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7 Tips for Getting Early-Stage Equity Investment from Startup Investors

Starting a business is an exciting but risky pursuit. Sadly, around 10% of startups fail before they even get off the ground. Studies have shown that a massive 42% of startups fail because there is no market need for the product or service they are offering. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the second biggest reason startups fail is because they run out of money.

If you are trying to get your startup off the ground, investors are vital to keeping you afloat in the early days. However, securing investment can be challenging. While investors are investing more money than ever before in startups, they are investing in fewer projects.

If you want to secure an investor, you will need an effective strategy and the determination to prove your worth. Here at Matar Investments Group, we see many promising startups and actively look for investment opportunities in Asia and the MENA region. As an independent investment and consultancy group, we specialise in direct investments within the technology, property, manufacturing and consumer sectors.

With several years of business, finance, and investment experience, we know what it takes for startups to become successful, growing companies. We actively look for investment opportunities that show high-growth potential, a sustainable competitive advantage and have a high-quality management team.

My seven tips below will equip you with all the knowledge you need to get early-stage equity investment from startup investors.

1. Ensure You Have a Robust Business Plan

Investors will be deterred if they think you have your head in the clouds. Having a strong passion for your product or service is not enough on its own. You need to demonstrate you have a thorough and realistic plan for the future. Having a robust business plan will go a long way.

A good tip is to adapt your business plan to cater to your audience. For example, you may want to tweak the information you present to a venture capitalist from that which you present to a bank. Who are you writing for, and what will they want to know? Structure the content of your plan accordingly.

Your business plan should include detailed competitor analysis, explaining what sets you apart from them. Do thorough research and provide evidence wherever possible to back up your claims. Potential investors seek to eliminate risk and go through your business plan with a fine-tooth comb, so be prepared to answer any questions and confidently back up any bold assertions you have made.

Keep your business plan grounded in reality and be conservative about your financial projections. It would help if you were completely confident you can achieve any predictions, so air on the side of caution with these. Stick to facts and evidence in the business plan and let your passion shine through your delivery.

2. Demonstrate there is a market for your product or service

Simply explaining how your product or service solves a problem is not enough. Just because something solves a common pain point does not mean people will want to buy it. There could be other reasons why it might not sell well. Perhaps it is too costly to produce or is not versatile enough as a solution, for example.

It would be best if you convinced investors that people would pay for what you are offering. If you have an existing customer base, use this to your advantage. Come armed with feedback from existing customers, showing that they value your product or service. Highlight sales figures or positive marketing analysis to date as these will demonstrate you are already building a customer base and that there is interest in your business.

At the very least, you should be able to clearly explain who your customers are, who the end-user of your product or service is, and why they would want it. Show that you thoroughly understand your target market, that what you are offering is desirable to them, and they are willing to pay what it costs.

3. Differentiate Your Product or Service

What is your competitive advantage? Ensure you convey this to potential investors, which will be a critical issue when deciding whether to invest. Highlight what makes your product or service different from others. Perhaps your solution is a market first, in which case you won't have to work so hard to differentiate it but will instead need to place more focus on demonstrating there is a viable market for it.

However, most startups are entering existing marketplaces, and, in this case, you must be clear about what sets you apart from competitors. This could be one simple factor, such as being physically located far from the nearest competitor. Or it could be a combination of factors such as quality products with low price tags. Define your unique selling point and use this to persuade investors of your worth.

4. Demonstrate the Growth Potential of Your Company

The majority of investors will be looking for opportunities to invest in businesses with significant growth potential. As such, you must be clear about your market size and reach. Of course, not every company will have a global market, and that is okay. However, you will be in an excellent position to persuade investors if you can demonstrate that your market will be large enough to incorporate the economies of scale to increase profits and margins over time.

If your startup is entering an existing market, demonstrating your competitor's advantage becomes all the more important in this regard. This is because the share of the market you attain will presumably be coming from one or more of your competitors.

5. Craft Your Narrative and Practice Your Pitch

Think about your pitch like writing a killer speech. While the contents of your business plan and any sales evidence you have will form the bare bones of your presentation content, you should beef this out with a carefully crafted narrative. Your narrative is where your passion and confidence should shine through.

Make sure you have a clear sense of your company vision and articulate this well. Explain why you are uniquely suited to harness this opportunity and what you personally bring to the table. Practice delivering your pitch beforehand and be prepared to be interrupted by investors – do not let this throw you off. While it is important to prepare thoroughly, you must also be ready to react in the moment, answer questions and adapt on the spot where necessary.

Prepare thoroughly and ensure you know all the key information from your business plan so you can answer questions succinctly and confidently.

6. Sell Yourself and Your Team

How you present yourself and your team can make the difference between success or rejection. Early-stage investors place a significant emphasis on their impression of a team because they are looking to invest in resilient people and who they believe are capable of building a business. Startup projects rarely go to plan, and investors know this, so they must be confident in your ability to overcome problems, persevere, and pivot when necessary.

Investor relationships go far beyond ROI, and you should be looking to build the relationship from the first meeting. Demonstrate that you are an effective leader with a solid, quality team behind you. Avoid being arrogant about your skills or your business. This will not impress investors who tend to have very strong résumés themselves.

A crucial part of building a good relationship with investors is honesty. Demonstrate honesty in your pitches, and do not be afraid to say you don't know the answer to a question. While you should be able to answer most questions confidently if you have prepared well in advance, there will inevitably be something you are not sure about. Be honest about this and give a timeframe for coming back to them with an answer. This shows a mature, genuine approach and awareness of where you are in the startup process.

