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Do you want to know what slides your potential investor expects you to include in your pitch deck? Are you looking for inspiration to create a pitch deck? Do you want to know the design trends of 2024?
If your answer to these questions is yes, we recommend you to read this guide carefully.
Based on an analysis of 70+ business-leading startup pitch decks, including pitch decks from Uber, Airbnb, LinkedIn, and many more, we have written this guide to help you create a pitch deck that is going to impress your potential investors.
Who are we? An experienced team of pitch deck template designers from Germany who have decided to help entrepreneurs and startups launch their ventures successfully.
Title slide
The title slide of your pitch deck provides the first impression of your Startup to your potential Investor.
Statistics say that you only have about 7 seconds for this first impression. Therefore, the title slides must be eye-catching and memorable.
Keep the design simple and make sure it includes your logo.
The best examples of title slides are engaging and straightforward. They deliver a visual overview of the business model and use a catchy tagline to state the mission of the company.
While not essential, we always recommend including a date on your title slide as well, since this makes it easier to identify different versions of your pitch deck.
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Summary slide
The summary slide has the purpose of making investors curious about your business.
It is now time to reveal the essence of your startup and this reveal has to be well planed. Follow these three steps and your summary slide will convince your investors of how great your business venture is.
First, you explain what your business does in less than 30 words. And these 30 words have to be on point. You really have to put a lot of thoughts and effort into these 30 words. If you can descripe your company in one short value proposition you can be sure investors stay interesed in your pitch.
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Next, you present basic facts about your business. You can go with the year of foundation, how many customers you have had- and what revenue you have created until today.
Finally, show how strong you and your team are. Your investors want to see that you are passionate and invested in bringing your idea to life.
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Problem slide
This is one of the most important slides in your deck. The problem is the foundation of your business idea! Why? Because your solution to the problem is your product, and if your product does not solve a problem, nobody will buy it.
The problem slide shows your potential investors how relevant your product is and provides a glimpse into your market. It would be best if you had your audience agree that the problem you present exists!
A story about a person who benefits from using your product will highlight its relevance.
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If your business doesn't solve a problem – many restaurants and consumer goods shops won't – you may want to swap the problem slide with the opportunity slide instead.
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Solution slide
By now, your investors should have understood the point of the problem. They should be invested in the idea of helping you fix it, so the solution you present must be innovative, exciting, and memorable.
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If you have a prototype, now is the time to show it off. If you are pitching a concept, your deck has to include videos, pictures, and illustrations.
Encourage your investors to ask questions and make sure your audience fully understands your solution.
If they struggle to understand the concept, be sure to adjust the slide for your next pitch.
Business model slide
The business model slide describes how you will create revenue.
This slide doesn't need to include detailed data and financial forecasts.
It shows that you have used revenue, earnings, and profit projections to help shape your business model.
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The best examples of these slides are not data-heavy.
They use simple statistics like revenue or market-share to highlight how profitable the business could be. The slides lack detailed facts and figures.
Be prepared for investors to ask about the statistics and calculations you show them and make sure you know these answers ahead of your pitch.
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The Market slide
Every investor that is in the room is waiting for the market slide.
Be sure to know that the only reason why investors listen to your pitch is that they want you to take their money and make more money out of it.
Therefore, it is a logical consequence that you have to present a market slide that impresses.
You can shoot for the moon but be ready to answer some serious questions. Put much research into your numbers. I recommend backing up your numbers with legit sources.
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Customer Acquisition slide
Think of this slide as a description of your 'go-to' market. This is where you explain who your customers are and how well you know them. Describe your market, advertising channels, and location.
Don't forget to show investors how many potential customers you are targeting.
Some founders will use this slide to demonstrate the size or value of the potential market; others might include the costs associated with customer acquisition.
The important thing to remember is that the best examples can be read and understood within three seconds or less. Maps, diagrams and statistics all work well and grab your audience's attention.
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Competition slide
The purpose of the competition slide is to demonstrate that you know your industry and can provide an honest assessment of how your company fits into that industry. Include information on other businesses and services that will be competing for the same customers. Don't ignore major competitors to make your business look stronger, instead, focus on your strengths and highlight your competitive advantages. Investors want to see that you have considered every potential obstacle and have a plan to overcome it.
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Keeping a competition slide simple can be difficult, especially if you have many competitors. Plotting the key features of your product on an x and y-axis and using it to compare your services with those offered by your competitors is a tested format.
Team slide
The team slide provides an introduction to each of the key team members.
