investor pitch presentation example pdf

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Blog Graphic Design 30+ Best Pitch Deck Examples, Tips & Templates

30+ Best Pitch Deck Examples, Tips & Templates

Written by: Ryan McCready Jul 04, 2023

A startup is, by definition, a fast-growing company. And to grow you need funding.

Enter the pitch deck.

In this post, we’ll look at the best startup pitch deck templates from heavy-hitters such as Guy Kawasaki, Airbnb, Uber and Facebook. We’ll also uncover the secrets of their successful startup pitch decks, and how you can leverage them to attract investor dollars, bring on new business partners and win new client contracts.

Haven’t created a winning pitch deck before? Then, use Venngage’s Presentation Maker to easily edit the templates — no technical expertise required.

 Table of contents (click to jump ahead):

• What is a pitch deck?

30 pitch deck examples for businesses

What makes a good pitch deck, what is the difference between a pitch deck vs business plan, pitch deck faq, create a pitch deck in 4 easy steps, what is a pitch deck .

A pitch deck is a presentation created to raise venture capital for your business. In order to gain buy-in and drum up financial support from potential investors, these presentations outline everything from why your business exists, to your business model, progress or milestones , your team, and a call-to-action.

The best startup pitch decks can help you:

• Prove the value of your business
• Simplify complex ideas so your audience can understand them (and get on board)
• Differentiate your business from competitors
• Tell the story behind your company to your target audience (and make that story exciting)

What is a pitch deck presentation?

A pitch deck presentation is a slideshow that introduces a business idea, product, or service to investors. Typically consisting of 10–20 slides, a pitch deck is used to persuade potential investors to provide funding for a business. It serves as a comprehensive overview of your company, outlining your business model, the problem you solve, the market opportunity you address, your key team members, and your financial projections.

1. Buffer pitch deck

Industry: Social Media Management

Business model: Subscription-based SaaS (Software as a Service)

Amount raised: $500k, according to Buffer’s co-founder Leo Widrich .

Location: San Francisco, California, USA

Website: Buffer.com

Key takeaway : The traction slide was key for Buffer: it showed they had a great product/market fit. If you have great traction, it’s much easier to raise funding.

What’s interesting about Buffer’s pitching process was the issue of competition, as that’s where many talks stalled. Investors became confused, since the social media landscape looked crowded and no one was sure how Buffer differed.

Eventually, they created this slide to clear the air:

To be frank, I’m still confused by this addition to the Buffer pitch deck, but perhaps their presentation would have cleared things up.

In any case, we’ve recreated Buffer’s pitch deck with its own traction, timeline and competitor slides, plus a clean new layout and some easy-to-customize icons:

Design tip : don’t forget to add a contact slide at the end of your pitch deck, like in the business pitch example below.

Because sometimes you’re going to pitch to a small room of investors. Other times, it will be to an auditorium full of random people in your industry. And I can guarantee that not everyone is going to know your brand off the top of their head.

You should make it extremely easy for people to find out more info or contact your team with any questions. I would recommend adding this to the last slide, as shown below.

Alternatively, you could add it to the slide that will be seen the longest in your pitch deck, like the title slide. This will help anyone interested write down your information as event organizers get things ready.

Related:  Creating a Pitch Deck? 5 Ways to Design a Winner

2. Airbnb pitch deck

Industry: Hospitality, Travel, and Technology

Business model: Online marketplace (peer-to-peer) for lodging and travel experiences

Amount raised: $20k at three months and $600k at eight months (seed), according to Vator .

Website: airbnb.com

Key takeaway: A large marketplace, impressive rate of traction and a market ready for a new competitor are the factors which made Airbnb stand out early on, says Fast Company. The organization’s slide deck clearly demonstrates these points.

Your pitch deck should explain the core information in your business plan in a simple and straightforward way. Few startups have done this as well as Airbnb.

We’ve re-designed Airbnb’s famous deck as two light and airy sample pitch deck templates. The focus here is on engaging visuals, with minimal text used.

Airbnb fundraising slide deck

This type of deck is also called a demo day presentation .  Since its going to be viewed from a distance by investors while you present, you don’t need lots of text to get your message across. The point is to complement your speech, not distract from it.

Another great thing about Airbnb’s fundraising slide deck format is that every slide has a maximum of three sections of information:

As one of the most popular presentation layouts , the rule of three design principle has been drilled into my head. And for good reason!

Here’s one of the slides that demonstrates why this pitch deck design tip works:

VIDEO TUTORIAL:  Learn how to customize this pitch deck template by watching this quick 8-minute video.

Minimalist Airbnb pitch deck template

This simple sample pitch deck template is clean and incredibly easy to customize, making it perfect for presentation newbies.

Don’t forget to insert your own tagline instead of the famous “Book rooms with locals, rather than hotels” slogan. Hint: your tagline should similarly convey what your business offers. Airbnb’s pitch deck offers up tantalizing benefits: cost savings, an insider’s perspective on a location and new possibilities.

Design tip : Click the text boxes in our online editor and add your own words to the pitch decks. Duplicate slides you like, or delete the ones you don’t.

Related:  How to Create an Effective Pitch Deck Design [+Examples]

3. Uber pitch deck

Industry: Transportation, Technology, and Logistics

Business model: On-demand transportation network and logistics platform

Amount raised: $1.57M in seed funding in 2010, reports Business Insider .

Website: uber.com

Key takeaway : Successful pitch decks clearly highlight the key pain point (the inefficiency of cabs) and a tantalizing solution (fast, convenient 1-click ordering).

Uber co-founder Garrett Camp shared the company’s very first pitch deck from 2008 via a  Medium post .

While there’s a surprising amount of text, it still manages to hit on every major part of their business plan succinctly — including key differentiators, use cases and best/worst-case scenarios.

Want something similar? We’ve updated the classic Uber pitch deck template with a sharp layout:

Uber investor deck

Many of the best pitch deck presentations out there are rather brief, only covering a few main points across a handful of slides. But sometimes your deck needs to provide more information.

There’s nothing wrong with having a longer investor pitch deck, as long as you switch up the slide layouts throughout — no one wants to see basically the same slide (just with different metrics or points) 25 times over.

This sample pitch deck template we created based on the infamous Uber deck has 20 or more slides and a diversity of layout options:

Design tip : Replace the photos with your own or browse our in-editor library with thousands of free professional stock images. To do so, double click any image to open our “replace” feature. Then, search for photos by keyword.

Blue Uber slide deck

In this navy version of the Uber pitch deck template, we’ve added bright colors and creative layouts.

Again, it’s easy to swap out the icons in our online editor. Choose from thousands of free icons in our in-editor library to make it your own.

Related : 9 Tips for Improving Your Presentation Skills For Your Next Meeting

4. Guy Kawasaki pitch deck

How much did they raise?  Guy Kawasaki’s Garage Capital raised more than $315 million dollars for its clients, according to one estimate .

Key takeaway : Avoid in-depth technical discussions in your pitch deck. Focus on the pain point you’re solving, how you’ll solve it, how you’ll make money and how you’ll reach custvomers.

Guy Kawasaki’s 10 slide outline is famous for its laser focus. He’s renowned for coining the 10/20/30 rule : 10 slides, 20 minutes and no fonts smaller than 30 point.

While you may be tempted to include as much of your business plan as possible in your pitch deck, his outline forces you to tease out your most important content and engage investors or clients within a short time span.

We’re recreated his famous outline in two winning templates you can adapt and make your own:

Gradient Guy Kawasaki pitch deck

This clean pitch deck template has all the sections you need and nothing you don’t.

Kawasaki’s format steers you towards what venture capitalists really care about : problem/solution, technology, competition, marketing plan, your team, financial projections and timeline.

Read our blog post on persuasive presentations for more design and speaking tips.

Design tip : Quickly add in charts and graphs with our in-editor chart maker. You can even import data from Excel or Google sheets.

Blue Guy Kawasaki pitch deck

This more conservative pitch deck template design keeps all the focus on the core information.

Remember: opt for a 30-point font or larger. This will force you to stick to your key points and explain them clearly. Anything smaller, and you’ll risk losing your audience — especially if they’re busy reading while tuning out what you’re actually saying.

5. Sequoia capital pitch deck

How much did they raise? Sequoia Capital is actually a Venture Capital firm. According to TechCrunch , they’ve raised almost $1B for later-stage U.S. investments.

Key takeaway : “If you can’t tell the story of the company in five minutes, then you’re either overthinking it or you haven’t simplified it down enough.” – Mike Vernal, Sequoia Capital

VC firm Sequoia Capital has its own  10-slide pitch deck format to rival Guy Kawasaki’s famous example that we’ll take a look at a little later on. Its highly-curated, clarified format shines a spotlight on innovative ideas.

As the video above suggests, effectively communicating your mission, not just listing features, is key. Below is our take on the Sequoia Capital pitch deck example; you’ll find it clean, clear and easy to create.

Design tip : Click the blue background and select a new color from our color wheel (or one of your own brand colors via My Brand Kit, available with Venngage for Business ) to create a pitch deck with your branding.

Related:  How to Make Successful Financial Pitch Decks For Startups

Blue and pink iconics pitch deck

Ready to try it for yourself? Add a pop of color to your version of the Sequoia pitch deck template with this pink and blue slide deck. The contrasting colors will make your information stand out.

6. Facebook pitch deck

How much did they raise? $500K in angel funding from venture capitalist Peter Thiel (first round).

Key takeaway : If you don’t have revenue traction yet, lean heavily on other metrics , like customer base, user engagement and growth.  Use a timeline to tell a story about your company.

The best pitch decks tell the real story about your company or brand. You should not only want to sell the audience on your product but also on the hard work you’ve done building it from the ground up.

Design tip: Try data visualizations to relay a company or product timeline . Since people are familiar with the format and know how to read them quickly, you can convey the information impactfully and save room while you’re at it.

Here, Facebook’s classic pitch deck shows the incredible schools that’ve already signed on and describe when future launches will happen.

The sample pitch deck template featured below shows another example of a company or product timeline . This would have been a great fit in the Facebook pitch deck, don’t you think?

Plus you can summarize a ton of information about your brand on a single slide. Check out how well the timeline fits into this pitch deck template below:

If the designer wouldn’t have used a timeline, the same information could have been spread over five or six extra slides! Luckily, Venngage’s timeline maker can help you visualize progress across a period of time without any design experience required.

7. TikTok Pitch Deck

How much did they raise? $150.4M in funding in 2014 (back when TikTok was called Musical.ly), says Crunchbase .

Key takeaway : Use icons as visual anchors for written information.

(The full slide deck is available to Digiday subscribers , though you can view some of the key slides in this Medium post . Keep in mind: this TikTok pitch deck was created for potential advertisers, not investors. No other TikTok pitch decks are publicly available.)

What TikTok does really well in the above example is use icons as visual anchors for their stats. (I could write a whole article about using icons in your presentations correctly. There are so many ways you can use them to upgrade your slides.)

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, just look at the slide deck template below.

Each of the main points has an icon that gives instant visual context about what the stat is about to the audience. These icons draw the eye immediately to these important facts and figures as well.

Design tip: Remember to use icons that have a similar style and color palette. Otherwise, you run the risk of them becoming a distraction.

8. Y Combinator pitch deck

How much did they raise? This startup accelerator has invested in over 3,500 startups to date, according to the company website . They state their combined valuation nears $1 trillion.

Key takeaway : Create clear, concise pitch deck slides that tell a story investors can understand in seconds.

The classic Y Combinator pitch deck is incredibly simple, and for good reason. Seed stage companies can’t provide much detail, so they should focus on telling a story about their company.

That means your slides should tell a story investors can immediately understand in a glance.

Note that one of Y Combinator’s key components is the problem (above) and solution (below) slides.

Explaining how your startup is going to solve a pain point is a vital part of any slide deck. According to Y Combinator , startups should use the problem slide to show the problem your business solves, and how this problem currently affects businesses and/or people. Additionally, if you’re starting a new startup, forming an LLC could be a great choice to launch your business in the right direction, especially if you are focused on asset protection .

Without that information, investors are going to be left with more questions than answers.

The solution slide should show the real-world benefits of your product/service. I recommend using data visualization to show traction, like the chart above, with a couple of notes for context.

To ensure your problem and solutions slides are easily understood, use a similar layout for both, as shown below.

This will help the audience quickly recall the main problem you want to solve, and connect it to your solution (even if the slides are separated by a few other points or ideas).

9. Front pitch deck

How much did they raise ? $10M in Series A funding

Key takeaway : Use a simple flowchart to visualize a problem your product/service solves.

Not everyone is going to be able to explain their problem and solution as succinctly as the previous examples. Some will need to take a unique approach to get their point across.

That’s why I want to highlight how Front masterfully communicated the problem to be solved. They likely realized it would be a lot easier (and cleaner) to create a flow chart that visualizes the problem instead of text. (Did I mention you can make your own flowcharts with Venngage?)

Also, I really like how they distilled each down to a single phrase. That approach, combined with the visuals, will help it stick in investors’ minds as one of the best pitch decks.

Here’s another example pitch deck that uses a chart to convey their problem/solution:

It splits the competition slide right down the middle to illustrate the differences. It also shows exactly how the processes differ between the two entities using mini flowcharts.

Helping the audience make the right conclusions about your company should be an important part of your pitch deck strategy. Without saying a word, the visual choices you make can greatly impact your message.

10. Crema pitch deck

How much did they raise? $175K in seed funding .

Key takeaway : Choose background images carefully — making sure they have a similar color palette.

The best pitch decks keep things consistent, mainly because there are so many moving parts in any presentation. You want each of your slides to feel like they’re connected by a singular feeling or theme. An out-of-place presentation background image can throw that off.

Keeping things consistent when you use a solid background color or pattern isn’t hard. But things can get tricky if you want to use different photos for your backgrounds.

However, if you pick presentation background images that have a similar color palette, you’ll be fine. Check out the images Crema used in their startup pitch deck below:

If you’re struggling to find exactly the same colored photos, you can use a color filter to make things more uniform.

11. WeWork pitch deck

How much did they raise? $6.9M in seed funding in 2011, says Crunchbase .

Key takeaway : Put your metrics on display.

The behemoths at WeWork still have one of the best software pitch decks, despite recent troubles (layoffs, and a valuation that dropped from $47 billion to $2.9 billion).

In fact, this investor pitch deck actually helped them raise money at a $5 billion valuation.

My favorite thing from this is how their key metrics are on the second slide. They waste no time getting down to business!

A lot of the time brands hide these metrics at the end of their presentation, but WeWork made sure to put it front and center in their slide deck.

This approach puts the audience in a positive state of mind, helping them be more receptive to the pitch.

12. Crew (Dribble) pitch deck

How much did they raise? $2M in seed funding

Key takeaway : Start your presentation with a simple statement to set the tone.

Sometimes you have to set the mood of the room before you jump into your slide deck. A simple way to do this is by adding a powerful statement or famous quote at the beginning of your slides.

This may sound cliche, but the creatives over at Crew (now Dribbble ) used this approach well in their pitch presentation.

By claiming that every business is an online business, they instantly change the way that people think about the business sector.

Additionally, the designers used this straightforward statement to set up the rest of the presentation. In the next few slides, the potential market is explained. Without the statement, I don’t think these numbers would be as impactful.

