Secrets of a Successful Pitch: Recommendations from Meirzhan Esimkhanov

Meirzhan Yesimkhanova, Executive Director Activat VC, Instagram

About Me

I am the Executive and Operations Director of the venture capital firm Activat VC. We invest in early-stage startups in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. In my role, I oversee all processes, from deal flow to due diligence.

Recommendations for Startups

— Define your target audience. First and foremost, you must clearly understand who you are building your startup for. Are you creating a project for yourself or for users to solve their problems? Unfortunately, many startups overlook this crucial point. To test the demand for your idea, conduct surveys among your acquaintances, on social media, or other platforms. Many ideas can be discarded at this stage.

— Utilize available resources. If you decide to move forward, make the most of what you already have. You cannot approach an investor with just a "billion-dollar idea" and ask for a million dollars to implement it. At least in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, this approach does not work. Consider the realities of local business.

— Develop different versions of your pitch deck. The pitch deck should be tailored to the audience. For a client, investor, accelerator, or program, these will be completely different documents, as their goals differ.

— Clearly justify your financial requests. Ask for investment only when you know exactly why you need it. Often, after analyzing the financial model, it becomes clear that the startup does not need the money as much as it thought, and the funds would simply sit idle. Investments must be productive.

— Believe in your project. If you believe in your product, do not give up, even when facing criticism or skepticism. Overcome difficulties, move forward, and strive to realize your idea.