Entrepreneurs
Keiretsu Forum members invest in high-quality diverse investment opportunities in automation & instrumentation, consumer products, energy, financing, food & beverage, health care/life sciences, internet related, real estate, services, social ventures, software, telecommunications, and any other segment with high growth opportunity.
Application Process
The process of selecting companies that present to Keiretsu Forum is:
Step 1
Application
Companies, start-ups and entrepreneurs seeking investment complete a free online application.
Step 2
Committee Pre-screening
Your application will be pre-screened by Forum members with relevant industry knowledge (e.g. software, hardware, life sciences, real estate, telecommunications, media, food industry, clean technology, etc.). Based on the pre-screening team’s recommendation, 7 to 10 companies are selected for a deal screening where they will present their plans to investors.
Step 3
Deal Screening
Presentations are limited to 15 minutes and no more than 10 PowerPoint slides. Keiretsu Forum recommends a 7-minute presentation followed by an 8-minute Q&A session.
Deal screening is a democratic process where 15 to 20 investors discuss each presentation, expressing their interest and voting anonymously. At the end of each deal screening, 4 to 5 companies are selected to present at a Keiretsu Forum meeting.
The screening committee may recommend that a company must achieve certain milestones and goals or answer additional questions before it is invited before the Forum.
Deal screening is a democratic process where 15 to 20 investors discuss each presentation, expressing their interest and voting anonymously. At the end of each deal screening, 4 to 5 companies are selected to present at a Keiretsu Forum meeting.
The screening committee may recommend that a company must achieve certain milestones and goals or answer additional questions before it is invited before the Forum.
Step 4
Keiretsu Forum Monthly Meeting
Companies selected through the deal screening present to the full Forum. The presentation slots are 20 minutes long. We recommend a 10-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. After each presentation, interested investors complete an interest form (Gold Sheet). After the completion of all presentations, entrepreneurs are excused and Forum members discuss the investment opportunities.
Step 5
Due Diligence
The companies selected by investors (Gold Sheet) enter into a due diligence phase. It is common for one or two investors to lead the entire due diligence process. While investors may collaborate, each of them makes their individual investment decisions.
Final
Global Investing
Each company has the opportunity to secure investment from any part of the Keiretsu Forum global network and to present to any chapter of the Keiretsu Forum.
Presentation Tips
Read the article “How Software Entrepreneurs Can be Successful Presenters to Investors” by Ed Harley, Chair Emeritus of the Keiretsu Forum Software Committee
View the video to the right from Nathan Gold, The Demo Coach, on “How To Pitch To Investors With 13 Slides In Under 10-Minutes”
Review the Keiretsu Forum Due Diligence Handbook
Read the article “Top Ten Tips of the Keiretsu-Funded Entrepreneur“
Review the Application & Presentation FAQ
Online Application
Please make sure to provide as much information as possible.
The application form must be completed in English. We will contact you with more details.
Get StartedThe application form must be completed in English. We will contact you with more details.