Let’s take a look at the graphs and charts the Dribble team used in their slide deck. In the below business pitch example, you can see that the line charts use the same color palette, size, and typography.

One of my favorite tips from my presentation ideas roundup article states you should never make the audience do the math.

You can also use this mantra when you’re adding data visualizations to your slides. Make each slide extra easy to consume, as well as, easy to compare to other visualizations.

Below the pie charts use the exact same color palette, size, and typography as well:

If the designers would have used a different example, the audience would be distracted trying to decipher the information.

But consistent design across multiple visualizations will ensure your audience can make comparisons that lead to the right conclusions.

Pro Tip: You can use a comparison infographic to summarize key points you’re comparing.

13. Aspire Food Group pitch deck

How much did they raise? $1M from the Hult Prize in 2013 to scale their project.

Key takeaway : Simple graphics clearly illustrate the problem (food security), the size of the market and Aspire’s unique farming project (spoiler alert: it’s insects).

Nonprofits pitching donors or social enterprises pitching for funding have a slightly different challenge than other organizations. They need to present a unique solution and  make an emotional connection to their audience.

Aspire’s simple pitch deck graphics allow investors to grasp their unique business idea at a glance. Plus, by introducing the audience to one of their customers and describing how insect farming has impacted her food budget, the concept is made relatable to many.

Another simple design hack is to choose a unique background for your nonprofit or social enterprise pick deck. Take this sample pitch deck template:

There are millions of stock photos out there for you to pick from, so finding one that will work shouldn’t be too hard.

However, when you’re picking your presentation background images , it’s important to make sure it matches your message or brand.

In the above example, the pitch deck’s slightly crumpled paper background fits an eco-friendly startup well.   Especially because eco-friendly living and minimalism share similar tenants.

Another great example is this sponsorship pitch deck above. It elevates the message by opting for a simplistic background choice.

With a beautiful yet minimalistic slide deck like this, who wouldn’t want to donate?

Most of the time your pitch deck background images are supposed to be used in a supporting role. However, you can also design your presentation around the background images to create some of the best pitch decks out there.

As you can see in this pitch deck template, we added written content to the white space in each of the stock photos:

Plus no one can really copy your pitch deck layout, so you will instantly stand out from other companies.

Be sure to pick photos that share the same color palette and theme. Otherwise, the benefits of using these presentation backgrounds will be lost.

14. Mattermark pitch deck

How much did they raise? A total of $17.2M so far, says Crunchbase .

Key takeaway : Use screenshots in your pitch deck to show the problem you’re solving.

Highlighting digital problems is tough when you have limited space and time…like when you’re pitching your new digital product to a room full of investors.

That’s why some of the best pitch decks include screenshots of the problem being solved.

As you can see above, the people from Mattermark used screenshots to show how unorganized SAAS reporting was. At that time it was spread over a ton of different sites, with different reporting standards and values.

It would be difficult to sell an investor on their product just by talking about the market. Mainly because not a lot of people have experience in that specific niche.

But with a handful of screenshots, they were able to highlight the product potential almost instantly.

In terms of design, the team at Mattermark stuck to the rule of three (see slide below). This rule will help you keep your team from overwhelming the audience with a flood of stats or figures.

They also decided to make these figures easier to consume by highlighting them in different colors

Compared to a boring list of figures, it’s a lot easier to remember three distinct colored numbers. Plus because the background colors darken as they go, it naturally guides the reader’s eyes down the slide.

15. Dwolla pitch deck

How much did they raise? $12M in funding as of 2018.

Key takeaway : Give the reason your company was founded in one quick sentence.

In many of our own presentations, we talk about how Venngage started from humble beginnings before undergoing tremendous growth in just a few years.

That’s because people love origin stories — they help your audience connect with your brand and appreciate all the work put into it.

Take a look at the pitch deck slide from Dwolla above. In a single sentence, they outline their reason for doing business, and what they hope to solve.

Just be sure to talk about your company founding in the first few slides of your pitch. Otherwise, it won’t have the same impact.

On another note, as a design company, we always love to see people create great visualizations in their pitch decks — particularly when these visuals communicate key information well….like when it comes to your ideal users!

I have seen a lot of brands just talk about their users, but I recommend creating visual user personas instead. Our persona guides can help you with this!

As you can see above, Dwolla visualized their user personas for each use case.

These visual user personas allow audiences to put a “real” face to your user base. And if you have many ideal users (like Dwolla), it helps keep each group organized.

16. Kickfolio (App.io) pitch deck 

How much did they raise? $1M in seed funding.

Key takeaway : Go for huge graphs! The bigger, the better.

Be proud of your brand’s growth and metrics in your slide deck.

You worked hard to grow a company from nothing, and that’s a big achievement! So why would you want to make that growth hard to see?

However, I’ve seen a lot of people inadvertently hide their key metrics by using small graphs or charts.

The only solution to this problem is…get bigger with your graphs! And I mean huge, like the ones App.io deployed in the pitch deck above. Their graph is so large and imposing, every audience member could see it clearly.

Venngage’s  graph maker can help you do this for your own pitch decks too.

17. Yalochat pitch deck

How much did they raise? $15M in Series B funding, says TechCrunch.

Key takeaway : Use icons as illustrations to add instant context.

Icons have been making a comeback in the design world over the past few years. According to recent reports on graphic design trends , they’ll continue to be popular.

This presentation from Yalochat is one of the best examples of how to use illustrated icons correctly.

Each icon perfectly illustrates the point being made on each slide, giving instant context. They will definitely catch the eyes of any audience member.

Just remember to follow their lead and  use consistently designed icons !

18. Brex pitch deck

How much did they raise? $1.5 billion to date.

Key takeaway : Include a single slide about your team and highlight what makes them truly exceptional.

Another important part of your story is the people who helped you build your company. These people are the lifeblood of your brand, and what helps it stand out from the competitors.

Corporate card startup Brex does this well by using team member photos, and including their titles and company affiliations to build credibility. You can download the Brex slides for free, thanks to Business Insider .

Let’s tale a look at a sample pitch deck that employs a similar philosophy.

I’m guessing you already planned on adding something similar to your pitch deck. Again, I would recommend using only a single team slide like they did.

You can use a team photo if you want to talk about the whole team, or add an organizational chart instead. Alternatively, like Brex, you can highlight the most important individuals, like this business pitch example:

Whatever you choose to do, don’t forget to talk about your team on a team slide, and highlight the people who make your company truly great.

Read More:  12+ Organizational Chart Examples and Templates

19. Purple Go pitch deck

How much did they raise? Undisclosed.

Key takeaway : Use a contrasting hue to draw your audience’s attention to key information.

Color isn’t just about making your designs look good — it can also draw your audience’s attention to important information.

For example, take a look at this simple pitch deck from Purple Go . They contrast deep purple with white to help certain sentences pop.

This is a simple way to make your slides have a lot of impact; pick colors that contrast boldly with each other.

20. Mint pitch deck

How much did they raise? $31M to date, according to Mint.

Key takeaway : Add visual cues, such as illustrations and icons, to help explain your brand to investors.

I’m guessing your pitch deck is already going to touch on how you stand out from the competition. But just listing a few things that set you apart may not be enough on your slide deck!

You may need to add some visual cues to help the audience out.

We decided to redesign Mint’s original deck for a contemporary take on this.

In this minimalist pitch deck template, our designers used visuals to make the main company stand out even more. And best of all, it doesn’t distract from the minimalist theme.

This simple addition to your slides will help your information jump off the page, providing a rewarding visual break from related companies.

21. Park Evergreen (Plot) pitch deck

How much did they raise? $400k in seed funding.

Key takeaway : Give each metric its own slide.

Generally, slide decks are full of important metrics that you’re supposed to remember. But not all of those numbers are presented in a way that would make them easy to.

Some are hidden in long paragraphs, while others are smashed together with less important findings.

That’s why I’m a huge fan of how Park Evergreen (now called Plot ) included important numbers in this slide deck. As you can see below, each metric is given its own slide:

With this approach, the audience members place their full attention on that number. And they’ll be able to recall the information a lot quicker.

It may look overly simple to some, but the best pitch decks use this tactic a lot.

22. Hampton Creek (Eat Just) pitch deck

How much did they raise? $1.5M in Series A.

Key takeaway : Create a minimalist title slide to build anticipation for your presentation.

You probably know that presentations don’t always run as smoothly as planned. With long breaks and technical problems, the time between presentations can end up running rather long.

Translation: you might spend more time looking at the title slide than the actual presentation itself.

So if you really want to build some anticipation for your pitch, create a minimalist (some might even say, mysterious) title slide. As you can see, the team at Eat Just (once known as Hampton Creek) did just that.

The lack of information makes spectators want to learn more about your brand, effortlessly engaging them.

The only negative is that no one is going to know the name of your company — yet.

23. Sickweather pitch deck

How much did they raise? $2.6M to date, according to Crunchbase.

Key takeaway : Pull out the main metrics from your graphs and charts to make your slide a snap to understand.

Remember when I said: “Don’t make your audience do the math”?

Yeah. That’s because people hate doing math — so you never want to make investors try to calculate your data themselves. Especially when dealing with millions of dollars, tiny percent changes or other complicated numbers.

Out of all the tips in this article, this one might be the most important. Mainly because forgetting this idea all but guarantees your failure.

That’s why I recommend you “do the math” on every slide where you include a graph or chart — like how Sickweather did above.

By pulling out the main growth metrics from the graph, they made this slide a lot more consumable, and showed the audience exactly what they should pay attention to.

24. Dutchie pitch deck

How much did they raise? $35M in 2020, according to TechCrunch .

Key takeaway : Set the tone by putting your most impressive stat(s) in the introduction.

Dutchie, an all-in-one technology platform for eCommerce, POS and payments, wastes no time coming out the gates with one impressive insight: “10% of all legal cannabis in the world” is purchased through their product.

Now I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty tantalizing.

So it makes perfect sense they would pull it out from their market share figures and feature it in their introduction. By doing so, investors get an idea how successful and established Dutchie is right off the bat.

25. Studysmarter pitch deck

How much did they raise?  $15M according to TechCrunch .

Key takeaway : Illustrate your vision over several slides.

Rather than dedicate one slide to their vision for the company, digital learning company Studysmarter continuously brings up how their product will be understood in the future — as “the world’s central hub” for “lifelong” learning, becoming the “largest learning platform in Europe” by 2021.

While this visionary sentiment is not new to the pitch deck industry, it makes sense Studysmarter would want to focus much of their presentation slide deck on this idea: the idea of an unlimited target market and use cases.

Design wise, their illustrations are consistent, using visuals to illustrate their message and various target demographics.

These graphics build off the sleek, modern interface Studysmarter’s brand image invokes. It also illustrates what they want investors to envision for the future of the brand.

26. Clearbanc (Clearco) Pitch Deck

How much did they raise? $70M in series A funding, according to TechCrunch.

Key takeaway : Use flow charts to communicate complicated processes.

As a company that offers startups “growth capital for the new economy” through non-dilutive revenue-share agreements, Clearco (previously known as Clearbanc) wins big by communicating how the process works in less than a slide’s time.

That’s right: the company uses a flowchart .

For complicated business processes that would normally take several slides of text to communicate, a flowchart is a smart way to visualize a process while saving space and keeping your audience engaged.

Particularly for a company like Clearco, this is key for getting investors up to speed. Then you can move on to the other facts and figures they’ll surely want to hear.

27. Foursquare Pitch Deck

Key takeaway : Show how the end-product looks in your presentation.

Okay look, I get it. This slide deck from 2009 is certainly behind on times when it comes to design tips in this current day and age…

BUT take it back to more than a decade ago, and you’ll see why Foursquare’s pitch deck won big with investors.

As one of the first businesses to employ gamification, the company lets this selling proposition shine by using an iPhone graphic to show how the app’s points and badges look to the end-user. These visuals communicate the appeal by showcasing exactly how consumers will interact with, and understand, the product.

In essence, it takes the guesswork out of their pitch.

So while the text-heavy aspect of this sample pitch deck isn’t exactly ideal, their use of visuals can teach us a lesson.

28. TalentBase pitch deck

How much did they raise?   $330K to date.

Key takeaway : Let the numbers do the talking.

Rather than take up a ton of slide space in this pitch deck example, TalentBase, an affordable payroll solution , focused their real estate on the real deal-closers: the numbers.

While this won’t work for every business, as you may need to add more slides to truly explain the environment your organization exists in and your processes, TalentBase uses their positioning to drive forward a captivating narrative.

And this narrative utilizes only numbers to connect the dots in the mind of potential investors about the value TalentBase offers, in terms of market capture.

29. Peloton pitch deck

Key takeaway : Discuss both the tangible and intangible benefits your product offers.

In 2018, back before the real pandemic hey-day of this tech unicorn, Peloton dazzled in a funding round and managed to capture in $550M funding.

Part of this can be attributed to Peloton’s emphasis on the benefits it brings customers.

Across multiple slides, the exercise equipment and media company highlights how customers’ lives are improved in various emotional and functional ways. Since this connection lays the groundwork for long-term B2C relationships, investors can immediately identify the value encompassed by this modern fitness tool.

Looking to try something similar? Check out the below Peloton sample pitch deck, reimagined by our Venngage design team.

30. Ledgy pitch deck

How much did they raise? $ 10M in September 2021.

Key takeaway : Cut down on space with text and graphics that follow a clear logical narrative.

In just seven slides, the equity management and investor relations platform, Ledgy, was able to convince their audience that their product was worth investing in.

By putting their mission first, and following it up with engaging visuals, the company tells a story despite using minimal text.

Yoko Spirig, CEO and co-founder of Ledgy, echoed this sentiment in an interview : “Starting with the ‘why’ lets you build the business case for the product, and create a logical narrative that investors can follow.”

That’s why, design-wise, this is one of the cleanest pitch deck examples in the bunch. It’s one of the shortest too.

I also appreciate how their brand colors are used in conjunction with white to keep everything consistent (something that Venngage’s automated branding feature My Brand Kit can help you out with).

To summarize, some of my favorite pitch deck design tips include:

• Adding icon headers to your most important insights
• Use similar charts and graphs for easy comparisons across slides
• For longer pitch decks, switch up the slide layouts
• Pick a consistent theme for your presentation background images
• Don’t just list your ideal users, create visual personas
• Use a timeline to show how your company has grown
• Always do the math for your audience

Now let’s take a look at what’s the difference between a pitch deck and a business plan.

A pitch deck and a business plan serve different purposes in the world of entrepreneurship, each playing a crucial role in showcasing and strategizing a business venture. The main distinction lies in their format, level of detail and intended audience.

Pitch decks typically consists of a series of carefully crafted slides, highlighting key aspects of the business such as the value proposition, target market, revenue model, competitive advantage and team expertise.

The goal is to pique interest, generate excitement and secure further engagement or funding opportunities. A pitch deck emphasizes storytelling, persuasive visuals, and concise messaging to create an impactful impression.

On the other hand, a business plan is a comprehensive and detailed document that provides an in-depth roadmap for the entire business venture. It outlines the company’s mission, vision, goals, market analysis, marketing strategies, operational details, financial projections and risk assessment.

A business plan serves as a strategic blueprint, guiding the entrepreneur and internal stakeholders in executing the business idea effectively. It tends to be more exhaustive, often spanning several pages or even chapters, and is typically presented in a written format.

