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Gijs D.

Gijs D.

London, United Kingdom
Job Success

Venture Capital Consultant - Narrative, Pitch Deck, Investor Strategy

I know what investors are looking for, having been a venture capital investor focussed on early stage technology investments (Seed to Series B) in San Francisco. If you need help with not just your materials but also your narrative and storytelling, I can help transform your pitch from good to great. Whether this is your first fundraise or you are looking to secure follow on funding, I can guide you through the process. I have screened hundreds of companies and have been very fortunate to invest in and work with portfolio companies who have successfully exited as well as secured follow on funding. I have also consulted multinational corporations, helping them solve innovation challenges and in particular connecting them to startups to address their problem statements. As a Founder I understand the struggle from the other side and use that empathy to inform my approach with startup teams. In total I have 10 years experience - as an Investor, Consultant, Founder and Advisor to the tech startup world as well as various roles in Investment Banking in my formative years. I specialise across the startup/venture capital/venture builder/corporate innovation curve, solving problems, setting strategy and enabling teams for success. (i) consulting startups on pitch deck, business plan and financials (ii) ad hoc strategic projects for startups (iii) VC as a service to micro VCs or those looking to access venture capital as an asset class (family offices, HNWs, institutions) (iv) venture building with individuals or corporations to test the feasibility of new concepts (v) innovation consultancy to corporations at the early stages of their innovation life cycle and how to effectively work with startups (vi) building out/developing CVC funds I bring the tenacity, problem solving and optimism of a Founder, market/competitive analysis and critical thinking of an Investor, as well as the financial analysis, diligence and scrutiny of a Banker. --------- Startups - I help founding teams with their materials and messaging to clearly communicate their vision, product and strategy with investors and other key stakeholders (more often than not in advance of fundraising). Often this is a review and complete deconstruction of pitch deck, financials, business plan and marketing materials. I also engage in ad hoc strategic projects and general product/ business growth strategy. Venture Capital - I support micro VCs and individuals/institutions looking to access Venture Capital as an asset class, either on a deal-by-deal basis or a more formalised process of establishing/reorganising an existing fund. From strategy, sourcing and due diligence through to execution and portfolio management, I am involved throughout the process. Furthermore in the fundraising stage, guiding my clients with the target raise, LP strategy as well as operational structure to execute against the fundraise target. Venture Building - I turn disruptive concepts into reality, whether it be working with an individual creator/founder on a pet project or an institution as part of an innovation strategy. Typically my clients have amazing ideas but not necessarily the time or expertise to critically evaluate the feasibility of their concept. In the case of corporate clients, the challenge is often how to build a new product or process outside the confines of corporate bureaucracy. My process is phased and typically follows these steps: Ideation, Market Mapping, Problem Statement formation, User profile and discovery, Design / MVP, Go to Market Strategy, Fundraise Strategy, Customer Acquisition, Fundraise, Scale sales and marketing, Follow on Fundraise strategy. Corporate Innovation - I work with corporations to help them understand which innovations are likely to have the biggest impact on their industry as well as their individual business operations/units. Furthermore how to critically analyse if they should build new technologies, partner with an existing provider or buy a solution (e.g. acquire a startup) More often than not, I work with corporates who are earlier in their innovation lifecycle to guide them through understanding what it really means to work with startups. My process involves: Setting an overall innovation strategy; Aligning senior management, business unit heads and team members; Communication (internally - how to spread innovation as well as excite/incentivise employees and how to communicate externally that they are open to innovation and collaboration with startups); Implementation (how to work with startups) in order to effectively embrace disruption; Mitigation - what to avoid and how companies so often get it wrong. The key principles are always: senior management buy in, business unit inclusion from the start and an allocated budget to deploy.
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Oct 26, 2020 - Jan 15, 2021

"Gijs was an incredible asset for our project. So much so that we were disappointed that our project finished. He has felt like one of the team and will certainly be invited back when we have another project."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Aug 11, 2020 - Aug 19, 2020

"Thank Gijs! It was a pleasure. Until next time..."

Private earnings
Gijs D. has more jobs. Create an account to review them

Portfolio

Financial Projections
Financial Projections
Venture Builder - Feasibility analysis
Venture Builder - Feasibility analysis
Want to see more? Create Account

Skills

Gijs D.

Gijs D.

