Pitching your Startup to an investor with your best startup pitch deck is like going on a first date. Just as you want to make a great impression on your date, you need to make a great impression on your potential investor. You need to be charming and confident and highlight your best qualities. In this startup pitch deck guide, you will learn the tips and tricks to make your Startup Pitch Deck stand out and grab much-needed attention.
Contents:
- Introduction
- The Problem that you are trying to solve
- The solution
- Competitive landscape of the industry
- Co-founders’ experience
- Progress – What have you achieved yet?
- Make it easy for investors to review your financials.
- How are you planning to use the funds?
- What is the exit strategy?
- Include a single, clear summary slide.
- Add-on tips
- FAQs
Introduction
Like on a date, you don’t want to bore your investor with mundane details about your Startup’s life. Instead, you want to focus on what makes your venture unique and exciting. You want to highlight your strengths and show them what you can bring.
Think of your ideal startup pitch deck as a sales pitch for your business. It’s your chance to make a strong impression and convince potential investors that your company is worth their hard-earned cash. But it’s important to remember that your pitch should focus on selling yourself, not just your product or service. You need to make investors believe they can profit from investing in your project.
So, how do you do that? Well, you need to highlight the most important aspects of your company and explain why your business is worth investing in.
Now that we’ve established the importance of a strong pitch deck let’s dig in and explore the must-have slides every pitch deck should include. You need to choose your startup pitch deck content carefully. These slides are crucial for giving investors a clear and concise understanding of your business and its potential.
1) The Problem that you are trying to solve
Regarding your startup pitch deck outline, the problem statement is a key element that can make or break your chances of success. After all, it grabs an investor’s attention and makes them want to learn more about your business. So, how do you make it compelling?
First, you need to give a brief but clear overview of the problem you’re trying to solve. Whether it’s a pain point for your customers or a gap in the market, explain why it’s important and who it affects. For example, suppose you’re developing an app that helps people manage their finances better. In that case, highlight how much time we spend worrying about money and how poor financial habits can have long-term consequences.
By showing investors the potential impact of your solution, you’ll pique their interest and make them more likely to invest. And with the best startup pitch deck, you’ll be able to demonstrate how your solution is uniquely positioned to solve this problem and stand out from the competition.
2) The solution
Having a solid pitch deck is essential when pitching your Startup to potential investors. One of the key slides in your pitch deck is “The Solution,” where you can demonstrate how your business solves a critical problem and what makes your product or service truly unique. Further, you can make a lasting impression by providing specific and exciting details about your offering, such as photos, screenshots, or even a video demo. By doing this, you can give investors a clear sense of how your Startup can make a real impact and achieve significant success in the market.
3) Competitive landscape of the industry
One crucial element is outlining the competitive landscape in your industry. This means looking at who your competitors are and what they’re offering, as well as who is doing well and why.
It’s essential to be honest about your competitors and acknowledge their strengths. This will help you identify what sets your business apart and why customers should choose you over them. You’ll also want to explain why your product or service will be the best option for customers in this space.
So, what makes your company different from all the rest? What’s your competitive advantage? This could be anything from price point to quality to unique technology being used in production. Feel free to highlight any patents that protect your product or service from being copied by others.
By clearly outlining your competitive landscape and identifying your unique selling proposition, you’ll be well on your way to creating the best startup pitch deck possible.
4) Co-founders’ experience
After all, people do business with people, not just with ideas. So, make sure to showcase your team and their qualifications.
Please include information about how long the team has been working together, their backgrounds, and their strengths. It’s also important to highlight any past successes they’ve had in the industry or other ventures.
By outlining your team this way, you can demonstrate to investors that you have a strong and capable team that can handle the challenges of running a startup. Additionally, you can show how your team complements each other and how each member brings something unique to the table.
So, when crafting your startup pitch deck, remember to highlight the people behind the business. It can make all the difference in securing investment and building a successful company.
5) Progress – What have you achieved yet?
Showing progress is key. That’s why having a solid startup pitch deck outline is essential. You want to demonstrate that you have a product or service ready to hit the ground running and are making strides toward achieving your goals.
If you have a working prototype, be sure to show it off! Investors want proof that your idea is more than just a concept. And if you’re still in the development phase, talk about how far you’ve come and when they can expect to see a prototype.
It’s also important to highlight your customer base. Who are they, and why do they love your product or service? Share their feedback and show that people are willing to spend money on what you’re offering.
Lastly, investors like to see future business plans for the growth of their investment dollars. Even if it’s just pie-in-the-sky thinking, it shows that you have a vision for the future and a plan to get there. With these key elements, you’ll be on your way to creating the best startup pitch deck possible!
6) Make it easy for investors to review your financials.
It’s essential to make sure your financials are easy to understand. The last thing you want is for an investor to be confused by what they see in your pitch deck.
Investors will want to see that you understand the numbers and can explain them clearly. Instead of just showing a bunch of numbers, provide charts or graphs that break things down in an easy-to-digest way.
It would also be helpful if you could show how much money is coming in and going out each month, how much cash has been raised so far, and how long it will last until your company needs more funding.
7) How are you planning to use the funds?