What should a pitch deck contain?

A well-crafted pitch deck should contain key information that effectively communicates your business concept, value proposition, and growth potential. While the specific content may vary depending on your industry and target audience, here are the essential elements that a pitch deck should typically include:

• Problem statement
• Market opportunity
• Business model
• Competitive analysis
• Marketing and sales strategy
• Team members
• Financial projections
• Milestones and timeline
• Investment opportunity

Not a graphic designer? No sweat — creating your own pitch deck is a breeze using Venngage’s Presentation Maker . (We’ll go over the basics here; for a more in-depth look, check out this article .)

Step 1: Sign up on Venngage for free using your email, Gmail or Facebook account. If you already have an account, log in to access the platform.

Step 2: Browse through our selection of professionally designed pitch deck templates and select one that suits your needs and preferences.

Step 3: Once you’ve selected a template, start customizing it to match your branding and content. Venngage’s drag-and-drop editor allows you to easily modify every aspect of the template, including colors, fonts, images and layout. Replace the placeholder text with your own content, such as your company information, product or service details, market analysis and financial projections.

Note: there are hundreds of templates available that you can design and share for free. If you want to access certain designs, take advantage of in-editor features like My Brand Kit/Team collaboration .

Step 4: Once you’re satisfied with your design, you can download it in various formats such as PDF or PNG. Alternatively, you can use also Venngage’s sharing options to present your pitch deck directly from the platform or share it with others via a generated link.

To leave a lasting impression on your audience, consider transforming your slides into an interactive presentation. Here are 15  interactive presentation ideas  to enhance interactivity and engagement.

Now that you know how to create the best pitch decks to communicate your ideas, present your startup or raise venture capital, take action and start designing your own pitch deck today!

And if you want to learn more, there are a ton of other presentation design resources you can take a look at next:

• 20+ Business Pitch Deck Templates and Design Best Practices
• 120+ Best Presentation Ideas, Design Tips & Examples
• 15 Presentation Design Statistics to Know For 2019
• 7 Tips for Designing a Persuasive Presentation [Presentation Design Guide + Templates]
• 20+ Consulting Proposal Templates

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100+ Investor Pitch Deck Examples + Free Pitch Deck Template

A well-crafted pitch deck provides highlights of your business and financial plans.

Below you’ll learn how to create a winning investor pitch deck so you can raise funding for your startup or growing company.

First, we’ll give you a brief overview of what a pitch deck is. Then we’ll walk through each section of your investor pitch deck so you know what to include and where. Next, we’ll show you the best startup pitch deck template that you can use to create your first pitch deck. Finally, we’ll show you over 100 startup pitch deck examples that have raised millions of dollars.

Looking for Help with Your Pitch Deck?

You’ve come to the right place! Since Growthink was founded in 1999, we have created thousands of successful pitch decks for our clients including startups, small business owners, nonprofit organizations and mid to large-sized companies. 

A great pitch deck is often the difference between success and failure in raising the money you need. Let our team expertly create a successful custom pitch deck for you.

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 Tailored to the Precise Needs of Investors

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Call us at (800) 216-3710 or complete the form below and one of our pitch deck developers will reach out to you to schedule a time to speak about your pitch deck needs.

What is an Investor Pitch Deck?

• 5 Keys to Creating a Winning Pitch Deck
• How to Create Your Own Investor Pitch Deck

Free Pitch Deck Template

100+ pitch deck examples to inspire you.

A pitch deck is a concise presentation that gives investors a quick overview of your simple business plan template with the goal of getting them to fund you. Such presentations are typically given in person or via online video conference calls. Pitch decks are most often used when pitching to potential investors such as angel investors and venture capital funding.

The terms pitch deck, investor pitch deck and business plan presentation are used synonymously.

Keys to an Effective Pitch Deck

Your pitch deck boils down to the essential elements of your business plan. While your plan is often 15 to 25 pages, your pitch deck will most likely only contain 11 slides that you must be able to deliver in 20 minutes. As a result, being concise is key.

In addition to being brief and concise, a successful pitch deck will:

• Rely on visuals . Investors don’t want to read slides full of text. Rather, the slides should have minimal amounts of text and include quality graphics. You want the investor to be captivated by the combination of your graphics and the words coming out of your mouth.
• Include backup slides . Because you need to be able to quickly present your business, your pitch deck can’t answer every question investors might have. So, create backup slides answering the most common questions. Then, if asked those questions, you can quickly pull up a slide with a compelling answer.
• Cover the key points . Your pitch deck must cover the 11 essential elements discussed below. Utilize bullet points to prevent yourself from using too many words.
• Talk succinctly . Keep your presentation jargon-free and straightforward.
• Avoid superlatives and exaggerated claims . If you use terms like “world class” or “market leaders” be sure to back them up with proof. If you can’t, don’t use them.

How To Create Your Own Investor Pitch Deck

Whether you are a new business owner or you’re trying to grow your business, creating a winning pitch deck is essential to secure funding and grow your business. Below, we detail what you should include on each of the 11 key slides in your pitch presentation:

In this slide, present your target customer’s major pain points. Try to summarize the problem in plain language so investors quickly grasp the problem particularly if they’re not a target customer.

For example, in the Problem slide for Uber, the company stated these problems: Poor communications (radio dispatch of cabs, hailing a cab done by hand, no GPS coordination between client/driver) and poor efficiencies (significant fareseeking or “dead time”).

2. Solution

Once you have sold the audience on the problem, it’s time to offer them the solution which is your business’ product or service.

So on this slide, explain how your company intends to solve the problem you highlighted.

Emphasize the scalability of your solution. Scalability refers to your company’s ability to grow with increased customer demand and is key to investors ultimately earning a high return on their investment (ROI). Also, discuss the timing of your solution, ideally pointing to the fact that now is the opportune time to launch or grow your company.

3. Product or Service Demo

In this slide you will explain your product(s) and/or service(s). If you have a working prototype of your solution, you would present it here. If a prototype is not relevant, do your best to convey your product to the investors. For example, offer screenshots or photos of your product/service being used by customers. Ideally you can also provide customer reviews, testimonials and feedback.

In this slide, you will support your claims about the size of the problem and your business’ scalability by describing the actual or predicted size of your target market.

Potential investors will be extremely interested in this part of your presentation. They want to know the market is large enough and that if you obtain significant market share, your company can grow big enough to give them a lucrative return on their investment.

So, describe the size of your market, key trends and show how big your business can become if it captures a significant market share. This slide will be highly data driven and is often scrutinized by investors so ensure your data is from credible verifiable sources and all your estimates are reliable.

Note that investors are always on the lookout for businesses that carry the potential to completely disrupt or change the industry in which it operates. If you are trying to disrupt an industry, mention that here.

5. Business Model

Here, you need to describe how your business generates revenues. For example, Airbnb works on a commission-based business model wherein the company earns a 10% commission on every transaction taking place through its app. YouTube carries an advertising-based business model since they earn the majority of their revenues through advertising on their platform. Similarly, you need to explain to the audience how your business will generate income.

6. Competition

On the Competition slide, you will detail your competitors — those companies or solutions that are currently solving the problems you stated above. Clearly illustrate what other alternatives to your business exist in the market.

The presence of competition is generally a good thing. If there are no competitors, investors often think a market opportunity or problem doesn’t exist.

Compare your business with your competitors and highlight your unique attributes. How does your company differentiate from the competition? How is your product and/or service unique? Describe what gives your business a competitive advantage.

7. Go To Market Strategy

The Go To Market strategy refers to how your business plans to bring its unique value proposition to its target customers.

On this slide, you will illustrate how you intend to acquire customers for your product and/or service. If some marketing initiatives are already underway then highlight those and their results. The aim of this slide of your pitch deck is to prove to investors you have the ability to take your solution to a mass audience and therefore grow your business exponentially.

The Team Slide should mention the people on your management team. List their qualifications and prior achievements to showcase how and why they are the best people to lead your venture.

Investors will be extremely interested to know who will be responsible for executing the business ideas laid out in the pitch deck. A lot of times an amazing business idea never sees the light of the day due to poor execution so it is essential to have the right people in the right positions to really succeed.

9. Traction

Traction refers to evidence or proof that customers want your company’s products and/or services.

As such, the Traction slide should show the periodic growth of your company based on applicable key metrics such as sales, website visitors, users, sign-ups, downloads, etc.

If your revenues are expanding with each passing month then include that graph in the slide. Include the key metrics that most easily prove your business’ success and growth.

10. Financial Projections

Here you will include a three to five-year projected income statement for your business. If you’re a startup, you will not have any historical data so make sure your projections are reasonable.

Your projections show investors the potential future scale of your business and whether it might give them the desired ROI.

Your financial projections show when you expect to break even and start earning profits. Likewise point out where fundraising is needed, which leads to your next slide.

11. Funds Being Raised

The last slide of your pitch deck should discuss the amount of money you need to achieve your goals. Instead of presenting a rigid number, you may want to include a range and show what you can achieve with different levels of funding.

Importantly, point out the core uses of the funding. Is the funding for staffing, for product development, for marketing, etc.? Detail where and how the investor’s funding will be used to grow your business.

Copy the following investor pitch deck template into your favorite slide presentation software such as Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint, and then answer the questions to create your pitch deck:

• What problem(s) does your company solve?
• How does your company solve the problem?

Product and/or Service Demo

• How does your product or service work?
• How big is your market?
• What trends are shaping it?
• How big could your company become?

Business Model

• How do you generate revenues?

Competition

• Who are your direct competitors?
• What are your competitive advantages?

Go To Market Strategy

• What marketing strategies will you employ to penetrate your market and acquire customers?
• Who is on your management team?
• What skillsets and experience do they have that bode well for your company’s success?
• What customer milestones have you reached already?

Financial Projections

• What do your three to five-year income statement projections show?
• What are your sales and profit projections?

Funds Being Raised

• How much funding do you need?
• What are the core ways in which you will use the funding?

Below we have compiled over 100 of the best pitch deck examples including the result of their pitch and key highlights that make their slide deck great. Using the best pitch deck examples can be extremely helpful in creating your own pitch deck to successfully secure the funding you need for your own startup or growing business.

• About : Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes or apartment with people who are looking for lodging in that location.
• Results : Raised $600K in seed funding in 2009.
• What Was Done Best : The Airbnb pitch deck concisely explained the problem and how big the company’s market size could be.
• About : AdPushup vision is an ad revenue optimization tool that can automatically and continuously optimize your website’s ad layout for higher view-ability and number of clicks.
• Results : Raised $632k in angel funding. They went on to raise an undisclosed Series A in 2016
• What Was Done Best : This pitch deck example covers all required points and is cleanly formatted. They bolster their pitch with case studies and references.
• About : Buffer helps users share social media content by scheduling online posts throughout the day. It integrates with Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and other social media platforms.
• Results : Raised $400k in 2011 and then went on to raise $3.5M in 2014
• About : BuzzFeed is a digital media company that leverages data and innovation to deliver news and entertainment to a global audience
• Results : Raised $3.5m Series A in 2008
• What Was Done Best : The Buffer pitch deck starts off strong with a CNN testimonial. They make a strong case for potential business through various models.
• About : Social media platform
• Results : Raised $104B
• What Was Done Best : The Facebook pitch deck is backed up with lots of strong financial data.
• About : Front App is a mobile application that manages and automate team emails and inboxes. Its application brings all of the people’s communication channels into one place so people can triage and assign messages, have internal conversations around them and even sync the work across other services.
• Results : Raised $20M in 2016
• About : GoCanvas offers a wide variety of mobile apps that gives individuals and business owners the ability to handle virtually anything that usually requires a form, manual or document, right on their iPhone and iPad, or Android device.
• Results : Raised $9M
• What Was Done Best : The deck includes strong testimonials from big, well-establish companies. It also includes excellent financials.
• About : Taskly is a to-do management webapp powered by natural language processing and semantic analysis.
• What Was Done Best : They clearly define the problem.
• About : WeWork provides creative and dynamic co-working space.
• Results : Raised $355M
• What Was Done Best : The WeWork pitch deck uses visual charts to show huge projections and big plans.
• About : Mint.com is a web-based personal financial management service.
• What Was Done Best : The Mint pitch deck has a strong value proposition and shows great financials.

Four Square

• About : FourSquare is a location technology platform responsible for the original check-in feature.
• Results : Raised $155M, investors include Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures.
• What Was Done Best : They clearly illustrate how the app and all of its features work through strong visuals and explanations.
• About : Groupon is an e-commerce marketplace connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services, mostly at discounted prices.
• Results : Raised $700k
• What Was Done Best : The presentation is very visual so you know exactly what they are doing. They clearly show the problem and the solution.

Brandboards

• About : BrandBoards offers an online platform for advertisers to buy live-event advertising services.
• Results : Raised $750k
• What Was Done Best : The presentation slides clearly show the problem, solution, milestones and the required investment in a concise format.

Sequoia Capital

• About : A large venture capital firm
• Results : This is Sequoia’s recommended pitch deck template
• About : Pendo is a product cloud creator for digital products and data-driven product teams.
• About : Kibin is an online proofreading & editing service.
• Results : Raised $400k
• What Was Done Best : They clearly show the problem and the solution.

App Virality

• About : AppVirality is a ‘Plug and Play Growth Hacking Toolkit For Mobile Apps’ that helps app developers in identifying and implementing the right growth techniques, without any coding.
• Results : Raised a half a million dollars

Standard Treasury

• About : Standard Treasury offers standard APIs that facilitate businesses in transfers and other transactions with banks.
• Results : Raised $10M
• What Was Done Best : The slides presented outline all potential scenarios in an easy-to-digest format.
• About : A cloud-based dairy herd & farm business management software – allowing producers across the world to become the very best.
• What Was Done Best : The presentation focuses largely on the market size, which is huge and thus, a big plus.
• About : Tinder is a dating app that anonymously finds people nearby that like each other and connects them if they are both interested.
• Results : Tinder has raised $50M in three separate rounds.
• What Was Done Best : The Tinder pitch deck explains the pain points and problem in a very clear and easily understandable way. They also use lots of visuals, which helps illustrate their product offering.
• About : Coinbase is a secure platform that makes it easy to exchange digital currency, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others.
• Results : Raised over $547.3 million over 9 funding rounds
• What Was Done Best : The slide deck presents a strong argument for what is wrong with other solutions, while showcasing why it was the right solution to the problem.
• About : Uber operates a ride-sharing mobile application that connects drivers with people who need a ride. Its application enables users to arrange and schedule transportation and/or logistics services with third-party providers.
• Results : Raised $22B total in 18 rounds. Early investors included First Round, Benchmark, and Menlo Ventures.
• What Was Done Best : The Uber pitch deck shows how their idea can improve the convenience of the consumer and the potential outcome scenarios for the investor.
• About : YouTube is a video sharing website that enables users to upload, view and share videos.
• Results : Raised $3.5 million in Series A funding in 2005, followed by $8 million in 2006.
• About : An online property listing platform that helps you find a home and/or a roommate.; and gives visibility to local businesses.
• What Was Done Best : Clear communication and personalization.
• About : Subscrea is a turnkey platform for subscription-based businesses.
• What Was Done Best : This slide deck does a good job of showing the problem and their proposed solution.
• About : Castle manages rental homes for landlords using automation and on-demand labor.
• Results : Raised $270k
• What Was Done Best : Castle’s pitch deck includes a value proposition that is strong and clear. They utilize humor to engage the audience.
• About : Vidcaster provides an out-of-the-box solution for implementing and managing video experiences.
• Results : Raised $2.5M
• What Was Done Best : They share a compelling case study and strongly illustrate how their product works.
• About : MoPix is creating the “post DVD” experience by enabling anyone with film or video content to brand, sell and distribute it in a social-enriched digital marketplace.
• Results : Raised a total of $68K in funding over 2 rounds.
• What Was Done Best : They clearly state the problem and then demo how their product is the ideal solution. They also show several additional sources of revenue.
• About : Feast teaches people how to cook through it’s stress-free lessons.
• About : Instamojo lets you sell your digital creations directly to your customers by just sharing a link.
• Results : Raised $8.4 Million
• About : Alfred is an American technology company that connects consumers with on-demand and local services to complete errands and tasks.
• Results : Raised $10.5M
• What Was Done Best : The presentation is short and simply shows their growth.

