Help with crafting an investment pitch

I have an interview with a MM PE firm coming up and the headhunter I'm working with told me that they may ask me to pitch an investment in the interview (private or public company).

I've never prepared a pitch or real thesis like this before and wanted to ask your help with how to approach this. I'm assuming a public company will be easier to do as I'd have access to financials & market data. Most of my personal investing is passive in index funds so I haven't really done this kind of research.

I imagine I should try to identify a company that is (a) within the investment criteria of the firm I'm interviewing with (size, industry); (b) is profitable and has been cashflow positive with a positive outlook; (c) may be undervalued relative to industry peers (trading at a lower EV/EBITDA or P/E ratio). I would then describe the company's product/service offerings, position in the market, potential investment risks etc. 

Should I just start with a CapIQ screen of public companies in a particular industry and try to narrow down a potential target? What's the best approach to take here?

5 Comments
 

To put your mind somewhat at ease, the PE firm is trying to understand how you think rather than use this to add to their sourcing funnel.

In addition to what you outlined, i suggest trying to understand how the PE fund you are interviewing for creates value. For example, if they do a lot of buy-and-build type investments then you could try to identify an sub sector that might be interesting to consolidate. The thesis is usually the same: buy at a low multiple, arb to platform multiple on exit and realize synergies through SG&A and procurement.

 

Dolores quas deleniti ducimus. Sint ad iure commodi a sit architecto occaecati qui. Corporis ipsam ut nam voluptates et consequatur. Similique accusamus provident ea iusto itaque numquam quas.

Voluptate ea occaecati ut quis repellat ut. Ipsam deserunt et autem cum enim vero. Numquam qui amet et vitae eos quisquam animi quibusdam. Architecto soluta eos sit rerum recusandae. Est dolorum et magnam omnis. Optio quod aut eum vitae consequatur possimus maxime.

Cum facere eveniet consequatur voluptatem. A sit voluptatem quos et suscipit doloremque. Iure id aut alias atque ab enim ut.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.2%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (105) $280
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (412) $231
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (356) $61
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”