting sponsor CDD Vault

10.50-11.10 am - Jon Hollick, MD & Research Head, Breakpoint Therapeutics

11.10-11.40 am- Prashant Shah, Managing Partner,?O2h Group

11.40- Noon - Kinga Bercsenyi, CBO, Arctoris

12.00-12.20 pm - coffee & tea break

12.20 - 12.40 pm - Adam Davenport, Chief Discovery Officer, Proxygen TBC

12.40 - 1.00 pm - Jordan Lane, CSO, Ignota Labs

1.00 - 1.20 pm - Matthew Konneh, Atheneos Ventures

1.30-2.30 pm - light lunch with coffee + refreshments

2.30-2.45 pm - Workshop Introductions and Arrangements

2.45 - 3.30 pm - 6-8 Workshops on different topics

3.30-4.00 pm - coffee & tea break

4.00- 5.00 pm - Group Leader Workshop Presentations

5,00 - 5.30 pm - Round-up of the day's learnings

5.30 pm - End

If you are interested in coming get your tickets now, as they are selling out fast.? Further information and tickets are on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1073249561329?aff=oddtdtcreator

We are getting lots of fantastic feedback about our new Creative Disruption Forum format. Here are some of the comments I have seen about our CDFs on LinkedIn:

"These #creativedisruption events are a genuine and wonderful exchange of ideas. An elegantly crafted format by Tony Sedgwick and Graham Combe." - Prashant Shah, Managing Partner, O2h Group and CEO of O2h Discovery.

"So pleased to represent Sitryx at the fantastic #creativedisruption forum. As always, Tony Sedgwick challenged us to think about how we do #drugdiscovery and what opportunities we see in the future." - Jon Ellery, Director of Biology, Sitryx

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A special thanks goes out to our Sponsors, including Kadans Science Partner, our host sponsor at this wonderful MAYBE Building, 5-10 Brandon Road, Kings Cross London N7 9AA.?

Our other sponsors include CDD Vault, which provides intuitive software for pharma, biotech, academic chemistry, and biology research settings. Mariana Vaschetto, the operations director of EMEA-AP-LATAM, will join us and others on her team.??

We hope you can join us on 12 December. It will be a fantastic day of fun, engagement, learning, and new connections.

There will be "unofficial" after-event drinks from 6 pm in The Star of Kings, 126 York Way, Kings Cross, London N11 0AX. You are welcome to join us whether you attend the CDF or not. So I can manage the?numbers, please e-mail me at [email protected] if you can make the evening only. We'd love to?see you on the 12 December for our end of year special event.

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Graham Combe Founder BioSell & #BiotechBuddies co-founder of #coffeebuddies, the Creative Disruption Forum & the Agile Leaders Forum

e:[email protected]

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