Lovewithfood

• About : Love With Food is a marketing and market research platform for CPG food brands.
• Results : Raised $2.1M in five rounds
• What Was Done Best : They show exactly what their product is, the sales process, their website and what the customer receives.
• About : Sverve is a social media influencer marketing platform.
• What Was Done Best : Clearly communicates what the company does and visually shows milestones.
• About : Waypoint was a mobile application that enables individuals to search, book, and pay for boating slips online. The application utilized a technology platform that allows boaters to book empty slips in real time, gain access to books and electronics, and rent out their space to other boaters.
• What Was Done Best : This pitch deck example has an excellent flow.
• About : Flowtab is a mobile app that offers bars, nightclubs, and hospitality venues with mobile drink ordering and payment services.
• What Was Done Best : Concise information with a simple, minimal design.
• About : Manpacks was a quarterly subscription service offering men’s underwear, socks, toiletries and other basic needs.
• Results : Raised $500k
• What Was Done Best : They engage their audience with the use of fun and humor in their presentation.

Zen Payroll

• About : Zen Payroll (now Gusto) provides a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and human resource management software for businesses
• Results : Raised $6M
• What Was Done Best : Clearly shows the pain point and how their business solves the issue.

SteadyBudget

• About : SteadyBudget is budget management software that helps PPC analysts manage various budgets across different channels.
• What Was Done Best : They use strong traction to backup their product.
• About : Polyflint is an online community and marketplace for 3D designers to find inspiration, showcase works and get feedback.
• About : Quora is a Q&A platform with a mission to share and grow the world’s knowledge.
• Results : Quora has raised a total of $226M in funding over 4 rounds. Their latest funding was raised on Apr 21, 2017 from a Series D round.
• About : Binpress helps developers build a profitable business from working on open-source projects.
• Results : Raised $1M
• What Was Done Best : They engage their audience with a presentation that is almost entirely visual.

Wealthsimple

• About : Wealthsimple is an online investment management service focused on millennials.
• Results : Raised $2M
• What Was Done Best : The deck is concise and shows how they can transform an industry.

Sickweather

• About : Sickweather is an app that analyzes data to predict and forecast population health.
• Results : Raised $2.6M
• What Was Done Best : They provide a list of well-known clients and include a stimulating video. They are also able to show impressive month to month growth.
• About : Swipes Workspace is a digital place for product teams to plan projects, work on goals, exchange notes and talk together. Swipes personal is an app that helps people collect, organize and take action on their important tasks.
• Results : Raised $270k in 2013.
• What Was Done Best : A very concise presentation, consisting of only 11 slides with a very good pitch deck design.
• About : LinkedIn is a professional networking company. In addition to networking, it is also used for employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs and marketing.
• Results : Raised $10M total 2004.
• What Was Done Best : The deck relies heavily on financials. They show proven financial success and market potential.
• About : An online platform that enables its users to create viral “Launching Soon” pages with built in sharing tools and analytics.
• Results : Raised $800k.
• What Was Done Best : They show historical customer results in a very visual and engaging format.
• About : GazeMetrix empowers brands with insight into when and where their brand was photographed across social media in real-time.
• Results : Raised $100k.
• About : Vettery is an online, data-driven jobs marketplace that connects top talent with growing companies.
• Results : Raised $9M in 2016
• About : Intercom is an American software company that produces a messaging platform which allows businesses to communicate with prospective and existing customers within their app, on their website, through social media, or via email.
• Results : Raised $600k total 2012.
• What Was Done Best : The Intercom pitch deck concisely outlines their service and the current competitive landscape.
• About : Square, Inc. is a financial services, merchant services aggregator, and mobile payment company.
• Results : Raised $150M
• What Was Done Best : They included a lot of tables, charts and matrices.
• About : Idwall develops software to help small and medium-sized businesses in the customer credentialing process. It is focused on providing businesses with document validation, background check, and identity verification solutions and services.
• Results : Raised $13.8M
• What Was Done Best : Show strong, but tangible growth
• About : Pinmypet allows users to track the location and physical activities of their pets.
• Results : Raised $2.5M.
• What Was Done Best : Modern and fun presentation with lots of visuals, including screenshots of the app itself.
• About : TouristEye is a mobile application that enables users to collect destinations and activities to plan their trips and weekend getaways.
• Results : Raised $1M.
• What Was Done Best : They have a convincing argument by showing the market potential.
• About : Waygo is a translation app.
• Results : Raised an undisclosed round from Golden Gate Ventures in October 2015
• About : Owlr is a compute software tech company that offers a free mobile viewing app that provides easy-to-manage Motion Alerts, safe and secure Alert Video Storage.
• Results : Raised £240K
• What Was Done Best : The deck shows strong proof of concept through customer testimonials and case studies.
• About : Lastbite was a platform which connects cafe owners with unsold perishable goods with hungry locals looking for a cheap bite to eat.
• What Was Done Best : Information is presented in a clean, bright design.
• About : Yaydoo is a procurement automation platform that allows companies to streamline their purchasing process.
• What Was Done Best : The deck is short and sweet and shows strong historical financials and showcases their clientbook.
• About : Mixpanel is a business analytics service company that tracks user interactions with web and mobile applications and provides tools for targeted communication with them.
• Results : Raised $65M and obtained a $865M Valuation.
• What Was Done Best : They show a substantial amount of KPIs and clearly communicate the current problem they are solving.
• About : Usetrace develops test automation solutions for web applications.
• Results : Raised $287k
• What Was Done Best : They use comedy throughout to bring freshness to their presentation

Backstartup

• About : Backstartup is an all-in-one platform that allows startups and SMEs to manage their legal, accounting and payroll.
• Results : Raised $905K over three rounds.
• What Was Done Best : The deck’s design is visually appealing and it effectively captures the details of the business.

Salusive Health

• About : Salusive Health helps physicians improve patient outcomes by overcoming the traditional gaps in care between visits and provides a new passive revenue stream.
• What Was Done Best : Presents essential numbers in a visually stimulating way.
• About : Moz is a software as a service company based in Seattle that sells inbound marketing and marketing analytics software subscriptions.
• Results : Raised $18M in 2012.
• What Was Done Best : They provide excellent financial information. They also provide a strong history of the company, helping to personalize the company.

300 Milligrams

• About : 300 Milligrams brings all your cloud documents, tasks and conversations from various cloud services together in one place.
• What Was Done Best : They did a great job of showcasing their product through screenshots and an up-close look of their control panel.
• About : Contently is a technology company that helps enterprise companies create results-driven content by providing them with smart technology, vetted creative talent, and proven expertise.
• Results : Raised $19.3M over 7 rounds of funding.
• What Was Done Best : The deck includes strong data points that showcase the market problem that exists and how they going to meet the customers’ needs.
• About : Dwolla let’s users send, receive and request funds from other users.
• Results : Raised $16.5M
• What Was Done Best : The value proposition is crystal clear and they show examples of real clients

BigControls

• About : Blockchain platform for the global tax credit & incentive obligations between corporations & government agencies.
• Results : Raised $125k
• What Was Done Best : Strong, consistent design and brand identity.
• About : Almabase help colleges and universities build a thriving alumni community.
• Results : Raised $100k
• What Was Done Best : By showing 1 million users in just 8 months, the deck is immediately interesting.
• About : Slidebean is an online platform that designs and creates presentations on demand with user provided content.
• Results : Raised $250k
• What Was Done Best : They illustrate the problems through strong visuals and then show strong financial results.
• About : Mapme is a mobile app for Android, iOS and BlackBerry that provides offline maps using OpenStreetMap data.
• What Was Done Best : The deck is very concise and provides social proof to support their product.

Daily Hundred

• About : The Daily Hundred is a web app allowing businesses to reward customers by encouraging micro-level brand advocacy and product endorsements.
• What Was Done Best : Great design with good visuals of their history and growth. They also make good use of testimonials.
• About : Shopify is a cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses.
• Results : Raised $122.3M
• What Was Done Best : They know their market well and communicate this.
• About : Etherparty is about simple tools for the next generation of Blockchain-connected economies powered by Smart Contract automation.
• Results : They crowdfunded $34 million of their $65 million goal by selling FUEL tokens through a process called an initial coin offering (ICO).
• What Was Done Best : Amazing visuals and excellent narrative about the problem and their solution.
• About : Voxeet enables WebRTC with crystal clear 3D surround-sound, audio and video experience and is particularly optimized for a mobile user
• Results : Raised $3M
• What Was Done Best : Amazing video that immediately captures your attention.
• About : Home61 is an online real estate company that helps find rentals and homes for sale in the Greater Miami Area.
• Results : Raised $5.1M
• What Was Done Best : Showcases their investor history and their depth of knowledge in the market.
• About : Crew is an app that lets individuals find freelance graphic designers, illustrators and software developers.
• Results : Raised $2M in 2012
• What Was Done Best : They show the current market size, which is very large. They show proven financial success and show a specific client case study.
• About : Reflect is a mental health startup reimagining in-person therapy to be more accessible and effective by using data-driven matching to increase engagement and outcomes.
• Results : Pre-seed round with 500 Startups; amount unknown.
• What Was Done Best : The deck has minimal, yet effective information. They used data and facts to drive their pitch.
• About : Kickfolio provides a marketing tool that allows users to run mobile operating applications directly inside the browsers
• Results : Raised $1.06M
• What Was Done Best : Concise, excellently designed presentation.
• About : Melodics is an educational service for learning how to finger drum, using adaptive learning and other data-driven approaches.
• What Was Done Best : They use relatable examples and celebrities to get their points across.
• About : Fittr is a platform that designs custom workouts tailored to equipment, access, time management, and goals.
• What Was Done Best : Nice investment goals and illustration of what they will do with funds raised.
• About : Purple Go provides in-store mobile technology to enable traditional retailers to modernize, connect online, and compete in verticals like eyewear.
• Results : Raised an undisclosed amount in 2018
• What Was Done Best : Strong, consistent branding.

Finova Financial

• About : Finova Financial offers fast, affordable online loans based on the equity in your car.
• Results : Raised $155M
• What Was Done Best : Builds brand credibility by showing media coverage.
• About : Rock Health is a seed fund investing in digital health startups.
• About : Lexyom is an online platform that uses artificial intelligence to provide users with smart, automated legal services.
• Results : Lexyom has raised a total of €50K in funding over 3 rounds.
• What Was Done Best : Very informative presentation in just nine slides.
• About : MatterMark is a data analytics company that helps companies research, prospect, track, qualify and benchmark signals of growth and news coverage for more than 1,000,000 private and public technology companies.
• Results : Raised $6.5 million in Series A funding.
• What Was Done Best: The MatterMark pitch deck provides several visuals that help demonstrate their need for funding.

Copper Cow Coffee

• About : Copper Cow Coffee brings specialty Vietnamese coffee with 100% biodegradable pour over technology.
• Results : Raised $3M in five rounds
• What Was Done Best : Very short and succinct
• About : EventXtra is a One Stop Event Management Software Company (Event SaaS).
• Results : Raised $1.7M
• What Was Done Best : Short and succinct, but impactful
• About : Harmonica is a mobile dating application for conservative cultures, like Egypt. It helps users find the right life partner in a safe environment, by using a scientific approach.
• Results : Harmonica has raised a total of $180K in funding over 2 rounds.
• What Was Done Best : Clearly shows their solution and how their are different.
• About : Lexop has developed a Certified Email solution that allows legal and real estate professionals to deliver notices via email instead of paper, using real-time tracking and instant legal proof-of-delivery.
• Results : Lexop has raised a total of $2.3M in funding over 3 rounds.
• What Was Done Best : It captures all of the essential information and shows a strong managing team and advisors, which offers authority.
• About : BabyList is a baby registry that helps new moms discover, share and buy the things they need for their baby.
• Results : Raised $650k
• About : Kompyte is a competitor tracking software that enables businesses to collect, analyze, and act on competitive changes in their market.
• Results : Raised $4.1M
• What Was Done Best : Excellent illustration of how the product worked.
• About : Pop Survey is an easy to use SaaS survey and questionnaire site.
• What Was Done Best : True to their name, this presentation really pops.
• About : Crema is a online retailer of specialty coffees.
• Results : Raised $325k
• What Was Done Best : Cohesive deck with strong design elements.
• About : Podozi is an online e-commerce platform based in Nigeria.
• Results : Raised $120k
• What Was Done Best : They showed the working partnership with large brands that this platform already has.
• About : Yalochat is an AI platform that manages and improves relationships with your clients over whatsapp.
• Results : Raised $8M
• What Was Done Best : They paired data with visuals to make a strong, engaging presentation.
• About : Biogrify offers brands the opportunity to record and share their story, which will be displayed through compelling social infographics, or what we call creative communication.
• What Was Done Best : Lots of captivating visuals.
• About : ChangeJar designs mobile payment solutions.
• What Was Done Best : Clear and very strong value proposition
• About : Mwabu is an educational technology company focused on Africa that sells products to teachers, schools, parents, NGOs, donors and governments.
• Results : Raised a significant, undisclosed Series B investment round
• What Was Done Best : Lots of research presented in a crisp, digestible format.
• About : Datatron provides a single model governance (management) platform for all of your ML, AI, and Data Science models in production.
• Results : Raised $6.4M
• What Was Done Best : Gives an excellent overview of how the company is going to be an industry game changer.
• About : Cadee helps the golfer understand and improve their game by taking a photo of their scorecard and then digitizing their data and help them track their stats over time.
• What Was Done Best : A visually-appealing pitch deck that captures your attention.
• About : Volta is an elegant task manager for outbound phone calls.
• About : Bidzuku is a free resource that helps car buyers avert the painful process of buying their next car.

Contentools

• About : Contentools develops a content marketing software for businesses that look for website traffic, leads and clients conversion.
• Results : Raised to $300k
• What Was Done Best : Concise deck that gets straight to the point- it presents the problem and how they are going to solve it. It also shows a convincing company growth strategy.
• About : Codec provides Next-generation audience intelligence for brands to engage with target audiences.
• Results : Raised to £4.7M
• What Was Done Best : Strong visual deck with minimal text
• About : Trym provides micro business insurance.
• Results : Raised to $125k
• What Was Done Best : They use an easy to understand, step-by-step process to showcase their complex product.
• About : Chewse is a virtual meal manager for enterprise customers.
• Results : Raised to $14.6M in 6 Rounds from 19 Investors.
• What Was Done Best : A visually-appealing pitch deck with good data.
• About : Orchard leverages smartphone warranty to help enterprises improve security in personal smartphones used for work.
• What Was Done Best : The deck clearly presents the problem and solution, and then illustrates the potential opportunity.

