Learn to identify key metrics investors seek in hardware companies and create compelling data visualizations for successful pitches.
This event has ended.
Hardware startups face unique challenges when pitching to investors, particularly around metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that differ significantly from software companies. Understanding what investors look for in hardware and physical product companies—and how to present these metrics compellingly—can make the difference between securing funding and walking away empty-handed.
This specialized workshop addresses the critical gap between what hardware entrepreneurs think matters and what investors actually evaluate when making funding decisions. Unlike software startups with clear user acquisition costs and monthly recurring revenue, hardware companies must navigate complex metrics around manufacturing costs, inventory management, supply chain efficiency, and physical product development timelines.
The session provides practical frameworks for identifying, tracking, and presenting the metrics that matter most to investors evaluating hardware ventures. You'll learn how to address common investor concerns about hardware businesses including longer development cycles, higher capital requirements, and manufacturing complexity, while highlighting the unique advantages and opportunities that physical products offer.
Who Should Attend:
- Hardware startup founders preparing for investor pitches
- Entrepreneurs developing physical products who need to understand investor expectations
- Teams working on fundraising presentations and pitch decks
- Business development professionals supporting hardware companies
- Anyone involved in presenting hardware business performance to stakeholders
This workshop provides the strategic insight and practical tools needed to present your hardware startup's metrics in ways that resonate with investors and secure funding.
About the Instructor
Fernando Carranza is a venture investor who supports tech-driven businesses led by founders reshaping the future of work and human enablement sectors. Currently an investor with Cleveland Avenue’s CAST US Fund and a member of Kauffman Fellows Class 30, Fernando believes that equitable access to capital can transform communities and catalyze systemic change.
Before joining Cleveland Avenue, Fernando was a Director of Venture at Digital Currency Group in New York City, helping to shape the future of decentralized finance. His career began in investment banking at Société Générale where he advised companies on financing strategies, mergers, and acquisitions across the US and EMEA regions. Fernando left Société Générale to lead the first Latinx-focused incubator in the US at 1871 Chicago, and later joined Agora Partnerships in Mexico City as an impact investor.
Fernando received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and graduated with a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
About the Organization
Cleveland Avenue is a global venture capital firm that invests in lifestyle consumer brands and technology companies that positively disrupt large and growing markets. The firm provides financial resources, expertise, and holistic business support to help unlock the value of their investments. Cleveland Avenue focuses on companies with strong growth potential and innovative approaches to solving real market problems. Their investment approach combines capital deployment with strategic guidance, helping portfolio companies navigate the complex challenges of scaling innovative products and building sustainable businesses in competitive markets.
