Presenting information clearly and effectively is a key skill to get your message or opinion across and, today, presentation skills are required in almost every field. Especially, presentation skills play an important role in bringing success to startups, hereby helping their developers meet and pitch ideas to angel investors.

A presentation of a startup project at the SURF Pitching Competition 2018

The startup project ‘Homecares’, which connects doctors with their patients who want to have medical examinations and treatment in their own homes, won a prize from the Mekong Business Initiative (MBI) of the Asia Development Bank (ADB) at the SURF Pitching Competition 2017. The contest was part of the Da Nang International Start-up Conference and Exhibition 2017.

Accordingly, the prize featured one MBI- sponsored trip to an international start-up event. This prestigious prize helped to facilitate the project’s developers to perfect their product, appeal for more investment capital, and attract more medical workers from hospitals and clinics to join in the project.

Under the SURF Pitching Competition’ rules, each team has 15 minutes to pitch which includes 6 minutes of presentation and 9 minutes of Q&A. All participating projects must present their ideas and business model using slides and presentations in English. The topics focus on What are the market problems to solve? What is the core technology or solution? How big is the market size? Who are the competitors and what are the competitive advantages? How are the business model and strategy to bring products to market? and Do they need any investment at the moment? How are the financial plan and user/customer/revenue growth? Is the team capable enough to convey it?

Ms Nguyen Thi Van Anh, the Director of Homecares JSC, remarked that presentations in any startup competitions often follow a basic framework, including introducing the project, specific reasons for starting up a business, and optimal solutions the project offers. She noted that the toughest task is to answer all questions raised by the judges in the required time.

It is no denying the fact that presentation skills play a decisive role in securing success for entries at startup competitions.

A group of students from the Da Nang University of Economics has won the 1st prize of the recent Da Nang Startup Runway 2018 for their ‘JustOrder’ project.

The ‘JustOrder’ app allows its users to buy drinks or food without waiting in line. Also, it will help to improve customer satisfaction, and reduce unnecessary workloads for drinking and eating service providers.

In particular, first-year student Truong Nguyen Thao, the group’s leader, impressed the competition’s judges with her highly persuadable presentation in English which considerably helped the ‘JustOrder’ developers receive high praise and win the highest prize.  

Co-Founder/ CEO of TrapTap Bryce North underlined a must-do for startups to grasp the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors whenever and wherever possible, even a short talk in an elevator. 

He suggested that focus should be on introducing the investors to the name of the project, the outstanding features of its product, the feasibility of the project, and other concerned issues.

Meanwhile, Mr Pham Duc Linh, the co-founder of the Ylinkee Co Ltd, highlighted a need for young startup lovers to pay special heed to such key contents as the project’s high practicality, marketing strategies, and financial plans.