We are Onyx

• About : We Are Onyx Beauty Box is a women’s beauty subscription box that offers products for complete beauty regimen.
• What Was Done Best : The deck shows a huge month over month growth and an enormous market potential.

BuildingLayer

• About : BuildingLayer is a crowdsourcing platform that helps users create indoor maps of buildings.
• What Was Done Best : The deck addresses the audience directly, making the deck very engaging.
• About : iControl is a cloud-based application for construction management and collaboration.
• Results : Raised $150k
• What Was Done Best : The deck has a great example of the alternative to iControl, which is clearly less efficient.

Park Evergreen

• About : Park Evergreen is a parking management software that runs entire parking facilities without relying on humans or hardware.
• What Was Done Best : The deck relies heavily on their experienced team.
• About : OpenDoor creates modern, collaborative living spaces targeted at urban creatives and millennials. Their homes are curated social environments that facilitate sharing, connections, and meaningful relationships.
• What Was Done Best : The deck clearly illustrates the old, traditional way of doing things vs. the new, OpenDoor way of doing things.
• About : StreamLoan is a SaaS/mobile collaboration and workflow platform, simplifying residential home purchases.
• Results : Raised $2.1M
• What Was Done Best : Excellent, comprehensive presentation

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

12 Startup Pitch Deck Examples [+ Template]

A great startup pitch deck is an integral part of launching a business. This deck is presented to prospective investors to convince them to invest and help you grow your startup . The trick to having the best pitch deck possible is to include enough information to explain your goals and methodology without losing your audience’s interest.

Pitch decks are usually in PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, or Google Slides to make them easier to present to potential investors. However, the deck can also have an alternative format like a Word document or even a video. For inspiration, let’s go through some successful startup pitch deck examples and discuss what they got right. 

Pitch Deck Basics

There are some overarching characteristics that make for a great pitch deck. While we’ll go through what a deck typically includes and some relevant business pitch examples, you can pick and choose certain elements as long as your startup pitch deck has the following basic qualities:

• Design-forward: Customers expect a better experience with your product and that’s achieved through better UX and graphic design. Show your team’s design chops with thoughtful deck design and mock-ups.
• Comprehensive: Be prepared to answer any questions from potential investors. Your slides should cover enough so if they check back for reminders after the presentation, they’ll find the most important information.
• Engaging: A startup pitch deck inevitably includes some boring elements. Your job is to keep it exciting and break up information-heavy slides with features like illustrations and block quotes.
• Straightforward: It’s easy to get caught up with sharing every detail, but it’s more important that your potential investors understand your pitch. For more complicated slides and ideas, pare down your pitch to make it easier to understand.

1. Problem Slide

Your pitch deck should open with a key problem — this is the whole justification for your business and why consumers will find it valuable. A common structure for this slide is to bullet pain points and create a story your potential investors can relate to.

The problem slide is the basis for your presentation. Creating a relatable story makes for an engaging presentation that’s easy to follow and understand.

Uber Example

Why it works : Although it’s not the most visually engaging, Uber’s business pitch example clearly explains how Uber solves key issues with traditional cabs. Uber’s deck is broken down into multiple slides to deliver all the necessary information without overwhelming the audience.

2. Solution slide

After presenting the problem, you should follow up directly with a solution. An effective solution slide structure covers current industry solutions and identifies the gaps your startup fills. This slide has a general overview of any proprietary technology, covers basic product features, and includes relevant interface mock-ups to show investors what your product will do for consumers.

Intercom Example

Why it works : Intercom’s solution slide is simple but effective. While some extra design could elevate this slide, the bullet points are easy to understand and effectively explain Intercom’s unique selling proposition (USP) in the SaaS market.

3. Market validation slide

Market validation is especially important to investors because it shows proof that there are people who will purchase your product. This slide should include any relevant statistics for current sales if your startup has launched or competitors’ sales if it hasn’t. Don’t forget to cover basic information about your target market, their purchasing power, and their habits in your industry. This slide is especially important if your prospective investors aren’t familiar with your product or industry.

LinkedIn Example

Why it work s: At 37 pages, LinkedIn’s pitch deck is longer than we’d recommend.  But what it lacks in brevity it makes up for with powerful market validation using clear data from top competitors. It also breaks down barriers to growth and revenue for these competitors and shows how LinkedIn would improve their models.

4. Market size slide

Market size goes hand in hand with market validation. Once you’ve confirmed your target market has enough purchasing power, you need to justify your product’s longevity.

Focus on continued sales. The two most common elements to ensure your startup brings in long-term revenue are:

• A very large market
• A business model built for continuous purchases (e.g., subscription models)

Facebook Example

Why it works: Facebook is the poster child for successful startups. Its market size slides effectively communicate how Facebook’s initial launches succeeded and justify further growth. The slides with market statistics about college students also explain clearly how Facebook will create revenue.

5. Product slide

The product slide is your chance to nail your pitch and sell your vision to investors. This slide should center your value proposition. A popular strategy for this section is to pose a few questions about your industry and show how your product is the answer. Take the time to craft this slide carefully, polishing it up from the copy to design details.

Dropbox Example

Why it works: Dropbox’s product slides are effective because they show how Dropbox truly innovates over other file sharing services. They justify why now is the time to launch and why consumers will choose Dropbox over competitors.

6. Business model slide

The business model slide covers how the startup will run and launch its product for sustainable growth. This section can compare your startup to other businesses or use internal data if the product has launched.

Moz Example

Why it works : While some of these slides can look busy, Moz’s business model was ahead of its time by calling out why organic marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) have untapped potential. This deck does a good job of explaining the business model to investors who might not be SEO savvy.

But wait...there's more!

7. market adoption slide.

It’s important to show some proof that your target market has interest in purchasing your product, especially if there are other competitors in the market. This is a lot easier if your product has already launched because you can include sales data. If your startup is pre-launch, showing potential market adoption can be tricky. In this case, you can use social proof from similar competitors. If you do this, it’s also important to note how your product differs from these competitors, especially if you can resolve a customer’s complaint. If possible, include case studies in the market adoption slide. These show proof that you can use investments to increase the reach of your startup.

Buffer Example

Why it works : Buffer’s market adoption slides show social proof through key statistics outlining Buffer’s success so far. With an extremely high profit margin and growth rate for their user base, Buffer shows off why their product will offer a larger ROI for potential investors.

8. Competition slide

Many investors look at your competition to help contextualize your startup. If an investor has little or no experience in your vertical, showing competitors they’re familiar with gives them real examples of success. This slide should cover the following topics related to your competition:

• Revenue data
• What competitors do well
• What competitors don’t do well
• How your startup bridges product gaps

Mint Example

Why it works : Mint’s competitor slides are effective because they show current competitors along with future projections for these competitors. This slide effectively shows how Mint creates more value for customers over time and uses competitors as inspiration in their defensive strategy.

9. Team slide

A team slide helps investors get to know the minds behind your startup. Include information about founders, leadership, and top existing investors to show why your team is qualified to launch this startup. Any evidence of past successes with your leadership, consultants, or investors is important to include, as it shows new investors that you have relevant experience to launch your startup. If there’s any relevant history about your startup, such as a higher ROI than expected for a former investor, be sure to include this in your pitch deck.

Contently Example

Why it works : While Contently’s team slide has a lot of information, it’s all relevant to potential investors. In addition to founders and investors, Contently includes top employees, proprietary technology, advisors, and the amount they’ve raised so far. This, along with their financial model slide, show potential investors that Contently will make good use of their investment and even make them some profit.

10. Press slide

The press section of your startup pitch deck is a great opportunity to show off any buzz and get your investors excited about your business. Focus on positive reviews or attention related to your product. Stay away from negative press unless you can show you’ve changed those negative opinions. Make sure to keep these slides focused and succinct. It’s easy to get caught up in showing off product buzz, but press slides should always demonstrate potential for a more widespread product adoption.

Snapchat example

Why it works : Snapchat was in a unique position at the time this deck was created, as its press slide has strong social proof. Snapchat calls out popular users, including press and media sources, that are already using the app. The wide variety of users, including household names like MTV, shows how Snapchat is a well-known social media platform.

11. Testimonial slide

Testimonials give investors insight into what existing customers really think about your product. Testimonials can also shed light on the public perception of your product, especially compared to competitors.

Seventy-two percent of consumers only take action after reading positive reviews. You can use this logic with your potential investors, too.

Positive testimonials show that your customers have brand loyalty and that users are satisfied with the product and customer service. This section of the startup pitch deck is only possible for startups that have launched their product.

AirBnB Example

Why it works : Not every pitch deck includes testimonials, especially if the startup hasn’t launched, but it makes sense to include feedback for Airbnb. Showcasing new users makes this slide simple yet effective. It could also benefit from including average Airbnb ratings for stronger evidence of positive reception.

12. Financial model slide

The financial model slide shows how your product creates revenue. For example, if your product is a subscription-based service, has premium features, or other horizontal integration, you’ll explain that model on these slides. Potential investors should walk away from your presentation knowing exactly how your startup creates revenue and understand any plans to ensure a steady stream of income.

Shopify Example

Why it works : Shopify offers a great pitch deck example of when breaking some pitch norms can work in your favor. Although it’s nearly 30 slides, the entire deck is informative and engaging. The financial model slides work well because they show how Shopify and its past investors turned a profit. Not only do they explain their current financial model, but Shopify also covers their plans for future growth to reassure investors they’ll make a profit, too.

What should you avoid putting in a startup pitch deck?

The best pitch deck is completely tailored to your startup. While there’s no hard-and-fast rule about what you shouldn’t include, make sure everything you’re presenting is relevant to potential investors. 

How do I present my startup pitch deck to investors?

It’s almost always better to present a pitch deck live to investors. Designate one member of your leadership team, ideally a founder, to present your deck to investors. 

Following a script can come across as disingenuous, but using notes is OK, so get lots of practice in before you present to investors.

What should a startup pitch deck include?

A typical startup pitch deck template includes the following slides:

• Market validation
• Market size
• Business model
• Market adoption
• Competition
• Testimonials
• Financial model

However, every pitch deck is different, so your final pitch might skip some of these topics or use multiple slides to expand on certain sections.

Built to scale with HubSpot for Startups

It takes some time to put together a startup pitch deck that works, but once you’ve nailed your presentation, you can reuse it for multiple pitches with just a few tweaks to update any data or statistics. HubSpot for Startups helps you track marketing and sales data to make this process easier. New investors can rest easy knowing you’ve got the support of HubSpot’s powerful CRM at your fingertips.

Get the pitch deck template

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33 Legendary Startup Pitch Decks and What You Can Learn From Them [+10 Free Templates]

A startup pitch deck is a brief presentation that provides investors with an overview of your new business and/or startup idea through presentation slides.

It usually focuses on showcasing your product, sharing your business model, giving a look into your monetization strategy, and introducing your team.

A startup pitch deck is an essential fundraising tool for successful startups, whether you’re looking to raise funding from $50,000, $500,000, or $50 million. However, an investor pitch deck is just one of the best pitch decks and examples we will share below.

Despite the brevity of the successful startup pitch decks, which usually run for 10 slides or less, creating a pitch deck that wins investment is not an easy task.

What Does a Successful Startup Pitch Deck Cover?

A great pitch deck covers key points through visuals and bullet points and usually has a competition slide, a problem slide, and a solution slide to explain your offering and the market.

Additionally, a business model slide and a team slide (if your business is developed enough to present these) can turn a good deck into a great startup pitch deck.

Don’t forget, a simple pitch deck is a good pitch deck—and you’re about to learn how to nail it.

In This Legendary Startup Pitch Deck Article You Will Find:

• Examples of 33 successful pitch decks
• Takeaways that you can apply when creating your own startup pitch deck
• Editable templates of 10 pitch decks that you can use for free

Looking for a winning pitch deck template ASAP to present in front of potential investors?   Try our free template created in collaboration with HighSpark – an agency that has helped more than 500 startups raise cumulatively over $80 million in funding. 

Here is the list of 33 of the best startup pitch deck examples that we will go through:

• ZenPayRoll (Now Gusto)
• Wealthsimple
• AppVirality
• Shape Integrated Software
• Ooomf (now Crew)
• Sequoia Capital

These startup pitch deck examples were created by top brands in tech. At the time, they were all small startups (seed stage companies) looking to raise money or venture capital through potential investors and grow their businesses. Sound familiar?!

We hope that their business idea and investor pitch decks will inspire you (and of course, potential investors).

If you are more of a visual learner than a reader type, you can watch a video summary of the first 10 startup pitch deck examples mentioned in this blog post:

Alternatively, if you’re ready to create your own pitch deck, we’ve added some startup pitch deck examples and pitch deck templates to the bottom of this article. You can go straight to them by clicking here . Or get access to Piktochart’s online design tool by signing up for a free account and choosing a presentation template to get started easily.

From behemoths like Facebook and YouTube to superstars like Buffer, together these startups have raised millions of dollars and are now worth billions!

It’s time to see how they did it.

33 Legendary Startup Pitch Deck Examples

1. facebook pitch deck.

Here’s a fun fact: Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist, and entrepreneur, was the first outside investor in Facebook back in 2004. That’s when Mark Zuckerberg first set out to turn his dorm room project into a lasting business. Zuckerberg received $500,000 from Peter Thiel.

Facebook’s pitch deck was more of a media kit  of sorts. It was containing the company’s value proposition, key metrics, and marketing services that were used to sell ads to potential clients.

Favorite takeaway : The focus of the startup pitch deck was based on solid numbers such as user engagement, traffic, and growth trajectory.

2. Airbnb pitch deck

Airbnb is a platform that allows people to list, find, and rent lodging.

This company is one of the greatest startup success stories of our time.

The now famous Airbnb pitch deck has become one of the best pitch decks for inspiring entrepreneurs around the world.

Favorite takeaway: The intro. It’s all about hooking your audience. You need to describe your business using as few words as possible. Imagine telling a 5-year-old what your business is about. If you can’t do that, it’s time to put some time into nailing it down.

3. Buffer pitch deck

Buffer is a social media scheduling platform that helps you schedule content for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

The almighty startup pitch deck that helped Buffer to raise half a million dollars gained popularity by becoming one of the first pitch decks openly shared online. The founder decided to put it up to help other startups to raise funds.

Favorite takeaway: Similar to Facebook, the deck was based on solid numbers from Buffer’s users (e.g., 800 users, $150,000 annual revenue run rate, etc.)

4. Square pitch deck

Square is a company that allows merchants to accept mobile credit card payments via a dongle.

Favorite takeaway : Social proof! It doesn’t hurt to promote the management team if they’ve been with Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, PayPal, and more. It shows that your management team’s experience is an armor to the company. This detailed startup pitch deck outlines Square’s business model and a simple financial model that portrays its annual revenue and five-year growth rate.

5. LinkedIn pitch deck

Founded in 2002, LinkedIn is the top business-oriented social networking platform.

The company’s pitch talks a great deal about company values, the power of networking, and how it’s different from other social networks out there.