When creating the best startup pitch deck, one of the most important things you need to consider is how you’ll use the funds you’re asking for. That’s why it’s crucial to have a solid plan in place for how you’ll spend the investment.
Your startup pitch deck outline should include a breakdown of how much funding will be allocated towards key areas such as product development, marketing, hiring new talent, and paying yourself (if applicable). This will help investors understand how you plan to use their investment to grow and scale your business.
Remember, investors want to see that you have a clear and focused plan for how you’ll use their funds, so make sure to put some serious thought into your budget and outline your spending priorities in your pitch deck. Doing so will demonstrate that you’re a savvy entrepreneur who knows how to make the most of every dollar.
8) What is the exit strategy?
The exit strategy is another key part of the pitch deck. It’s the plan for when your company will be acquired or go public, and it should be included in your business plan and in the pitch deck.
Angel investors are looking to see how long they can expect to wait before they get their money back. If you don’t have an exit strategy, that can make them nervous.
9) Include a single, clear summary slide.
The last thing you want is for your investor to ask, “What was that again?” after reading your pitch deck. To avoid this, you must include a clear and concise summary of your business in each slide.
The summary slide should be a one-page overview of your company — who you are and what problem(s) you are solving. The best summaries also explain how the business will make money and why investors should care about it. Finally, it should end with some call to action (CTA).
Add-on tips
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Limit the length of your pitch deck to 10 slides.
It might sound like a lot, but you don’t need to fill each slide with text. The key is ensuring that your slides communicate the most important information in an easily digestible way.
To start, explain what Problem your business solves on your first slide. The following slides should focus on explaining the solution(s) you offer and the market opportunity (where people spend money and why?) for these solutions. Then move on to explaining how exactly you plan to build or sell those solutions—this is where all those numbers come into play! Now that we’ve learned about your solution/market/revenue potential, let’s discuss what makes this company special. What does it do differently from other companies in its space? What unique skills does it have? Who are its partners, and why will they help it succeed? Is there anything else I need to know before deciding whether or not I want my money invested here?
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Explain why you are committed to solving this Problem.
The best way to demonstrate commitment is to talk about how you got into the Problem and why it has captured your attention. This will let investors know who you are as a person and help them understand why they should trust you with their money.
A few tips:
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- Make sure your story is unique and exciting enough to keep the audience engaged but not so unique or interesting that people think, “that could never happen to me” or “I’m not interested in investing my time or money in this company.”
- If possible, go into detail about how much time you have already spent researching this issue, even if it doesn’t seem relevant at first glance (it might end up being very relevant).
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Demonstrate your connections to the relevant industry.
Here are some examples of how a connection to the relevant industry can be demonstrated:
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- Use case studies from similar companies that your team has worked with or used your product successfully.
- Showcase testimonials from clients you’ve previously worked with.
- Include a list of partners and investors who have supported your business in the past (and may provide an introduction to angel investors).
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Make the Pitch Deck visually appealing
When creating a startup pitch deck, having a well-organized outline can make all the difference. But let’s be real; no one wants to sit through a dull presentation. That’s why it’s important to make your pitch deck visually appealing.
Thankfully, great AI tools and design platforms like Canva can help you create a sleek and professional-looking deck. If you’re more of an old-school type and want your deck in PPTx format, then SlideEgg is a website you don’t want to miss. They offer many free PPT templates to help make your deck stand out.
The best startup pitch deck is visually engaging, well-structured, and clearly communicates your business idea and potential to investors. Using these tips, you can create a pitch deck that will leave a lasting impression and increases your chances of securing funding.
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Be sure you’ve done all the important preparation before finalizing your pitch deck
Angel investors will want to see that you have done all the important preparation before finalizing your pitch deck.
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- Have a clear understanding of the Problem you are trying to solve (and make sure it is a big enough problem).
- Have a clear understanding of your product (and make sure it is not just an idea or prototype).
- Have a clear understanding of your target market (and make sure they can actually afford it).
- Be able to answer how you are going to make money.
I hope that this post has given you some insight into how to create a successful pitch deck. If you are interested in learning more about getting started, register yourself in the upcoming event here
FAQs
What is a pitch deck for Investors?
A pitch deck for investors is like a slideshow presentation that entrepreneurs use to explain their business idea to people who might give them money. It’s like showing the highlights of your business plan, but in a way, that’s easy to understand and looks good too. The main goal is to convince investors that your business is a good investment by showing them how it solves a problem, what the market opportunity is, who the competition is, who is on your team, how much money you need, and how you plan to grow. It’s a very important tool for anyone who wants to raise money for their business.
How to make a good pitch presentation?
To make a good pitch presentation, you must have a clear plan and execute it carefully. Start with a strong opening that captures your audience’s attention and explains why your business is important. Keep your presentation short and to the point, focusing on the key aspects of your business that will interest investors. Use visual aids and examples to illustrate your points and keep your audience engaged. Make sure to practice your presentation and anticipate any questions or objections that investors may have. Finally, end with a clear call to action that encourages investors to take the next step with you. With these tips in mind, you can create a successful pitch presentation that will help you raise the capital you need to take your business to the next level.