Investors want to see relevant skills and experience; they need to have confidence in your team and your ability to make the venture a success. Keep bios short and to the point (you can always provide an accompanying document with more extended introductions) and highlight any critical skills that are essential to the business.
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Some of the best examples of team deck slides are short. They include professional headshots of the main team members and brief introductions – sometimes as simple as three or four critical pieces of information i.e., name, position, and most significant professional achievement.
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Don't be afraid to be creative with this slide; it needs to leave a positive impression.
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The Ask slide
The ask slide is about defining what you need from investors and what you will provide in return.
Data-oriented pitches might include acquisition targets, plans for initial public offerings, and details about how the company can be sold. A concept pitch deck is more likely to focus on the business and how you will use investments to drive growth.
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Whatever style you chose, the ask slide should clearly state what size and type of investment you are looking for and what the outcome of that investment round will be (i.e., the milestones you can achieve with it or the resources it will buy).
Optional Slides
When deciding which slides are essential to your pitch deck, consider whether you are pitching data or a concept. A concept pitch is best suited to a new and innovative product; you are pitching a vision of the future and your plan to make it a reality. These decks might include additional slides such as the vision, mission, and product.
If you are on your second or third seeding round, or are pitching a business model that already has data to support it, then a data pitch could be more appropriate. This gives investors the opportunity to judge your business based on the strength of the available data and will include additional slides such as financials and traction.
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Contact slide
Strictly speaking, the contact slide is optional. Many of the best pitch deck examples don't include one and instead choose to put an email address on the summary slide or in the footer of other deck slides.
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While investors will already have your contact information, it may not be readily available to every member of the investment team. If an executive is looking over your pitch deck after your meeting, a contact slide makes it easy for them to ask questions and seek additional information. We recommend including at least two forms of contact information (for example, an email address and a phone number) on the contact slide. This is also the perfect place to showcase any social media accounts the business has.
Product slide
The product slide is very similar to the solution slide and can be helpful for further explaining your product, particularly if you don't yet have a prototype.
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Use this slide to describe your product in more detail but don't repeat information from the solution slide. Instead, focus on manufacturing timetables, supplier relationships, variations in the product (i.e. size or color) and any patents you own or have pending on the design. These features all add value to your business and demonstrate that your product is viable and competitive.
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Traction slide
The traction slide exists to tell investors how successful you already are. Its purpose is to make them feel like your idea will succeed with or without their backing. This is the part of the pitch deck where you show that your assumptions about the market are correct and demonstrate how efficient your team already is.
Milestones slide
A milestone slide celebrates your most important achievements. It shows investors that you are already creating momentum and driving your business forward.
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For those in the early stages of developing their startup, the milestone slide can be used to provide a road map, showing investors and your staff what the next step is. This is an easy way to plan ahead and shows how you intend to make your venture a success.
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Financials slide
Financials normally include a balance sheet, income, and cash flow statements. Around 58% of pitch decks include a financials slide, which is of more interest to investors if you have launched or have already conducted a seeding round. Businesses just starting out are not usually expected to display financials.
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Financial deck slides do not take a standard form. Some startups will use them to showcase how much they raised during their first seeding round or to list potential buyers for an exit strategy. Others might skip this slide altogether and include an income statement on their traction slide instead, highlighting their venture's success so far.
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Exit Strategy slide
Some companies never recover from the loss of a founding CEO and investors want to know how you plan to ensure your business can survive without you. The exit strategy slide details plans for exit options such as acquisition or IPO, and might include a list of potential buyers.
Mission slide & Vision Slide
The mission statement is a short, simple slide at the beginning or end of the pitch deck that explains why your company exists. At the prototype stage, the mission slide provides direction for you and your team. During a seeding round, it provides investors with insight into the idea that is driving your venture forward.
A vision slide is a great addition to any concept pitch. It describes the world your product will help to create or your long-term plan for your business. It shows investors that you have a firm idea of how the business will grow.
Partnerships
It takes more than money to launch a startup, investors want to see who is involved in the project. The partnership slide is not a common slide, but it can be very valuable.
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Include information on any industry experts you are consulting with, as well as strategic relationships with contractors or suppliers that might lower your overheads or help you break into new markets. If you already have backers invested, or have backers from previous successful funding rounds, then include this information as well. If you are associated with a prestigious accelerator program, then now would be the time to showcase that relationship.
The important thing with this deck slide is to only include partners that offer a strategic benefit; including every family member who has invested will draw focus from the more powerful partners who will drive your success and impress investors. Don't forget to check with your partners – particularly financial backers – that they are happy for you to publicize their involvement.
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