Favorite takeaway : The deck also provides an extensive analogy to showcase to investors what LinkedIn is. For example, it talks about “Web 1.0” vs. “Web 2.0”: Alta Vista was “Search 1.0”, and Google was “Search 2.0”. The deck talks about how LinkedIn is “Networking for Businesses 2.0”.

6. Mint pitch deck

Mint is a personal financial services tool that helps people track their spending and find ways to save money.

This startup pitch deck example was used in a competition and was never used for raising money, but it’s still a powerful deck that startups can learn from.

Favorite takeaway : This simple deck provides a clear value proposition to customers and investors. The creators of this deck also understood that one of the key concerns of an investor is the exit mechanism of his or her investments. I love how the deck highlights a number of exit strategy options.

7. MapMe pitch deck

MapMe allows users to create universally accessible (i.e., on smartphones, tablets, and computers) maps of anywhere they want with no coding required.

This startup deck was used to raise $1 million in seed funding.

Social proof almost always works. The deck showed that the startup had over 20,000 unique visitors, 18,000 monthly alerts, and12 minutes average sessions on the site.

Favorite takeaway : The pitch deck has fewer than 13 slides but provides investors with knowledge of the traction the site got going viral on social media and its go-to-market strategy.

8. LaunchRock pitch deck

LaunchRock allows users to create landing pages and quickly get their startups known through social media, even before the launch of their full site.

Favorite takeaway : As a more creatively designed pitch deck example, this pitch deck had only 15 slides but showed how the product works and the different ways it can be used. They also utilize an analogy similar to what LinkedIn had in their decks.

9. Mixpanel pitch deck

Mixpanel is an advanced analytics platform for mobile and the web. They not only measure page views but also analyze the actions people take. This is the series-B startup pitch deck for Mixpanel that helped them raise over $65 million.

Favorite takeaway : This pitch deck example started off with a problem: people guessing their analytics. It followed up by providing its solution to that problem and, ultimately, its competitive advantage. One of the best pitch decks, this is a great example of showing the problem and solution.

10. Moz pitch deck

Moz started out as an SEO company but has pivoted to support marketers across all inbound marketing strategies.

This is the series-B startup pitch deck for Moz which they used to raise over $18 million. If you’re an established startup, this is a great example of an investor pitch deck, and you can follow this guide. The pitch deck is packed with information about the company since it was founded five years prior to this pitch.

Favorite takeaway : Because the company had already been in operation for five years, they were able to present an accurate estimated revenue, revenue run rate, average customer lifetime value, cost of paid acquisition, etc.

11. Buzzfeed pitch deck

We all have a love-and-hate relationship with Buzzfeed, don’t we? I’m sure you’ve stumbled on their pages or watched their videos before. As of today, BuzzFeed has managed to raise over $240 million in investor capital (another great example of an investor pitch deck).

Favorite takeaway : SOCIAL PROOF! It doesn’t hurt to start a pitch deck with big numbers the company has, like the millions of users visiting the website on a monthly basis and quotations from large organizations such as CNN.

12. YouTube pitch deck

YouTube was acquired by Google in 2006 for $1.6 billion. Like Facebook, this company doesn’t require any introduction. Unfortunately, this is not the original deck. This is YouTube’s pitch deck to Sequoia Capital (one of the most established VC investors who’s often regarded as one of the industry’s best), which was released through a legal proceeding.

Favorite takeaway : The company wanted to be the primary outlet for video content, and it succeeded in doing just that. It goes to show that if you know what your product can do, are able to show its potential, and build on the momentum gained through early investments to create that, then you can achieve its potential. If you’re aiming to build an investor pitch deck to land a VC like Sequoia Capital, this presentation slide deck is a great template for you!

13. Manpacks pitch deck

Manpacks is a platform that delivers men’s essentials such as underwear, razors, grooming, and other products.

The company raised $500,000 with this pitch deck.

Favorite takeaway : This deck stands out! They clearly understand who they are, and they stayed that way throughout the entire presentation. The startup pitch deck is filled with a fun tone that helps explain the product well.

14. Foursquare pitch deck

Foursquare is a mobile platform that helps you find the best places to go in your area.

Favorite takeaway : This pitch deck does a great job using screenshots of social proof that the app already has from its users sharing tweets of them being the ‘mayor’ of a particular area.

15. Flowtab pitch deck

Flowtab was an app that allowed people to order drinks quickly at a crowded bar. Despite shutting down, the founders still made an effort to help other startups.

Favorite takeaway : Simplicity. This pitch deck example does well explaining critical information like the problem, the solution, their business model, and traction. You can’t really go wrong with this pitch deck.

16. Dwolla pitch deck

Dwolla is a payment solution that allows users to send, receive, and request funds from other users. This 18-slide startup pitch deck landed the company $16.5 million.

Favorite takeaway : Most startups are founded because of a problem they faced, but not many people tell their story well through their pitch decks. In their slide deck, Dwolla shared a great story of how the founder paid $50,000 a year in credit card fees and then created a solution for never doing it again.

17. ZenPayRoll  (Now Gusto) pitch deck

Gusto (previously ZenPayroll) is a cloud-based solution tool for small businesses to pay employees.

The company raised $6 million with this pitch deck.

Favorite takeaway : This isn’t just a startup pitch deck. It is a template that you can use and replicate easily by filling in the blanks.

18. Bliss pitch deck

Bliss provides metrics for coders and allows them to collaborate easily.

The company raised over $400,000 using Angel List.

Favorite takeaway : The pitch deck was well composed with a clear understanding of the product and the investors they were pitching to. This is one of the best pitch decks to use if you know your target market.

19. Adpushup pitch deck

Adpushup allows companies to maximize ad revenues through advanced A/B testing. They raised more than $632,000 in investments.

Favorite takeaway : This slide deck proves that going back to the basics works. This pitch deck has basic principles like a great introduction, an outline of problems, potential solutions, market opportunities, products, case studies, milestones, traction, and a future plan.

20. Wealthsimple pitch deck

Wealthsimple is Canada’s first online investment manager. They raised more than $2 million in seed funding with this slide deck.

Favorite takeaway : The startup pitch deck is sweet and short but effective. Our favorite part is the transformation of the industry, which is laid out in a table format.

21. AppVirality pitch deck

AppVirality allows app developers to grow their platforms using growth method techniques proven by other startups.

Favorite takeaway : Our favorite takeaway is how the flow of the pitch deck goes through the problem, the proven solution, and how it works within their app to their target market in multiple slides.

22. Shape Integrated Software pitch deck

Shape Integrated Software is budget management software that helps PPC analysts manage various budgets across different channels.

Favorite takeaway : When you have the traction to back your startup, use it. Shape clearly took advantage of it and presented it clearly in their pitch deck.

23. Podozi pitch deck

Podozi is an online e-commerce platform based in Nigeria.

Favorite takeaway : Most startup pitch decks work well when they’re short and sweet, in multiple slides, like Podozi’s. The best takeaway is the working partnership with large brands that this platform already has.

24. Fittr pitch deck

Fittr is a platform that designs custom workouts tailored to equipment, access, time management, and goals.

Favorite takeaway : As a user of this platform, we love the investment goals and the purpose of what the company is planning to use it for.

25. Swipes pitch deck

Swipes is a task manager app to help its users increase their productivity.

Favorite takeaway : One of their pages used social proof of quotations from The Next Web and Lifehacker. You can’t go wrong with that.

26. Canvas pitch deck

Canvas replaces paper-based processes with affordable and easy-to-use mobile apps and forms. They raised $9 million with these decks.

Favorite takeaway :  Instead of saying what they do, the second slide in their pitch deck shows how their startup helps businesses. No words are needed.

27. Ooomf  (now Crew) pitch deck

Crew (formerly Ooomf & then PickCrew) is a freelancer marketplace that connects mobile and web developers with projects or work. This deck was used to raise over $2 million dollars.

Favorite takeaway : Well-designed with an easy-to-understand flow.

28. Cubeit pitch deck

Cubeit is a mobile application that allows users to aggregate content from anywhere. Cubeit used this 13-slide deck to raise seed funding before they even had a finished product.

Favorite takeaway : A strong introduction will get investors to pay attention. Their deck starts out with a clear message, which was that “owning more devices doesn’t make your life easier”. I can’t help but pay attention to how this company will help.

29.  Castle pitch deck

Castle was a startup that let rental owners put their properties on autopilot. This was the deck Castle used to raise $270,000 for their startup.

Favorite takeaway : Great design and easy to digest.

30.  Sequoia Capital pitch deck

Sequoia Capital is one of the leading investment firms in Silicon Valley. This deck is a template they recommend following.

Favorite takeaway : It’s like having the keys to the kingdom. You don’t have to guess what this investment giant is looking for. They tell you straight away.

31. Uber pitch deck

When Uber hit the scene, they fundamentally reimagined urban transportation. Their pitch deck tells this audacious story perfectly. Simple yet impactful, it illustrates the problem of expensive taxis and car services, then introduces Uber as the affordable, tech-driven solution.

They use stark data points to highlight the financial opportunity, a vital touch for potential investors.

As you create your pitch, remember Uber’s two key strengths: painting a clear problem-solution scenario and using compelling data to underscore their market potential. This strategy not only shows understanding of their market but also communicates their transformative vision effectively.

Favorite takeaway : The deck is clean and minimalist. The flow is easy to follow, and you get a clear idea of what’s the problem they’re trying to solve, and how they solve it.

32. WeWork pitch deck

WeWork’s pitch deck beautifully encapsulates its community-driven approach to shared workspaces.

They use visually appealing slides that mirror their innovative, modern brand. Their pitch deck deftly articulates the benefits of shared workspaces in today’s economy, setting the stage for their unique value proposition.

Favorite takeaway : what we do, who we do it for, why we do it; the deck walks you through their company vision with smart visuals and copy. We loved how they generated urgency by highlighting how co-working spaces were a fast-growing trend and investors could miss out on a profitable investment if they didn’t act quickly.

33. MatterMark pitch deck

MatterMark’s pitch deck is a testament to the power of storytelling. utilizing clean visuals to aid comprehension and coupled with succinct copy to keep the narrative engaging. The 30-slide deck earned the platform $6.5 million in seed A funding.

Favorite takeaway : Strong visual storytelling through the use of charts and graphs. In just a few moments, you can see where the majority of their revenue comes from compared to their other revenue streams.

Summary of Pitch Deck Template Takeaways

To sum up, a strong startup pitch deck not only serves to reinforce your brand to the target audience or investors, but shows your business plan and unique offering through the slides presented; using a problem slide, a solution slide, and a traction slide including concise bullet points. 

The best startup pitch deck also shows off your company’s personality, through the inclusion of a team slide or similar in the next few slides, to be presented after your business plan is clearly outlined.

As your company grows, you’ll probably start thinking about the next stage of growth. You can use these successful pitch decks can as the foundation to make an investor deck for your next round of financing.

Look at the takeaways from these startup pitch decks as a guide to help you in your quest to raise funds and venture capital for your own startup for an investment round.

Here are some of the key takeaways from our pitch deck examples:

• Pitch decks don’t have to be formal or beautiful.
• A great pitch deck will provide an impactful intro or slogan.
• Keep your deck short (less than 20 pages).
• Use analogies to back up the points that you’re making.

After going through so many startup pitch deck examples, we recommend that to make your pitch presentation stand out you should:

• Start with a strong intro/vision.
• Show problems and offer solutions.
• Identify market opportunities.
• Showcase products/services clearly.
• Digest your business model
• Highlight financials
• Add social proof/case studies.
• Differentiate from competition.
• Show an experienced management team.

Designing a strong pitch deck could turn your business idea into a reality after convincing investors to provide support financial support to your project.

If you’re looking for additional information, DocSend shared lessons  they got learning from 200 startups who raised $360 million from their first pitch deck.

10 Pitch Deck Templates for You to Try

The following pitch decks are free templates available in Piktochart that you can use. This makes it easy to work on your slides without having to worry about design. We took care of that for you.

If you don’t have an account yet, just sign up for a free Piktochart account here and then click on one of the templates below.

To learn how the online pitch deck creator works, watch this on-demand demo .

1. Investment Pitch Deck Template With HighSpark

2. Finance Pitch Deck Template

3. Business Pitch Deck Template

4. Startup Pitch Deck Examples

5. Tech Pitch Deck Examples

6. Business Keynote Template 

7. Product Pitch Deck Template

8. Product Pitch Deck Template

9. App Product Presentation Template

10. Product Website Pitch Deck Template

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How to Prepare a Successful Investor Pitch Deck and Presentation

The investor pitch is one of the most important tools an entrepreneur has for raising capital. It is no secret that a successful investor pitch can make or break your chances of securing funding for your business venture. 

As an entrepreneur, you only have a limited amount of time to make a good impression on potential investors. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs fail to prepare a successful pitch, resulting in missed opportunities and wasted time.

In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know to prepare a successful investor pitch deck and presentation. We will discuss topics such as what information should be included in your pitch, how to structure your presentation, and how to effectively deliver your message. By following the advice in this guide, you will be well on your way to impressing potential investors and securing the funding you need for your business venture.

One of the most important aspects of a successful investor pitch is the content. 

Your pitch should include information about your business model, your competitive landscape, and your financial projections. In addition, you will need to address any concerns that investors may have about your business. For example, if you are pitching a new technology product, you will need to explain why consumers will want to use it and how you plan on marketing it effectively. If you are pitching a new app or service, you need to explain what problem it solves and why people would be willing to pay for it. 

The key is to provide enough information so that investors can understand your business and see the potential for growth but not so much that they get bogged down in the details. The best pitches strike a balance between being informative and concise.

Content Structure

A typical structure we recommend to entrepreneurs includes the following

• Executive summary : The executive summary should be a one-page overview of your business that includes your company’s mission statement, a brief description of your products or services, and an overview of your target market.
• The problem : This describes the issue that your product or service is attempting to solve. Also, you should describe who faces this problem,how it is currently being dealt with today, and the shortcomings and costs of existing solutions.
• Your solution : This is where you describe the solution you will offer for the problem your potential customers currently face. 
• Your team : Highlight the team behind your product and their qualifications to be trusted in handling your project.
• The market size : Talk about the size of the industry you’re serving and its projected growth.
• Traction : What milestones have you achieved so far? Traction is the measurable demonstration of your business’s ability to solve the problem combined with the proof of the business’s potential to grow over time.
• Competition: How does the competitive landscape. What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats vis-a-vis your competitors?
• Financial statement : This is where you include your financial models, income statement, cash flow forecast, and balance sheet.
• Your long-term future plans : These are your next steps. It explains what your plans are for future funding and how these funds will be used to continue your business growth.
• FAQ : The final section should be reserved for frequently asked questions. This allows you to answer any lingering questions that the investors may have about your business venture.

Let's probe into each of these in more detail.

Executive Summary

This is a one-page overview of your business that includes your company’s mission statement, a brief description of your products or services, and an overview of your target market. 

The purpose of the executive summary is to give investors a zoomed-out view of your business so that they can quickly decide if it is something they are interested in.

It should be clear, concise, and free from any unnecessary jargon or technical terms. The executive summary should be visually appealing and easy to read; bullet points are often helpful in this regard. Finally, you want to make sure it leaves potential investors wanting more by providing just enough information to pique their interest without giving away too much detail about your business plan.