London, United Kingdom
Job Success
15
Total Jobs
336
Total Hours

View profile

Venture Capital Consultant - Narrative, Pitch Deck, Investor Strategy

Specializes in
I know what investors are looking for, having been a venture capital investor focussed on early stage technology investments (Seed to Series B) in San Francisco. If you need help with not just your materials but also your narrative and storytelling, I can help transform your pitch from good to great. Whether this is your first fundraise or you are looking to secure follow on funding, I can guide you through the process. I have screened hundreds of companies and have been very fortunate to invest in and work with portfolio companies who have successfully exited as well as secured follow on funding. I have also consulted multinational corporations, helping them solve innovation challenges and in particular connecting them to startups to address their problem statements. As a Founder I understand the struggle from the other side and use that empathy to inform my approach with startup teams. In total I have 10 years experience - as an Investor, Consultant, Founder and Advisor to the tech startup world as well as various roles in Investment Banking in my formative years. I specialise across the startup/venture capital/venture builder/corporate innovation curve, solving problems, setting strategy and enabling teams for success. (i) consulting startups on pitch deck, business plan and financials (ii) ad hoc strategic projects for startups (iii) VC as a service to micro VCs or those looking to access venture capital as an asset class (family offices, HNWs, institutions) (iv) venture building with individuals or corporations to test the feasibility of new concepts (v) innovation consultancy to corporations at the early stages of their innovation life cycle and how to effectively work with startups (vi) building out/developing CVC funds I bring the tenacity, problem solving and optimism of a Founder, market/competitive analysis and critical thinking of an Investor, as well as the financial analysis, diligence and scrutiny of a Banker. --------- Startups - I help founding teams with their materials and messaging to clearly communicate their vision, product and strategy with investors and other key stakeholders (more often than not in advance of fundraising). Often this is a review and complete deconstruction of pitch deck, financials, business plan and marketing materials. I also engage in ad hoc strategic projects and general product/ business growth strategy. Venture Capital - I support micro VCs and individuals/institutions looking to access Venture Capital as an asset class, either on a deal-by-deal basis or a more formalised process of establishing/reorganising an existing fund. From strategy, sourcing and due diligence through to execution and portfolio management, I am involved throughout the process. Furthermore in the fundraising stage, guiding my clients with the target raise, LP strategy as well as operational structure to execute against the fundraise target. Venture Building - I turn disruptive concepts into reality, whether it be working with an individual creator/founder on a pet project or an institution as part of an innovation strategy. Typically my clients have amazing ideas but not necessarily the time or expertise to critically evaluate the feasibility of their concept. In the case of corporate clients, the challenge is often how to build a new product or process outside the confines of corporate bureaucracy. My process is phased and typically follows these steps: Ideation, Market Mapping, Problem Statement formation, User profile and discovery, Design / MVP, Go to Market Strategy, Fundraise Strategy, Customer Acquisition, Fundraise, Scale sales and marketing, Follow on Fundraise strategy. Corporate Innovation - I work with corporations to help them understand which innovations are likely to have the biggest impact on their industry as well as their individual business operations/units. Furthermore how to critically analyse if they should build new technologies, partner with an existing provider or buy a solution (e.g. acquire a startup) More often than not, I work with corporates who are earlier in their innovation lifecycle to guide them through understanding what it really means to work with startups. My process involves: Setting an overall innovation strategy; Aligning senior management, business unit heads and team members; Communication (internally - how to spread innovation as well as excite/incentivise employees and how to communicate externally that they are open to innovation and collaboration with startups); Implementation (how to work with startups) in order to effectively embrace disruption; Mitigation - what to avoid and how companies so often get it wrong. The key principles are always: senior management buy in, business unit inclusion from the start and an allocated budget to deploy.
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Oct 26, 2020 - Jan 15, 2021

"Gijs was an incredible asset for our project. So much so that we were disappointed that our project finished. He has felt like one of the team and will certainly be invited back when we have another project."

Private earnings
Rating is 5 out of 5.
5.00 Aug 11, 2020 - Aug 19, 2020

"Thank Gijs! It was a pleasure. Until next time..."

Private earnings
Gijs D. has more jobs. Create an account to review them

Portfolio

Financial Projections
Financial Projections
Venture Builder - Feasibility analysis
Venture Builder - Feasibility analysis
Want to see more? Create Account

Skills

More than 30 hrs/week

< 24 hrs response time

Testimonials

Endorsements from past clients

"Gijs was able to quickly get up to speed on the niche subject matter and was extremely professional, thorough and brought a rigorous structure to the process. He went above and beyond to deliver ahead of our internal deadline. In particular Gijs really helped us with our narrative, his venture capital experience was an invaluable asset and we are now in a very strong position to approach investors."

Gerd E. | Head of Services
Investor Readiness
Apr 2021
Verified

"Gijs helped us understand some key business metrics. He built a fantastic business modeling sheet for us to use moving forwards that was fully explained and easy to use. A great guy to work with & highly recommended."

Oliver M. | COO & Co-Founder
Growth Strategy
Apr 2021
Verified

"Gijs is able to think strategically, then dive into the detail, and put it all together concisely. His process brings a lot of value. I would happily work with Gijs again. "

Edward B. | Founder / Managing Director
Venture Build - Market Analysis
Jan 2021
Verified

"Gijs has supported us on a few occasions with early stage investment analysis. He clearly knows what to look for when screening startups and asks founders penetrating questions. His understanding of the venture capital funding environment is particularly useful. In addition, his work ethic, professionalism along with his analytical and interpersonal skills make Gijs a pleasure to work with."

Nabil H. | Partner
Venture Capital Advisory
Oct 2020
Verified

"I worked with Gijs on a consumertech dd exercise. He’s very knowledgeable, has a great way with people and is extremely hard-working. I’d definitely recommend him! "

Jamie D. | Investment Director
Startup Analysis
Oct 2020
Verified

"Gijs' approach to our project work (start up in the fashion/ tech space) was exceedingly thorough and diligent. His financial modelling skills and understanding of how the different pieces of a business model feed through to its' financials are outstanding. Highly recommended for any startups needing finance/ strategy/ CFO-type oversight or advice."

Faris H. | CEO
Investor Readiness
Oct 2020
Verified

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