Wolves Summit offers structured 1:1 networking, facilitating investments and partnerships. Since meetings are scheduled in advance, more investors attend the conference because they have a clear-cut purpose—meeting with as many tech startups as possible and find the best investment opportunities. The meetings last 15 minutes each. It is best to plan ahead of the conference—which is possible thanks to the matchmaking tool—to get the most out of the meetings. Here’s how you can set up over 40 meetings with investors during Wolves Summit.
Wolves Summit is all about fostering high-quality business relations. The pitfall of traditional networking is the fact that no amount of research could enable truly effective time management during conferences. They usually are short, making the chances of attracting multiple investors rather slim.
From the very beginning of Wolves Summit, we have provided a tool which helps participants engage with each other in a more structured and, thus, more efficient manner. The main features of the matchmaking tool include the possibility of filling out the profile weeks in advance, searching for relevant investors, corporate executives or startups to meet, scheduling meetings 2 weeks before Wolves Summit and, finally, holding as many as 40 meetings in just 2 days of the conference.
I’m really excited about the conference, it was very productive for us. We had 38 meetings and have already booked our calendar for the next Wolves Summit
Yulia Kondratyuk, Proffstore
Meetings are short which means that every minute is precious. The preparation enabled by the matchmaking tool is crucial. The more you know about investors, the better matched your meetings will be, leading to more contact exchanges, investments and partnerships. Simply put, your time will be worth more.
The duration of 1:1 networking during one day of Wolves Summit is approximately 8 hours which gives you a total of 32 meetings a day. Of course, you are not a machine and need to rest at some point. There are, however, no breaks between the meetings which is possible due to the practical arrangement of the tables. That way there are no situations in which participants need to walk vast distances from one hall to the next in order to meet the next interlocutor.
Information Ahead of the Conference
Arranging valuable and relevant meetings is only possible when the requirements and needs of both sides match.
Startups receive the Partners & Investors Book. It provides details regarding corporations and investors, enabling to making more informed decisions, and schedule a better matched meetings. The Corporate and Investors Tickets enable participants to obtain information about you as well. That way, the pleasantries exchanged at the beginning of each meeting can be shorter since both parties know their speakers.
The Matchmaking Tool
Information provided before the conference results in better understanding of the other side and, consequently, allows making the meeting request much more personal. Requests must be concise and specific, tailored to each investor. Then, the decisions regarding the acceptance of your request will be simpler for the investors, avoiding the hit-and-miss types of meetings. Since there are a lot of startups attending the conference, sending the request as soon as it possible—when the inventors’ calendars are still empty—is highly recommended.
The more detailed the request is, the easier it is to determine how well-matched a meeting will be, which translates into greater time to value ratio. Filling-in the profile in a comprehensive manner—including a profile picture—will also make the request more personal, increasing the chances of its acceptance, helping to prevent frequent situations in which you don’t know how a person you are supposed to meet looks like.
The time slots and the table at which the meeting are held are selected automatically, providing a time that is best for both participants. There are no back-and-forth exchanges regarding the hour and the place of the meeting, saving everyone involved a lot of time and energy.
The Meeting
The 15-minute meetings pose both challenges and opportunities. Preparation is key, the more you know about the interlocutor, the less time you’ll spend on discussing the basic issues which are provided on the matchmaking platform. You should make every minute count, polish the pitch and be as ready as possible for the follow-up questions. Knowing the precise duration, time and place of the meeting will only increase its effectiveness.
At the meeting you should, in particular:
- be as prepared as it is possible, using the leverage of the matchmaking tool and the information you receive about investors and corporate executives; however, do not rely only on the information provided by us, do your own research diligently. If possible, find the interest of an investor and incorporate a tidbit into your pitch to make it more personal, increasing the chemistry,
- building on the first point, your story and your product should appeal to the investor not only on a financial level but also on an emotional one,
- be professional, a business-savvy approach should be reflected both in your demeanor and your pitch,
- assess your needs, know exactly what you want to achieve with the investment; investors provide other assets than money, be frank about the things you need the most, whether it is media exposure or logistic/legal advice,
- don’t be afraid to ask questions, solving problems during the pitch will only help your case,
- don’t wait for the investor to define the next steps, end the conversation with a clear call to action.
These recommendations will increase your chances of standing out from the crowd.
I’m really enjoying the quick meetings here. Actually we might have set up a product trial, pilot project, from a meeting here, at Wolves. I’ve had over 30 meetings. I’m trying to get as many as possible
Kimo Arbas, PilotAngel
All in all, holding 40 meeting or more is very well possible. With the right strategy, using the matchmaking tool, and thorough preparation, Wolves Summit will be very productive two days, leading to growth-inducing investments and successful corporations.
We hope that now you will make every minute of every meeting count!