Remember when crafting your own executive summary, the goal is to give investors a quick and easy way to understand what your business is all about. Keep it short, and free of any unnecessary fluff.

One great historic example of an executive summary is from Ronald Wayne, the third co-founder of Apple . In 1976, he wrote up a one-page agreement that summarized the key points about the new company. The document included information such as the name of the company (Apple Computer Company), its address (360 N Virginia St.), and its purpose (“To develop and sell personal computers.”)

It also listed out each founder’s roles and responsibilities within the company. 

While this executive summary was short and to-the-point, it provided enough information for investors to understand what Apple was all about and see potential in investing in the young startup.

You, too, can use the executive summary to give investors a quick overview of your business and what makes it unique.

By including key information such as your company’s mission statement, a brief description of your products or services, and an overview of your target market, you will be well on your way to preparing a successful investor pitch.

The next piece of information you need to include in your investor pitch is the problem that your product or service is solving.

The Problem

This should describe the issue that your potential customers are facing and how it is currently being dealt with. In addition, you will want to show investors why your solution is better than any existing alternatives. 

For example, if you are pitching a new app that helps people save money on groceries, you would want to describe the current methods people use for grocery shopping (such as clipping coupons or comparison shopping) and how they often fall short (such as not knowing which coupons are available or taking too much time comparing prices).

You would then explain how your app solves these problems by providing users with personalized recommendations for where they can find the best deals on groceries. By showing investors how your product solves a specific problem in a more effective way than existing solutions, you will be one step closer to impressing them and securing funding for your business venture.

When Peter Thiel was pitching PayPal to potential investors, he focused on the problem that people were facing with online payments. At the time, there were no safe and convenient ways to pay for goods and services online.

This created a major pain point for consumers as well as businesses who were trying to sell products or services online. Thiel’s solution was PayPal, which allowed users to securely send and receive money using only an email address. By focusing on the problem that people were facing with online payments, Thiel was able to show potential investors why his solution was needed and how it would revolutionize the way people interact with businesses online.

What problem is your product or service solving? 

How does it compare to existing solutions? 

By answering these questions, you will be able to craft a convincing argument for why investors should believe in your business and fund your venture.

When describing the problem your product or service solves, it can be helpful to use what is known as the “job-to-be-done” framework. 

This framework was popularized by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen and focuses on understanding the underlying reasons why people purchase a particular product or service.

For example, when someone buys a drill, they are not actually buying the drill itself but rather the “job” that they need to get done (such as drilling a hole in their wall). 

By understanding the job that your potential customers are trying to get done, you will be better equipped to position your product or service as the best solution for them.

After describing the problem, now is your chance to show investors how your product or service solves the pain points that you have previously described.

The Solution

This is an opportunity for you to describe the solution to the problem your potential customers currently face. 

So, if you are pitching a new money-saving app for those purchasing groceries, you would want to explain how your app provides users with personalized recommendations for where they can find the best deals on groceries. 

When Mark Zuckerberg was pitching Facebook to potential investors, he focused on its unique ability to connect people online in a way that had never been done before. He explained how Facebook allows users to stay connected with their friends and family members no matter where they are in the world.

Zuckerberg also talked about how businesses could use Facebook as a platform to reach out directly to consumers and build relationships with them (something that was not possible with traditional advertising methods). By focusing on its unique ability to connect people online, he was able to highlight why Facebook deserved investment despite being just another social networking site at a time when there were already many established players such as MySpace.

Describe how your solution addresses the problem your potential customers currently face.

This is your chance to show investors how your product or service solves the pain points that you have previously described. 

Two key questions to ask yourself (and answer) are: a) what makes my product or service unique? And b) how does it solve the problem in a better way than existing solutions? 

Remember that when describing the solution, you want to focus on how your product or service is uniquely positioned to solve a specific problem. 

Tips for Presenting your Solution: 

• Keep it simple : The solution should be easy for investors to understand. Avoid using any technical jargon or terms that they may not be familiar with.
• Be specific : Describe exactly how your product or service solves the problem in a better way than existing solutions.
• Focus on the benefits : Explain how your product or service will make life easier for potential customers and why they would want to use it over existing alternatives.
• Paint a picture : Use visuals to help investors visualize how your product or service works. A demo video can be especially helpful in this regard. Make it tangible.
• Address any concerns : If there are any potential concerns that investors may have about your product or service, make sure to address them head-on. For example, if you are pitching a new technology product, you will need to explain how you will achieve the technological edge over your competitors, why consumers will want to use your solution and how you plan on marketing it effectively.

Let's now talk about the team behind your product and their qualifications to be trusted in handling your project. 

This is your chance to show investors that you have assembled an A team of qualified individuals who are passionate about solving the problem that your product or service addresses. 

For example, if you are pitching a new app that helps people save money on groceries, you would want to include information such as the experience of your team members in fields such as grocery-chain veterans, software development, user experience design, and marketing.

Some key points to keep in mind when crafting this part of your presentation include:

• Keep it short: You only have a limited amount of time to make an impression on potential investors so make sure not to bog them down with too many details about each team member’s background. Instead focus on highlighting their most important credentials and why those credentials make them well-suited for working on this particular project. 30 to 45 seconds for every key team member should suffice, and no more than 4 highlighted individuals.
• Focus on diverse backgrounds: Potential investors will often look favorably upon teams with diverse backgrounds as it shows that different perspectives are being represented
• Highlight Awards & Recognition: Be sure to mention any major awards or recognition

Take some time to think about the different backgrounds and skillsets that your team members bring to the table. Then, highlight why those credentials make them well-suited for working on this particular project.

The Market Size

It can be helpful to provide some context around why this particular market is growing or changing. For example, an increase in online shopping due to Covid-19. Show investors that there is a large potential customer base for your product or service and explain why this market is attractive.

A couple of questions you should answer are:

• How big is the total addressable market for your product or service?
• Is this particular market growing or changing (and if so, why)? 

Consider the following resources when researching the size of your market:

• Industry reports : These can be helpful in understanding the overall size and growth of a particular market. For example, if you are pitching a new app for pet owners, you could look at industry reports such as the American Pet Products Association’s “Pet Owners Survey” to learn more about this market. Also consider websites like statista.com, pewsocialtrends.org , edisonresearch.com
• Government data : Websites like census.gov can provide useful information on population trends that might impact the potential customer base for your product or service. Consider websites like census.gov and usa.gov/statistics
• Secondary research : In addition to industry reports and government data, there are a number of other sources that can provide helpful insights into the size of your target market. These include trade associations, market research firms, and business directories. Consider websites like nasdaq.com , www.dnb.com, marketsandmarkets.com , bcg.com

Traction is a measure of your business’s growth and momentum within the market you are addressing. It can be helpful to think of traction as the “proof” that your business is working and that there is customer demand for your product or service.

There are a number of different ways to measure traction, but some common metrics include pilots, numbers and names of customers, revenue growth, user growth, and engagement metrics. 

Some other metrics could include marketing campaigns (and their success), press coverage (the more prestigious the media outlet - the better), brand mentions on tweets and big-shots that have tweeted about your idea or company, testimonials, subscribers, and more. 

Including information about your business’s traction in your investor pitch can be helpful in convincing potential investors that now is the right time to invest in your company. After all, if you can show them that you have already achieved significant growth with limited resources, they will likely be more interested in supporting your venture moving forward. 

How do you go about including this information in your presentation? 

Start by focusing on one or two key metrics that best demonstrate the momentum behind your business. Then provide context around these numbers by explaining what they mean and why they are important. For example, if you are pitching a new app for pet owners and have seen strong revenue growth over the past six months, highlight this trend by showing investors a graph depicting this increase over time. You could then explain why this uptick is important (perhaps pet ownership has increased during Covid-19) and how it positions your company for continued success in the future.

Imagine you are pitching a new social media platform to potential investors.

One way to showcase the traction behind your business would be to include information about the number of users who have signed up for your platform, as well as how much time they are spending on the site each day.

You could also highlight any partnerships you have formed with other businesses or influencers and mention any press coverage you have received. All of this information will help show potential investors that your business is gaining momentum and has what it takes to be successful in the long run.

The Competition

Be sure to address the competition in your investor pitch. This will show that you have done your homework and are aware of the other companies in your industry. Reviewing your competition openly will give you an opportunity to discuss why you believe your company is better positioned for success than others. If you come to the conclusion that you don’t have any direct competitors, it may be that investors who hear this might decide that you have not performed your due diligence and will decline to back your business.

There are a few key points you’ll want to hit when discussing the competition in your investor pitch:

• Competitive landscape: Provide an overview of the competitive landscape. Consider all the products similar to yours in the market, and all the companies that solve similar problems to the one you are addressing. List your key competitors, and what they've done to succeed. Include a brief description of each competitor and their respective market share. Investors will be particularly interested in hearing customers' complaints about your competitors' products. 
• Your uniqueness: Discuss what makes your company unique and better positioned for success than others. This could be anything from a new technology you have developed to a more efficient production process. 
• Threats: Don’t forget to mention any potential threats that could impact your business down the road such as new entrants into the market or changes in consumer preferences.

Including this information in your presentation will show investors that you have taken the time to research the industry and understand where your company fits within it.

We recommend using a competitive analysis framework to help you organize your thoughts and gather the relevant information to include in your pitch. One great framework to use is known as the Five Forces framework. 

The Five Forces is a tool created by economist Michael E. Porter that can be used to assess the competitive intensity of an industry and the corresponding attractiveness of opportunities within that industry. The five forces are:

• Threat of new entrants : How easy is it for new firms to enter the market and compete against existing firms? (e.g., high barriers to entry)
• Bargaining power of buyers : How much negotiating leverage do buyers have when purchasing products from suppliers in the industry? ( e. g., few buyers, switching costs)
• Bargaining power of suppliers : How much negotiating leverage do suppliers have when selling inputs to firms in the industry? ( e. g., many supplier options, differentiated products)
• The threat posed by substitute products : What alternatives do customers have if they decide not to purchase your product? (e.g., close substitutes, low switching costs)
• Intensity of competitive rivalry : How intense is competition among existing firms in this market?

The Five Forces framework can help you identify which areas of the industry are most attractive for opportunities and where there may be more competition. By taking the time to assess the competitive landscape prior to pitching your business, you will be better prepared to discuss why your company has what it takes to succeed in spite of any challenges that exist.

One critical question to address during this part of your investors deck is - what is your moat? A moat is a competitive advantage that makes it difficult for other companies to compete against you. This could be anything from a loyal customer base to patents or proprietary technology. When assessing your company’s moat, ask yourself the following questions:

• What does my company have that others don’t? 
• How hard would it be for another firm to replicate what I have built? 
• What are the costs associated with replicating my business model? 
• What switching costs do my customers face if they decide to leave me for another supplier?

To assess your company’s moat, you will need to spend some time researching your industry and looking at what others are doing. Once you have a good understanding of the landscape, you can begin to identify areas where you may have an advantage over others.

Financial Statement

The next step is to provide potential investors with an overview of your financial situation. This should include information such as your current revenue, expenses, and burn rate (the rate at which you are spending money). 

In addition, it is often helpful to include a short-term and long-term forecast of your finances so that investors can see how you expect your business to grow over time.

Think of your financial statement as a snapshot of your company’s health. For example, if you are currently generating $1 million in annual revenue but anticipate doubling this figure within the next year, be sure to mention this on your financial statement slide. 

By providing potential investors with a clear picture of your current financial situation as well as where you expect things to be in the future, they will be able to get a better sense of whether or not investing in your company is a wise decision.

Remember when crafting your financial statement that the goal is to provide potential investors with a clear picture of your current financial situation as well as where you expect things to be in the future. Warren Buffet is famously quoted as saying, “If you can’t write it down on one page, I don’t want to hear about it.” Buffett understands that by looking at the numbers, he can get a clear picture of a company’s financial health and make more informed investment decisions. As an entrepreneur, you should take a page out of Buffett’s book and make sure that your financial statement is clear, concise, and easy for potential investors to understand. 

We suggest the following format for your financial statement:

• Income Statement : Showing revenues, expenses, and profits over a period of time
• Balance Sheet : Showing what the company owns (assets) and owes (liabilities) at a specific point in time
• Cash Flow Statement : Showing how cash is moving in and out of the business over a period of time.

Terms of the Round

The financial plan is a critical component of your investor pitch deck. This section will give investors a clear idea of your business’s financial situation, including your current revenues and expenses, as well as your projected revenues and expenses for the future.

In addition, the financial plan should include information on how you intend to use any funding that you are seeking from investors. For example, if you are looking for $1 million in funding, what specific purposes will this money be used for? 

Will it be used to hire new employees? To launch a new marketing campaign? To open up a new office location? Be sure to include these details in your financial plan.

Some key elements you will want to include in your financial plan are:

• Amount you’re seeking, amount of equity you are giving away and conditions
• Use of proceeds: how you intend to use the investment money
• A detailed description of how you intend to generate revenue
• Your short-term and long-term business goals
• A breakdown of your costs and expenses
• A valuation assessment of your company
• Current cap table
• Shares outstanding pre-money and post-money
• Funding source for previous rounds

A well thought out financial plan will give investors confidence that you have a clear understanding of your business model and how you intend to generate revenue. It will also demonstrate that you have put serious thought into the feasibility of your business idea and its potential for long term success.

Your Long-term Future Plans

You will also want to include some information about your long-term plans for the company. 

This is important because it shows investors that you are thinking ahead and have a vision for where you see the business going. 

It can be helpful to include things such as long term product pipeline, milestone syou hope to achieve, projected financials (revenue, expenses, etc.)

We recommend addressing the following items when presenting your long-term plans:

• Plan of action
• Sources of revenue, projected sales, margins
• Profitability forecasts
• Balance sheet projection
• Growth and opportunity timeline
• Impact of team expansion on cash flow
• Exit strategy

Plan of Action

Your plan of action is a high-level overview of the steps you will take to achieve your long-term goals. It should include things such as when you plan on launching new products, expanding into new markets, or hiring additional staff.

Include information about your projected sales and margins for the next few years. This will give investors an idea of how much revenue you expect to generate and what kind of profit margin they can expect from investing in your company. It is also important to include any assumptions that you are making about future sales (e.g., market growth rate, product pricing). Being transparent about your projections will help build trust with your investors.

Exit Strategy

An exit strategy is a plan for how (and to whom) you may sell your company or when you plan to offer it on the public market. This information is important because it helps investors understand what they can expect from investing in your business. It shows that you have thought about the future of the company and have a plan in place for when it is time to capitalize on the initial investment. There are many different types of exit strategies, so be sure to include the one that makes the most sense for your business. Some common examples include selling the company to a larger company or taking it public through an IPO.. 

Discussing your exit strategy shows that you have thought about your investors’ interests and that their investment will generate more value down the road, and not just help you to keep the lights on for another month.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Make time in your investors' pitch to allow for questions and be prepared to answer them, even if the question is not directly relevant. It shows that you're truly interested in what they think and care about their input. While it's nearly impossible to predict every question an investor may ask you, prepare for some of the most common questions that were not covered in your pitch:

• How did you come up with the idea for your business?
• Why do you believe your team is qualified to execute on this opportunity?
• What are your unit economics?
• How have you validated your market opportunity?
• Describe your competitive landscape and how you plan to differentiate yourself in the market.
• When do you anticipate reaching profitability?
• What are the biggest risks and challenges facing your business?
• How did you come up with your valuation?
• Have you had any conversations with potential acquirers?
• How much money are you looking to raise and for what purpose?
• Do you have any existing relationships with potential investors?

