2012 Application to Make a Pitch
Application Guidelines:
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Prior to filling out and submitting this form, please submit as soon as possible a Notice of Intent Application.
This completed Application to Make a Pitch is due by August 30, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Email this completed Application to Make a Pitch as a pdf file of no more than 4 pages total (3 pages of content + this
characterization page) to TransTechEnergy@mail.wvu.edu with the following in the Subject line: “[Your Company Name] Pitch
Application”
You must use a 10 pt font.
The information that you provide on this application must be defined as non-confidential and non-proprietary.
The statements provided in each section are intended to help you address questions that investors are likely to ask. It is
understandable that you may not have answers to some of the questions, but it is beneficial to demonstrate that you have a
plan to address these future challenges.
This application will be scored by external reviewers according to a 100-point system, with ten sections worth 10 points each.
Fifteen companies will be chosen to present, and a limited number of companies will be selected to be eligible for
Commercialization and Technical Assistance.
Hit Tab to switch between fields
Firm Name:
Business Point of Contact Name:
Phone Number:
Street Address:
City, State, & Zip Code:
Email Address:
1)
Stage of Venture (please choose/highlight one stage)
Prototype
Pre-Commercial
Growth
Later Stage
Other (If other, please describe
2)
)
Anticipated Financing Round (Please choose/highlight one round)
Seed
First Venture Round
Second Venture Round
Bridge Financing
Project Financing
Other (If other, please describe
)
3)
What dollar amount ($ US) are you seeking in this upcoming financing round?
4)
Describe how your company fits within the TransTech Energy concept:
5)
Do you want to apply for Commercial and Technical Assistance for your company or project?
(If yes fill out the Request for Commercialization and Technical Assistance)
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Yes
No
Part 1: Elevator Pitch
10 points
Briefly describe your company and its value proposition.
Part 2: Customer Engagement, Strategic Partners, and Channel Approach
10 points
Describe your current and future customer base, and why customers will pay for your product(s) or service(s).
Describe your existing or planned strategic partners, suppliers, and/or distributors, as well as your channels strategy.
How will you deploy your product(s) or service(s)?
Part 3: Market Size and Market Growth
10 points
How large is your target market? What market segments are you going after and why?
What is happening in this market in the big picture (i.e., why is it growing or declining, etc.)?
Part 4: Competition, Substitution, Differentiation, and Incumbent Power
10 points
Briefly describe the advantages your product(s) or service(s) have over other direct competitors
Describe/differentiate advantages of your product(s) or service(s) for end-users vs. substitute solutions.
How will you displace any incumbents?
Part 5: Technology Validation and Product Development Risk
10 points
What evidence can you present that your product(s) or service(s) work and fill a need? Future validation plans?
Describe the remaining product development risks and your plans to overcome them.
Part 6: Intellectual Property (IP) and Competitive Advantages
Describe your company’s current intellectual property status and plans for the future. (Issued patents? Licensing
agreements? Pending patent applications? Trade secrets?)
Aside from IP, what other unique “unfair advantage” do you have over potential competitors?
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10 points
Part 7: Pricing and Downstream Economic Value
10 points
How will you determine the pricing for your product(s) or service(s)? Is this different from existing competition? Why or why
not?
Articulate why/how there is a compelling ROI for your customers, end-users and partners based on your pricing.
Part 8: Company Economics, Scalability, and Funding Strategy
10 points
What are the keys to profitability for your business (e.g. sales volume, cost optimization, and scale)?
Describe what challenges you expect to have in scaling the business and how you will overcome or mitigate them (e.g. your
approach to outsourcing).
Describe your funding plans moving forward. What milestones will future funding events unlock/enable?
Part 9: Risk Narrative
10 points
What risks have your team mitigated so far? What are the next few major risk-reduction milestones?
What are the critical challenges that you must overcome to make this business a success?
Part 10: Team Membership and Advisors
10 points
Briefly list and describe your key team members/advisors and their roles and contributions.
Briefly describe the gaps in your leadership team and how they will be addressed.
If you are wildly successful and well capitalized, who will run this company in five years? Will you use existing management
or bring in professional managers? Why?
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