We all know that getting a first meeting with an investor doesn’t mean funding is guaranteed, but if we’re honest, just landing that first call can sometimes feel like the real battle.
For many African founders, especially those outside the mainstream ecosystems, it’s not always clear why some decks spark investor curiosity while others get politely ignored (or worse, completely ghosted).
At Pitchwise, we’ve tracked thousands of deck views across funding stages and sectors. Combine that with direct feedback from investors we’ve spoken to, and some patterns start to emerge.
So, what actually makes a VC say, “Let’s talk”?
1. Relevance: Do you match what they’re looking for?
Let’s start with the most overlooked factor—fit.
Most investors already have a thesis: they invest in specific sectors, stages, and sometimes even regions. If your deck lands in their inbox and doesn’t clearly show why you tick those boxes in the first few slides, it’s a pass. This is not because you’re not interesting, but because you don’t fit them.
What to do:
Customise your intro slide (or even the email) to show you’ve done your homework. Better still, use tools like the Pitchwise Investor Request feature to find matches based on your sector, stage and geography. No more blind guesses.
2. Clarity: Can they understand your story quickly?
You’d be shocked how many decks leave investors confused.
Long-winded slide titles. Word Salad. Over-designed slides that bury the point. Investors don’t have the time to figure you out. If it’s not clear in under 60 seconds, you’re losing them.
What wins instead? A tight narrative. Crisp headlines. Problem → Solution → Traction → Ask. Simple, clear, and easy to skim.
What to do:
Use structured, editable pitch deck templates like the ones in Pitchwise’s Resource Library. They’re designed to walk investors through your story, not leave them piecing it together.
3. Momentum: Are you moving fast enough for your stage?
Especially at Seed, investors are often betting on motion, not perfection.
They want to see that you’ve got a signal: early traction, strong feedback loops, user growth, or even a clear plan to test a big hypothesis.
If your traction slide just says “launching soon,” that’s a problem. But if you can show real momentum (however small), it makes them lean in.
What to do:
Frame traction around learnings and progress. “We ran 3 pilots; here’s what worked, and here’s what we’re fixing.” That tells an investor there’s momentum and maturity, which makes your startup meeting-worthy.
4. Slide-by-Slide Engagement Matters
With Pitchwise, founders can actually see where investors lose interest.
Spoiler alert: most drop-offs happen between the Solution and Traction slides. That’s where your idea moves from concept to reality, and that’s where interest either peaks or drops.
What to do:
Use tools like Pitchwise to track deck engagement. If you see investors bouncing halfway through, tweak the messaging. Sometimes it’s not your idea; it’s how you’ve explained it.
5. Don’t Pitch Blind
Let’s be real. The days of sending a PDF into the void and hoping for a reply are long gone.
The most successful founders we see on Pitchwise treat their fundraising like a sales funnel. They track opens. They follow up with context. They test different versions of their deck. They iterate.
What to do:
Treat Pitchwise like your investor engagement dashboard. It’s not just for sending your deck; it’s for learning how it performs and adapting accordingly.
Final Thought: First meetings aren’t luck. They’re earned.
Getting a VC to say yes to that first call isn’t about having the flashiest product or the most buzz on LinkedIn. It’s about communicating with clarity your relevance and momentum.
And while nothing guarantees a cheque, knowing what investors are actually paying attention to gives you a serious edge. Make your deck work harder today, so you don’t have to.
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