The 5 Biggest Mistakes We See in Mobility Startup Funding Pitches
June 10, 2026 By Lori Straus
The toughest 10 minutes for a startup founder? Your funding pitch, with anywhere from $10,000 to $1 million on the line. We love the energy at pitch sessions but often spot founders’ common presentation mistakes.
Here’s a list of dos and don’ts to strengthen your pitch.
Mistake 1: Practising, but Not the Way You Think You Should
For many, “practising” means simply running through a speech. Do you know, though, what environment you’ll be pitching in? Will you have a clicker, microphone, or both? Will you be presenting to 10 people or 200?
Follow these practice tips to improve your presentation skills:
- Hold an object in each hand: one for the microphone and one for the clicker. You’ll notice how those two props can interrupt your flow.
- Hold a thin slice of cork between your teeth and enunciate. When you remove the cork, your mouth should feel more relaxed and your speech should be clear.
- Stand in one spot, with your back straight, and your chin up. Then deliver your presentation. If pitching from a lectern, you’ll want to ensure your energy and passion shine, and avoid leaning over the lectern.
Running your company requires frequent pivots. Preparing to pitch for various situations helps you handle the unexpected, like a tech glitch or last-minute venue change. Confidence comes from preparing for the unexpected, and practice builds it.
Mistake 2: Cluttered Slides
Every member in your audience can only pay attention to one thing at a time: your slides, you, or their phone. Your slide design can help you control their focus.
Can audience members read your entire presentation from your slide deck? If yes, rethink your slide design for your funding pitches. Your slides support your pitch; they’re neither cue cards nor a standalone presentation.
Slides can help keep visual attention and illustrate complex concepts, but they shouldn’t replace your presentation or compete with you for attention.
Follow these tips to ensure your slides support your funding pitch:
- Don’t cram information; have each slide focus on one point. This makes your slides easier to read.
- Use a consistent template to help your slides look organized.
- Keep your design’s colour contrast high. Not all pitch sessions take place in suitable lighting.
The audience should watch you when you talk and only your slides when you point to them. If your slides draw too much attention, you miss connecting with your audience.
Mistake 3: Sloppy Writing
Showing up at a pitch event confidently with informational slides is not enough. Everything in your pitch gives an impression of you. This includes your writing.
A clean presentation is more than spellcheck. Capitalization, punctuation, and consistent layouts help readers organize and better remember your information.
Follow these tips:
- Capitalization distinguishes regular nouns (lowercase) from proper nouns (capitalized). Do not use capital letters for “important nouns.”
- Punctuation eases reading flow if used consistently and according to basic grammar rules. Do not punctuate “by feeling.”
- Layout helps viewers organize information. Do not change the layout on each slide to “be creative.”
Generative AI platforms now help clean your presentations, so you have no excuse for sloppy writing.
Mistake 4: Burying the Target Market
Don’t wait until the middle of your presentation to explain who benefits from your solution. Whether a venture capitalist, investor, transit rider, or a member of the general public, your audience wants to know whose problem you’re solving.
The newspaper industry has an expression: don’t bury your lead. This means don’t put the most attention-grabbing point in the middle of your article.
Follow these tips so you don’t bury your target market:
- Introduce the problem and who it affects at the start.
- Repeat the problem and target market several times throughout the presentation.
- End by showing how your solution solved your target market's problem.
You’ve developed your mobility or transportation solution to solve a specific problem. Make its benefits absolutely clear.
Mistake 5: Talking Too Fast
Speaking fast turns your visually structured script—headings, breaks, punctuation—into one wall of auditory text. Think Victorian-era novels as a startup pitch.
As we discussed in Mistake 1, you may need to present in a less-than-ideal environment. Speaking slowly not only calms you, but it can help your audience hear you despite an echoing room, the hum of the HVAC system, or a microphone malfunction.
Follow these tips to slow down your speech:
- Record your pitch as written, then cut it by 25% and read it again, keeping the same time.
- Highlight key points by pausing after saying them; your audience will know what’s important only if you signal it.
- Use the cork method described in Mistake 1: enunciating with a small slice of cork will slow you down. If you’ve run out of time before finishing your presentation, you’ve included too much information.
Don’t Wing It. Practise.
You’ve founded a mobility or transportation startup to solve a real-world problem, and must now pitch your idea to investors, city officials, or the public. Your pitch showcases your company brand, personal brand, team, and expertise.
The pressure is on.
Remember: Public speaking is a special skill in itself, one that requires practice. Don’t mistake your pitch for a friendly chat, and remember you have considerably less time than a job applicant to leave a strong impression. Practice, practice, practice.
Would you like some feedback on your pitch? Contact us via the form below and we’d be happy to schedule a session with you.
