An investor pack for a drinks start-up

What is different from a bank report

A bank asks whether the project can repay a loan. An investor asks whether the business can grow enough to justify taking a share of it. They also ask how they will get their money back. So the pack leads with the opportunity, the team and the economics. Technical detail waits in the appendix. See project report or business plan.

No pack can promise an investment. Investors decide on their own criteria, including fit with their strategy. Your task is to be clear enough that a no is for the right reasons.

The story in one page

State the problem or gap in plain words, the product, the customer, why now and why you. Keep it concrete: which city, which drinker, what price, what first sales. Avoid superlatives you cannot support. "The first" and "the best" invite a challenge. Add the one fact that proves traction, such as a pilot batch sold, a signed distributor or a waiting list that you can show.

Team and track record

Investors back people. Show who is on the team, what each has done and the roles that are still empty. A brewer, a seller and someone who understands the numbers is a healthy mix. If a key role is open, say how you will fill it.

Unit economics

Show what one litre or one case earns. A hypothetical unit of 100 revenue after tax and trade margin: liquid and ingredients 20, packaging 25, labour and energy 15, freight and selling 15. That leaves 25 before overheads. Then show how overheads spread as volume grows. This is the break-even logic from what a brewery DPR should contain.

Use your own quotes and prices. Do not borrow margins from another company or from a conference slide.

Use of funds and the cap table

Say how much you want to raise and exactly what it buys. A hypothetical raise of 100 units: plant and fit-out 50, working capital 30, brand and marketing 10, licences and pre-opening 10. The parts must total 100. Show what the funds achieve: a plant that can make a stated volume, sales reaching a stated level, a milestone for the next round.

Show who owns what today and what the raise would do to that. Be factual about the terms you are open to. Use a lawyer for the legal documents. Securities and company law differ by country and change. This guide does not give legal advice.

Financial projections and returns

Include a five-year view with a base case and a downside, the cash needed at its peak and the milestones that release each part of the money. Investors often care about peak cash more than the final profit, because that is when they are most exposed. Explain the exit routes you think are realistic without promising any. Return measures such as NPV and IRR are covered in NPV, IRR and payback for a brewery project.

How to present it

Open with a short summary deck or document of ten to fifteen pages and put the model, the quotations and the detail in a folder behind it. Lead with the number an investor cares about, which is how much you need and what it achieves. Use one chart for the sales ramp and one for the cash need. Keep the tone plain.

Expect questions and write the answers down in advance. Why this valuation, why this plant, what if the second distributor does not sign? An honest "we do not know yet, here is how we will find out" lands better than a confident guess.

Risks and the appendix

Name the real risks: licence timing, state-by-state rules in India, cold chain, raw material price, a dependence on one distributor. For each, say what you will do. An investor who finds a risk you did not name will wonder what else you missed.

Keep a due diligence folder ready, because serious investors will ask for one: company documents, licences or applications, plant quotations, the model and market evidence. Being able to hand over the folder quickly is a mark of a prepared founder.

Common questions

How long should an investor pack be?

Short enough to read quickly, usually a summary deck or document plus an appendix. The model and the technical detail sit behind it.

Do I need a DPR for an investor?

Not usually at first. Some investors ask for project-level detail once they are interested, so keep one ready.

Can you guarantee investment?

No. Investors decide on their own criteria. A clear pack helps them decide. It also helps you avoid a refusal for avoidable reasons.

Should I state a valuation?

Be careful and take legal and financial advice. Show what you want to raise and what it achieves. Be ready to discuss terms.