7. Actively Seek Feedback

Of course, you will not win everyone over, but each pitch is a valuable learning opportunity. Actively seek feedback after each meeting and use this information to fine-tune your pitch in the future. However, be thoughtful about the feedback you act on, as you should always stay true to your business vision. You do not need to make every recommended change, so carefully weigh every bit of feedback you receive.  

It is important to be prepared for rejection and undeterred by this. Most early-stage investors invest in less than 2% of all the business plans that land on their desk. You must be resilient and able to accept that rejection is not personal. Chances are, you will be rejected many times before you gain investment, and that's normal. You must be prepared to endure your business being criticised and being told there is no market for your product or service by people with little knowledge of it.

Keep going. Keep putting your business out there, learn from your mistakes, and eventually, you will succeed!

Final word

If you have a great business idea for a viable market, you are already miles ahead of other startups. Investment is all you need to significantly increase your chances of surviving the tough early days of getting your business off the ground.

Securing early-stage investment is challenging. However, if you apply my seven principles effectively, you will be in a solid position to secure the investment you need. It pays to prepare thoroughly and effectively and persevere with determination. If you are a startup looking for early-stage investment, you can

visit our website to find out more about us and get in touch.

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A Proven International Hub for Business

Over the past decade, the UAE's appeal for business and travel has continued to grow. This rapidly growing economy is described by many as a business haven. The region has experienced significant growth, with the implementation of business-friendly free zones and the promise of a growing, stable economy. In 2020, there were approximately 665,246 business licenses issued within the UAE.

Independent private equity and advisory group Matar decided to relocate their business and most of their senior management to the UAE back in 2016. They were looking for a stable, central business location to conduct their business on a global scale with ease. The UAE proved to be the prime location from which to establish a strategic hub for international trade.

Managing Director of Matar, Pawel Gardas, explained, "Back in 2016, our business opportunities started growing outside of Europe to different regions of the world. We quickly realised we needed a central business location in a stable economy to conduct business globally. Since we actively source potential high growth investments worldwide, UAE was a desirable location for Matar Group to establish our head office due to its diverse and skilled workforce and the central location with proximity to major regions of the world, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. UAE is also a major travel, commercial and trading hub, and regulations are very business-friendly and attractive, with efficient immigration and Free Zones allowing tax exemptions."

Matar is not alone in choosing the UAE and Dubai as the hub for their global businesses; many other companies are relocating to the region for the same reasons.

Business advantages of operating in the UAE

The UAE offers businesses many advantages compared with other regions such as Asia. 

The UAE is an excellent choice for businesses across a diverse range of sectors. The region provides opportunities in many industries and is focused on diversification in trade, real estate, banking, tourism, manufacturing, and logistics.

Infrastructure is well-established in the UAE. The region is attractive to businesses because it has a skilled workforce and a robust banking system. It has one of the most liberal trade regimes of the entire Gulf region, and there is a window of free trade zones, offering an attractive taxation regime and allowing 100% foreign company ownership.

The free trade zones are economic areas where the trade of goods and services can be conducted at preferential customs and tax rates. The region's government introduced them to boost international business, and there are currently 45 free zones across the UAE.

These free zones have continued to evolve over the years, offering ever-increasing business advantages. Some zones cater to specific industries and business sectors, and they benefit from zero personal tax in these areas, allowing you to attract top global talent to your business.

Businesses relocating to the UAE's free zones benefit from an unrivalled level of support from local authorities. Free zone authorities offer assistance during the initial company set up and beyond. Business owners can benefit from assistance applying for visas, including for shareholders and any dependents.

In many free zone areas, authorities also provide advice and assistance in opening corporate bank accounts. Ongoing business advice and networking services are standard in these areas, as well as start-up hubs. New businesses benefit from growth initiatives to help them get up and running.

The UAE provides a favourable tax environment for businesses operating across most industries. With expatriates accounting for over 80% of the workforce, companies benefit from a vast talent pool.

The UAE benefits from solid capital flow from across the region and excellent global travel links. Repatriation of income and capital is unrestricted, and there are no exchange control restrictions and with the AED being linked to the USD, you are able to mitigate significantly your exchange rate risks.

Also, the UAE is strategically located between Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia, which makes it a gateway between the East and West. This advantageous location is appealing to businesses because it places them near economic giants like China and India and emerging markets.

The way of life and culture is also appealing to many seeking to relocate. Expatriates are welcomed and able to practice their own cultures. The area offers a safe and secure environment for individuals and families, boasting one of the world's lowest crime rates.

In addition to all of this, the climate is a significant pull for many, especially when considered in relation to other economically attractive regions.

The UAE offers a wealth of benefits to businesses looking to relocate and maintain global connections with their customers like it has for the Matar group. From simple perks like the glorious weather to sound business benefits such as free zones and a favourable tax environment, more businesses will continue to set up their head operations in the UAE as the country is well on its way to becoming the number one international business hub of the world.

About the Matar Group

The Matar group is an independent investment and consultancy group specialising in direct investments within the technology (FinTech and MedTech), property, manufacturing and consumer sectors. The Matar group's direct investment arm includes several British Virgin Islands (BVI) companies. One of the group companies, Orion Investment Holdings, was established as a conduit to source business opportunities and funnel these to the group. The group is headquartered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with satellite offices in Hong Kong.

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Address:Creative Tower, Fujairah

Country: United Arab Emirates

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