I see (and work on) a lot of presentations that investors use to raise their own money from high net worth individuals or institutional money managers.

Pitching an venture capital (VC) fund is harder than pitching a regular company. Companies are different by nature, different market, different product, different type of people. Investment funds on the other hand, or more or less the same when you listen to pitches “from a distance”, i.e., with the same level of attention that VCs would use themselves when opening the email inbox in the morning and page-downing some decks that hopeful startups have sent overnight.

Most VC/PE (private equity) pitches would talk about that there are lots of great companies out there that cannot get financing, that the team has a stellar track record, and that - unlike all other VCs - this fund will work hands on with their portfolio companies to create value (strategic help, contact network, access to more financing).

So when to the untrained ear all of these pitches sound the same, it is really important to bring out the distinctions. Bring hard data that show that your target companies cannot get financing. Discuss example deals and show why other investors would not be interested in them, and why you can turn them around. Beef up your track record with quantified exits (unlike most presentations, here the more detail, the better). And - sometimes - reconsider your investment strategy and make it very focused and specific, because believe me, you are not the only one out there pitching for money.