Space Business & Entrepreneurship
ASU SES 498/598
Fred von Graf, PMP
Tuesday, 1:30-2:45 PM
Transform your space venture into a compelling story
Why stories beat statistics
What investors really want
Presence, pace, and power
Tools to perfect your pitch
Solution: Make it human, make it real
"Space debris threatens $500B in orbital assets..."
"But what if we could clean it up profitably?"
"Our magnetic capture system..."
"Enabling sustainable space for generations"
"Led by former NASA mission directors..."
Company, tagline, contact
The pain you solve
Your unique approach
TAM, SAM, SOM
How it works
How you make money
Your advantage
Why you'll win
Progress to date
Funding and milestones
What to Include:
Common Mistakes:
AI Prompts:
Create 5 opening hooks for a pitch about [space venture]. Each should be <10 seconds and include: - Surprising statistic - Emotional connection - Clear problem statement
Generate analogies to explain [complex space technology] to non-technical investors. Use familiar concepts from consumer tech, transportation, or telecommunications.
Transform these technical features [list] into customer benefit stories. Format: "Imagine you're [customer]..."
"Satellites need better propulsion"
"Every year, 100+ satellites worth $5B become space junk because they can't maintain orbit. Operators lose $50M per dead satellite, and insurance premiums have tripled."
Quantify the problem of [issue] for [customer]. Include: financial impact, frequency, current solutions' failures, and emotional cost to stakeholders.
Core Innovation (1 sentence)
How It Works (visual/demo)
Why Now (enabling factors)
Proof Points (validation)
Use animations to show orbital mechanics, deployment sequences, or data flow
❌ Instead of:
"We have 3 customers"
"We raised $500K"
✅ Say:
"300% QoQ customer growth"
"Funded by NASA and Space Force"
"We make satellites last longer with our propulsion system."
"Make this problem more urgent and quantifiable..."
"Explain this in terms a 12-year-old would understand..."
"Find a real example of satellite failure due to propulsion..."
"When DirecTV's $250M satellite died from propulsion failure, 10M customers lost service. Our plug-and-play thruster would have saved it."
"You know how SpaceX made launches 10x cheaper?" We're doing that for satellite operations. Our AI autopilot reduces operations cost by 90% while improving reliability. We've already signed NASA and two commercial operators. Looking for $5M Series A to scale."
"Every year, 100+ satellites become space junk threatening $500B in assets." Current removal solutions cost $50M per object—uneconomical. Our robotic tug uses ion propulsion to remove 10 objects per mission at $2M each. Our team built the ISS robotic arm and Mars rover systems. Seeking $10M to launch our first demonstration mission."
Be Passionate
Your enthusiasm is contagious
Be Clear
Complexity kills interest
Be Bold
Big problems need big solutions
Be Open
Great teams make great companies
Q: "How will you compete with Blue Origin?"
A: "We're not competing—we're enabling them. Our system makes their satellites 30% more profitable."
Q: "What if SpaceX adds this feature?"
A: "Great validation! We'd be an acquisition target."
Key: Story evolved with proof points
(2 minutes)
(3 minutes)
(5 minutes)
Practice makes perfect - each round builds confidence and clarity
Generate likely investor questions for [space venture]
based on recent funding trends in [sector].
Create 10-slide pitch deck
Record 5-minute pitch video
Write 30-second elevator pitch
Prepare Q&A document (10 questions)
Design one "wow" visual/demo
The right tools amplify your message and save valuable time
"People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it"
- Simon Sinek
Pitch Tip:
Practice your pitch 50 times. By presentation day, it should feel like breathing.
Tuesday/Thursday 3:00-4:00 PM
Fred@W4M.ai
🚀
Go inspire the world with your vision!