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Lesson
C1ENInvestor Pitch Roleplay: Evaluate and Decide
Master direct and indirect question forms for professional interrogation from the investor's chair. Hear startup pitches, spot the red flags, ask the questions founders don't want to answer, and decide where to put your money. A practical C1 English lesson on question forms, investment vocabulary, and evaluating business proposals under pressure. Ideal for adult learners, English tutors, and language schools.
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Red Flags in a Pitch — Can You Spot Them? True/False
True or False
- If a founder says "We have no competition," it usually means they haven't done enough market research.True
- A startup that is growing 20% month-on-month is always a safe investment.False
- The best time to ask a founder about their weaknesses is at the very beginning of the meeting.False
- If a founder cannot explain their business model in one sentence, that is a serious red flag.True
- Investors should always focus on the product first and the team second.False
- A startup that has already changed its business model three times is probably a bad investment.False
- If a founder gets defensive when asked a tough question, it usually means they are hiding something.True
- The most important number in any pitch is revenue — everything else is secondary.False
Investment and Evaluation Vocabulary. Taboo
Taboo
Due diligence
- check
- research
- investigate
- verify
- background
Valuation
- worth
- price
- value
- company
- million
Equity
- share
- ownership
- percentage
- stake
- company
Red flag
- warning
- bad
- sign
- problem
- danger
Scalable
- grow
- big
- expand
- multiply
- more
Traction
- progress
- users
- growth
- numbers
- customers
Burn rate
- spend
- money
- monthly
- cash
- lose
Exit strategy
- sell
- leave
- end
- plan
- IPO
Term sheet
- contract
- deal
- offer
- agreement
- conditions
Cap table
- shares
- owners
- percentage
- investors
- founders
Lesson Board
Lesson Board
Ask It Better. Word Choice
Word Choice
- Could you saytellspeak me what your customer acquisition cost is?
- I'd be interested to know whathowwhy you plan to reach profitability.
- DoWouldCan you mind walking me through your financial projections?
- What doeswillwould happen to your business if your biggest client left tomorrow?
- I'm wantingcuriousinteresting about why you chose this particular market segment.
- Could you tellelaboratesay on what you mean by "significant traction"?
- You saytoldsaid you have no competitors — could you explain what you mean by that?
- I'd like to hearunderstandknow how you arrived at a €10 million valuation with €200,000 in revenue.
- MustShouldMay I ask what your co-founder's reason for leaving was?
- What willwoulddid you do differently if you had to start the company again from scratch?
Four Pitches — Where's Your Money Going? Jigsaw Reading
Jigsaw Reading
Pitch 1 — GreenCharge
A 28-year-old engineer pitches a portable solar charger for outdoor enthusiasts. She wants €400,000 for 8% equity. Her prototype works. She has 3,000 pre-orders from a crowdfunding campaign. When asked about competition, she names four competitors and explains exactly how her product differs from each one. When asked about her weakness, she says: "Manufacturing. I've never scaled production beyond 500 units. That's why I need a partner, not just money." The numbers are modest but realistic. She answers every question without hesitation.
Pitch 2 — MindPal
Two former psychologists pitch an AI mental health app. They want €1.5 million for 12% equity. They claim 50,000 downloads in three months and "incredible user engagement." When asked for retention numbers, they say they are "still refining the metrics." Their revenue model is a premium subscription but only 2% of users have converted. When asked why their co-founder left last month, they say "creative differences" and quickly change the subject. Their pitch deck has 42 slides.
Pitch 3 — QuickHire
A serial entrepreneur pitches a recruitment platform for the hospitality industry. He wants €800,000 for 10% equity. This is his fourth startup — the previous three all failed. When asked about his failures, he says: "Each one taught me something. The first failed because I hired wrong. The second because I scaled too fast. The third because the market wasn't ready. This time I've built the product before raising money." He has 12 paying restaurants and €8,000 monthly recurring revenue. When asked about his 42-year-old competitor, he says: "They're slow, expensive, and their clients hate them. Here are the reviews."
Pitch 4 — LuxLoop
A 24-year-old influencer pitches a luxury fashion rental platform. She wants €2 million for 5% equity — valuing the company at €40 million. She has 800,000 Instagram followers and says "the brand IS me." Revenue so far: €15,000, mostly from friends. When asked why the valuation is so high, she says: "This isn't about revenue yet — it's about the vision. In two years this will be worth €200 million." When asked what happens to the company if she gets bored, she laughs and says: "I never get bored." She has no technical co-founder and the app is built by freelancers.
Comprehension questions
- Which startup would you invest in and why? Which would you reject immediately?
- Which founder handled the tough questions best — and which one raised the most red flags?
- If you could invest in two out of four, which combination gives you the best portfolio?
The Investment Committee. Mission Briefing
Mission Briefing
Scenario
You are on the investment committee of a venture capital fund. You have €2 million to invest this quarter. You heard four pitches today. The committee must decide: which startups get funded, how much, and on what terms? Not everyone will agree. You have 15 minutes.
The Numbers Person
You only care about data. Revenue, unit economics, retention, burn rate. If the numbers don't work, you don't invest. You liked GreenCharge (solid numbers) and QuickHire (real revenue, experienced founder).
Must use: Your real concern: the fund had two bad investments last year and your partners are questioning your judgement. You need a safe bet. Risky startups terrify you right now — even if the upside is huge. Do not reveal the pressure from your partners.
The Visionary
You invest in people and potential, not spreadsheets. You liked MindPal (huge market, mental health is growing) and LuxLoop (massive social media reach, cultural relevance).
Must use: Your real concern: you invested in a similar "vision-first" startup last year that burned through €3 million and collapsed. If you back another one that fails, your reputation is finished. You still believe in big bets but you need the committee to share the risk.
The Deal Maker
You negotiate terms. You want to invest in startups where you can get the best deal — most equity for least money. You think LuxLoop's €40 million valuation is insane but GreenCharge's 8% for €400,000 is cheap.
Must use: Your real concern: you have a personal connection to the QuickHire founder — you went to university together. If you push too hard for QuickHire, it could look like favouritism. If you don't disclose the connection and it comes out later, it's a compliance violation.
The Industry Expert
You spent 20 years in the tech industry before becoming an investor. You understand product, market fit, and scaling. You think MindPal has a dangerous gap — mental health apps face huge regulatory risk that the founders didn't mention.
Must use: Your real concern: you were approached by MindPal's former co-founder last week. He told you he left because the founders were inflating their user numbers. You have no proof — just his word. Do you share this with the committee?
Your Verdict — Fund or Pass. Speaking Challenge
Speaking Challenge
You have heard all four pitches and the committee debate. Now give YOUR personal investment verdict. For each startup, say in 30 seconds: FUND or PASS — and why. Use indirect questions to reference what the founders said: "When I asked about...", "She mentioned that...", "He couldn't explain..." End with: which ONE startup gets your money and how much?
Why Edugine?
Turn your lessons into experiences.
Edugine helps tutors create and run live learning experiences where students actively participate, interact and collaborate — while tutors see what students are doing and guide the lesson in real time.