What to send investors before the first meeting
N1 Investment Company emphasizes supporting bold European founders in AI, fintech, and SaaS at seed stage with early revenue and traction. Preparing the right materials before your first meeting with N1 can spark interest and align with their focus on disruptive ideas in no-license fintech, HealthTech, and more. Here's a comprehensive guide tailored to N1's criteria, drawing from VC best practices.
Essential Pre-Meeting Materials
Send a concise pitch deck (10-15 slides) or a one-pager 24-48 hours before the meeting to allow review time. Focus on scannable visuals highlighting problem-solution fit, as N1 prioritizes startups with first paying customers and observable retention. Avoid overwhelming with full business plans or data rooms early—the goal is to build curiosity, not close the deal.
Crafting Your Pitch Deck
Core Slides for N1 Alignment
Structure your deck to showcase seed-stage readiness:
Slide - Content Focus - N1-Specific Tip
Problem - Clear market pain in fintech/SaaS/AI - Target European markets with global ambition
Solution - Your product/demo link - MVP with pilots or early users
Market Opportunity - TAM/SAM/SOM (credible sources) - No-license verticals like MarTech or eCommerce tech
Traction - Revenue, users, retention metrics - Early revenue and GTM pipeline required
Business Model - Pricing, unit economics - SaaS/B2B with retention emphasis
Competition - Differentiation matrix - Avoid "no competition"; highlight edge
Team - Founder-market fit, experience - Bold European founders
Financials - High-level projections (1-2 slides) - Realistic based on traction
Ask - €100K-€350K use of funds - Milestones like scaling to global
Keep text minimal (under 30 words/slide) for 2-3 minute scans. Tailor to N1's exclusions: no gambling, biotech, or hardware.
The One-Pager Alternative
If time is short, opt for a one-pager summarizing the above in bullet points. Include: elevator pitch, key metrics (e.g., MRR growth), team bios, and contact. This suits N1's agile, quick-decision process. Attach your deck as a PDF for deeper dives.
Timing and Delivery Best Practices
Email materials with a brief intro: "Excited for our meeting on [date]. Here's our deck aligned with N1's seed focus in [vertical]." Confirm receipt and set agenda. Send post-intro call, not cold—N1 values traction signals first. Use tools like DocSend for trackable links to monitor engagement.
What Not to Send Initially
Skip detailed financial models, cap tables, or full plans—these trigger due diligence later. No lengthy videos or data rooms; N1 decides fast on bold ideas. Reserve product demos for the meeting unless traction-proven.
