BUILDERS’ PERSPECTIVE 🔧 

If you’re raising a pre-seed or seed round, here are three mistakes I see in pitch decks over and over again:

1. Hiding the team slide.

At this stage, investors are betting on you. Yet too many decks bury the team slide halfway through, or worse, make it pretty but useless. Put it up front. And don’t just list names and logos - tell us why you are the right team for this opportunity. A bullet or two on each founder with a meaningful accomplishment goes much further than design fluff.

2. Copy-paste “insight” slides.

I can spot a ChatGPT-generated TAM, competitor matrix, or “Why Now” slide a mile away. If your slides don’t show depth of understanding, you’ve already lost me. Keep it simple, but make it clear that you know the market better than anyone. Examples:

• TAM: bottom-up, not a vague trillion-dollar number.

• Competitors: show true differentiation, not a lazy feature grid.

• Why Now: explain what’s changed (regulation, behavior, technology) that makes you succeed where others failed.

3. A weak “ask” slide.

Telling me you’ll hire engineers with the money doesn’t tell me anything. Instead, show how the company will look different in 15+ months. Will you have X paying customers? A working product in-market? That’s the signal investors care about.

Early-stage decks don’t need to be flashy - they need to be clear. Show why your team is uniquely positioned, demonstrate a real understanding of the opportunity, and make it obvious how this round will meaningfully change your trajectory. Do that, and you’ll stand out from the pile.

Have a any questions? Thoughts? Let’s catch up at the next Together Toronto (Monday, October 6th) , or just drop me a note on LinkedIn.

P.S: Want to see what a Rocketships Level 🚀 pitch deck looks like? Check out a few pitches from our recent Toronto Rocketships Demo Day. 

🔥 TORONTO TECH WEEK REPLAY: BOAST FUNDING STAGE

During Toronto Tech Week, TechTO partnered with Boast to host a half-day event that walked founders through every stage of financing- from bootstrapping to IPO.

During the panels and discussions, investors, operators, and founders shared candid insights on seed strapping, raising VC in the US, exploring late-stage funding options, funding international expansion, and preparing for growth equity. The sessions gave attendees a practical, 360° view of how to fund their companies at every stage.

Here are some key moment we thought you’d love:

💰️ In this clip, Saif Ajani (Co-Founder, Keyhole - acquired by Muck Rack) shares when it makes sense to take VC funding, why it can limit founder options, and how he “seed-strapped” his business - even buying out his investors to grow profitably on his own terms.

 👉️ Listen to the full talk on Seed-Strapping 101 with Saif Ajani, Matthew Espinoza (Co-Founder & Partner at Clover Labs) + our CEO, Marie Chevrier Schwartz

🇺🇸 In this clip, Gaurav Jain (Co-Founder, Afore Capital) speaks to  🇨🇦 Canadian vs 🇺🇸 American Pitch Decks and What VCs Really Want to See.  

🎤 In the full talk, Gaurav is joined by Jordan Wan (General Partner at CoFound), and Alex Norman (Partner at N49P & Co-Founder of TechTO), answered the most important questions, especially relevant for today’s early stage builders. 👉️ Listen to the full talk on Raising Capital In The US.

👉 If you’re building a company or looking for inspiration for your journey, this talk is packed with powerful lessons on How to Fund International Expansion.

^{Thank you to our production and venue partner StartWell for supporting us during Toronto Tech Week. Learn more about StartWell’s campus and production options at https://startwell.co.}

🏠️ COUNTDOWN TO STARTUP OPEN HOUSE

Visit Toronto’s most innovative startups and accelerators, meet decision-makers face-to-face, and build meaningful connections with tech visionaries during Startup Open House.

🎟️ Attendees: RSVP now to secure your spot.

🚀 Startups: Submit your participation form here.

For remote startups, we’ve partnered with leading accelerators and incubators - including MaRS Discovery District and University of Toronto's Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus - to provide free booth space so you can be part of the Showcase.

✨ Featured Stop: University of Toronto’s Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus

The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus (SRIC) invites you to explore one of Toronto’s most dynamic tech innovation ecosystems through:

• Guided tours of the globally renowned Vector Institute, tech startup spaces, and accelerators ranked among the world’s top 5 university startup incubators.

• Interactive live demos and meet-the-team sessions with high-impact AI startups.

• Exclusive insights from the University of Toronto’s sponsored research and tech commercialization teams.

With curated showcases, networking opportunities, and immersive experiences, SRIC offers a rare window into the future of Canadian innovation.

👀 OPPORTUNITIES TO WATCH

YC is coming to Toronto. It’s happening Tuesday September 16, 5:00pm @ U of T - YC partners Andrew Miklas, Nicolas Dessaigne & Christopher Golda share lessons from funding 1,000+ startups (Stripe, Twitch, Reddit, Scale AI) + insights on the AI boom. Reception + dinner after. Students only. 👉️ RSVP here (university students only).

📆 MARK YOUR CALENDARS

• HAPPENING SOON: Health Toronto: This Wednesday, September 10 at 6:00pm — REGISTER HERE

• Commerce Toronto: Monday, September 15 at 6:00pm — REGISTER HERE
  

• TechTO Hackathon: Saturday, September 27 at 9:00am — REGISTER HERE
  

• Startup Open House @ Elevate Festival presented by TechTO: Thursday, October 9 at 3:00pm —  REGISTER HERE
  

• NEW! Elevate Festival After Party presented by TechTO and TiE Toronto: Thursday, October 9 at 7:00pm —  REGISTER HERE

P.S. We're thrilled to be an official Community Partner of Elevate Festival 2025 (October 7-9). Use coupon code TECHTOELEVATE to save 20% off your ticket HERE 

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