Consider these questions and prepare to answer them with confidence.

Now you know the critical ingredients you should prepare for your pitch. 

Before we let you go, here are a few key tips to delivering an effective presentation. Remember - content is only half of the ingredients of a successful pitch.

Presentation Tips

If you were making a cake, the content would be the ingredients, and how you mix them together and bake them would be your presentation skills. Here are a few key tips:

• Practice, practice, practice - A successful investor pitch requires careful planning and execution in order to convince investors to provide funding for your startup. Knowing your material cold is not enough; it is important to rehearse your delivery daily so you come across as polished and professional. Preparing well will allow free you from the dreadful reading from your slides or notes.
• Start strongly - Grab investors' attention from the beginning with a compelling story or statistic that will make them want to hear more.
• Be clear and concise - Use simple language that can be understood by everyone in the room, and get to the point quickly without beating around the bush. Being concise is so important that, perhaps somewhat ironically, Y Combinator partner Kevin Hale speaks about the importance of this point for seven whole minutes in his outstanding lecture about pitching startups .
• Be passionate - Show excitement about your business and market opportunity; you're trying to convince others to believe in your vision!
• Visuals matter - Use high-quality visuals (e charts, graphs, photos) throughout your presentation to support your points; slides should complement what you're saying, not repeat it verbatim.
• Do not read off your slides - This is a surefire way to lose investors' attention. Instead, use your slides as a guide and speak extemporaneously about the topics you've prepared.
• Be prepared for questions - Have answers ready for commonly asked questions about your business and industry. Be sure to answer each question thoroughly but concisely; if you don't know the answer to a question, be honest and say so.
• Speak slowly and clearly - An investor presentation is not the time to speed up your talking or try out a new vocal fry.
• Make eye contact - With each person in the room, if possible. This will help you come across as sincere and trustworthy.
• Smile! - A genuine smile goes a long way in making a good impression; it makes you appear more likable and creates a positive association with your business in investors' minds.
• Avoid filler words such as “um” or “like“   -  Using filler words makes you come across as nervous and unprepared, two qualities that will not instill confidence in investors.
• Dress the part - First impressions matter, so be sure to dress professionally in clothing that is clean and wrinkle-free. This shows that you're taking the pitch seriously and are respectful of investors' time.
• End on a strong note - Thank investors for their time and interest, then provide a brief overview of your key points to leave them with a lasting impression of your business.

One Final Tip...

Always follow up. After the pitch, be sure to send a thank-you note or email to each investor. You can use this interaction to send answers to questions you didn’t have the answer to during the presentation. 

This not only shows your appreciation and professionalism, but also keeps you top of mind in case they have any additional questions or are interested in investing.

Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way to delivering a successful investor pitch and securing the funding you need to grow your business.

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Investor Deck Template

A pitch deck is a presentation that entrepreneurs use to communicate the value of their business to potential investors. It's an essential tool for anyone looking to raise capital, as it helps investors understand the company's vision, business model, and growth potential. A well-crafted pitch deck can make a significant impact on an investor's decision to fund a company, so it's important to put effort into creating one that effectively conveys your message.

One way to approach creating a pitch deck is to use a template. A pitch deck template provides a structure and framework for your presentation, helping you to ensure that you cover all the key points and keep your pitch organized and focused.

There are many pitch deck templates available online, and each one has its own unique features and benefits. However, most pitch decks include the following elements:

• Introduction: This is the first slide of your pitch deck, and it should introduce your company and its mission. This is your chance to make a strong first impression and set the stage for the rest of your pitch.
• Problem: The next slide should clearly outline the problem that your company is solving. This helps investors understand the value proposition of your business and how it addresses a real need in the market.
• Solution: After explaining the problem, you should describe how your company is solving it. This should include a brief overview of your product or service, as well as how it is uniquely positioned to solve the problem.
• Market: The next slide should provide some context about the market you are targeting. This might include information about the size of the market, trends and growth potential, and any competitive advantages your company has.
• Business model: This slide should explain how your company generates revenue and how it plans to scale. You should also include any partnerships or strategic collaborations that you have in place.
• Team: Investors will want to know who is behind the company, so it's important to include a slide that introduces the key members of your team. This should include their backgrounds and relevant experience.
• Traction: If your company has already achieved some success, you should include a slide that showcases this. This might include metrics such as revenue, user growth, or other key performance indicators.
• Financials: Investors will want to see your financial projections, so be sure to include a slide that outlines your expected revenue, expenses, and profitability.
• Funding: Finally, you should include a slide that explains how much funding you are seeking and how you plan to use it. This should also include any milestones or targets you hope to achieve with the funding.

500 Startups is a venture capital firm and startup accelerator based in Silicon Valley with assets under management totaling over $350 million. This investor deck template is designed specifically to present to initial investors such as venture capital firms and angel investors. It focuses on presenting the growth and traction of your startup.

In 2016, we had the opportunity to work with the team at 500 Startups during their accelerator program, and we used their insights to create this template for our users at Slidebean. We hope you find it helpful.

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Investor Deck Template

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AI generated Pitch Deck 🤖

What is an Investor Deck?

An investor deck is usually a 10-20 slide deck designed to give a short summary of your company, your business plan and your startup vision. Similar to a pitch deck, this is a document most of the times you send to potential investors.

What should be in an investor pitch deck?

A number of authors, venture capitalists, startup founders and evangelists have created different versions of what they consider required elements to successful pitching presentations. Most of them agree on the following:

• Market Size
• Business Model
• Underlying Magic
• Competition
• Better/Different
• Marketing Plan
• Traction / Milestones

What's in this Investor Deck Powerpoint Template?

The 12 slide investor pitch deck by 500 startups.

500 Startups is a leading global venture capital seed fund and startup accelerator headquartered in Silicon Valley with over $350M AUM.

This investor deck template is ideal for initial VCs and Angel Investors. If they ask to see your pitch deck , this is what you want to send. The outline of the investor deck mainly focuses on your startup's growth metrics and traction.

In 2016, we were fortunate enough to meet up with key members of 500 Startups at the Accelerator program, where we got their thoughts on creating a template for all Slidebean users to use. So this template is the end result of that meeting. Enjoy!

Pitch Deck Service

How to build an investment pitch deck.

Building an investment pitch deck is a crucial step for startups seeking to secure funding from investors. To create a compelling investment deck, start by outlining your company's mission, vision, and business model. Identify the market opportunity and demonstrate how your product or service fills a gap in the market. It is important to provide a clear understanding of your target audience, customer acquisition strategy, and revenue model. Showcase your team's expertise and track record, as well as any notable partnerships or endorsements.

Include financial projections , milestones, and potential risks and challenges. Keep the design simple, professional, and visually appealing, and use concise language to convey your message effectively. Lastly, practice your pitch and be prepared to answer any questions or objections that may arise. By following these steps, you can create a compelling investment deck that highlights the potential of your startup and attracts investors.

How to Present Your Business?

Many investors have suffered through an inordinate number of poorly constructed pitches. Most startup entrepreneurs tend to focus on their pet projects to the detriment of the critical business pitches required for funding. It's fair to say that hardened investors expect to be disappointed. Surprising a cynical audience with a thoughtful, effective presentation that answers the important questions bids fair to invite a warm response that translates into a real shot at successful funding. A great pitch deck is an indispensable tool for any startup.

Paying attention to the following precepts will help with assembling an effective pitch deck.

Brief, clear words

Words are tools for conveying ideas. The best words fly a speaker's intended meanings into the minds of listeners before disappearing into the silence of contemplation. Sometimes, more words are better. They push and prod the intended meaning this way and that for a receptive audience. Investors want to be persuaded, and they know business is complex. They expect many words for a non-trivial business idea with many significant aspects. Still, those same investors are busy. They want to hear the presentation and then move on to other demands on their limited time and energy. They want exactly as many words as are needed and not one word more.

Furthermore, promoting a business idea calls for a businesslike approach. As any writer knows, it's all too easy to fall in love with poetic phrases or elaborate explanations. Focused passion is good, but rambling passion is a turnoff. Fluff belongs in a cow field and not in a presentation. Kill all words that puff and preen themselves without contributing to the presentation. For that matter, simpler words are better whenever possible. A dollar word like "utilized" compares badly to a two-bit word like "used." Dictionaries are full of short, powerful words. They should be used.

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Hone the presentation.

Practice makes perfect. There's nothing like testing a pitch before exposing it to investors. Smart entrepreneurs run prospective pitches past friends, colleagues, and co-workers willing to offer useful feedback on defects and omissions. A recorded test run can also reach distant or busy reviewers. In a pinch, a mirror will work.

Twenty minutes should be enough for even the most sophisticated business idea. Investors understand that the presentation will leave out a lot of details that are not relevant to the core concept. They expect a pitch to cover only the major ideas. If necessary, a professional writer can be hired to slice away fluff and to clarify the remaining text in a marketing deck. Given the stakes of what might be a single shot at persuading potential business partners to fund a cash-short startup, the extra money is little enough to pay

Open with an executive summary

The old rule about public speaking is to first briefly describe what will be said before delivering the main body of the speech, after which the speaker closes with a brief summary of what has just been said. This sort of one-two-three delivery prepares an audience for the upcoming message and helps with long-term memory. A funding pitch is a little different, but any business idea will benefit from a one-minute opening that clarifies the context before a subsequent barrage of details.

Prove the concept

As the old saying has it, ideas are a dime a dozen. Any random schlub can pop out at least four half-baked ideas without breaking a sweat. Making an idea work is much harder. Making that idea an attractive business proposition is a different world. Investors see their mailboxes flooded daily with interesting proposals that fall apart under scrutiny. Investors want to see hard proof of the concept, and illuminating metrics on potential sales don't hurt at all.

Taking the time to hammer out a working prototype of a product or a functional alpha release of a business service will go far in persuading prospective investors that a startup's founders aren't steeped in unrealistic dreams. Also, very few ideas are new under the sun. How have other businesses succeeded with a similar concept? Who were their intended customers, and why did those customers accept the new product or service? How long did it take to increase sales to the point of profitability? What are the likely prospects for the success of the startup that is now seeking funding? Completing basic research into such questions before the presentation will reassure cautious investors that the startup's principals are hard-headed business people who know the score.

Promote the team

The success of any business that anticipates significant growth depends on the quality of its team. Smart, experienced personnel are much more likely to push a startup to profitability than inexperienced newcomers. Investors want to know who will be helping the founders turn their business plan into reality. A good pitch deck will include a brief profile of the qualifications of the company's core employees.

If available, an advisory board populated with well-known names will add considerable cachet to the founding company and strengthen the chances of funding.

Don't babble about how

As any experienced engineer or manager knows, manufacturing and service processes tend in practice to be amazingly complicated. In truth, unexpected complexity is in fact expected, and few investors will be surprised at difficulties with innovative processes. Rarely is there a need to spend precious pitch time on anticipating the unanticipated.

For that matter, most investors expect even basic manufacturing and service processes to pose daily challenges. Explaining in advance exactly how employees and founders will implement a new product or service is an exercise in futility. Furthermore, it's not relevant to the pitch. A broad overview of the basic ideas behind the business proposition will do. Technically knowledgeable investors will ask more in-depth questions later if needed. The briefest possible mention of process details will serve well for the great majority of opening pitches.

Result over process

Smart entrepreneurs will focus on the outcome for customers and clients. Marketing begins with investors, who might themselves be prospective users of a new product or service. How will the new offering meet the needs and desires of potential purchasers? How will the startup achieve this more efficiently than competitors? How will the startup's marketing experts persuade potential customers and clients to abandon old solutions for an unfamiliar alternative? Inertia is a powerful force, and entrepreneurs often must pair an innovative solution with innovative marketing to succeed. Virtually all startups face the harsh reality of intense competition for attention and brand loyalty.

Engage the audience

Investors are no different from other people. Behind stern faces, their deepest emotions await. They love hearing a good story that is told with strong words. Professionalism is not incompatible with storytelling, and a story that brims with energy and passion is far more effective than a dry explication of abstract benefits. Painting a mental picture of how a specific customer will benefit or has already benefited from the new product or service packs a wallop.

Paint vivid images

Overuse of meaningless charts and graphs mars many presentations. All visual elements should serve a purpose that cannot be met with mere words. The best visual elements pound home their points with words that allow the presenter to show unmistakable belief in the intended meanings through a confident tone of voice and friendly body language. Pictures of manufacturing facilities or smiling service personnel also help as long as they mirror the reality of a successful startup. Vaguely related stock images should be avoided as insincere and manipulative.

Be prepared for anything

Despite the intense brevity of a typical presentation, investors expect enormous depth behind the curtain. They expect entrepreneurs to immediately answer critical questions about how their core business idea works. Ignorance about the exact details of complex manufacturing processes or sophisticated software algorithms can be forgiven because investors don't expect founders to know everything. Stumbling over the answers to basic questions, on the other hand, tends to ring alarm bells in the minds of wary investors. If the founders cannot summon up convincing answers, then what will happen in reality? Will the company drift rudderless while its founders struggle to find their way through the consequences of poor comprehension? Too many otherwise promising startups fail after burning up seed investments on fruitless plans.

Investors prefer to deal with confident, savvy startup founders who show themselves to be ready for success. If necessary, entrepreneurs seeking seed money will prepare for a presentation by consulting with industry experts and spending long nights with authoritative materials that cover every major aspect of the startup. Where no legal problems threaten to arise over intellectual property issues, studying operational businesses that implement a similar idea is quite useful.

“Investors prefer to deal with confident, savvy startup founders who show themselves to be ready for success.

Networking works

Whatever the specific business idea, major aspects will cry out for intelligent feedback from outsiders. More than a few otherwise brilliant startup founders suffer from a narrow view of potential difficulties. Canny investors who have seen it all will be watching for these blind spots. A deep awareness of the many practical difficulties of running a business will result in a stronger pitch. Making a sustained effort over months or years to establish a network of sympathetic contacts in relevant fields such as business management, manufacturing, software design and others will boost the prospects of a successful funding round.

Furthermore, there's such a thing as being too close to the problem, even for the most experienced businessperson. Depending on the business concept, it may pay to get the reaction of a total outsider to the core business idea. Company founders might learn a lot by asking for first impressions from friends and colleagues who work in unrelated fields. Alternatively, any parent can attest that young children are prone to uttering amazing insights. If the nature of the business idea permits, asking a young family member for feedback could yield startling thoughts about the potential reception by actual customers.

Wrapping it up

The closing statement of a presentation should include a direct request for a funding round that will benefit both the startup and the investors. It's remarkable how many speakers neglect this step. Also, most investors appreciate a brief thank you from the speaker for listening to the pitch.

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We have a team of talented business analysts with an expertise across multiple industries.With Caya's guidelines, they'll work on condensing your information into a powerful pitch deck. This phase of the project is handled on a shared, live document, which allows us to quickly iterate on the outline of the deck.

A first draft is usually delivered in 3 business days, and revisions are delivered within 24 hours.

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Investment Banking Pitch Books: Design, Examples & Templates

If you're new here, please click here to get my FREE 57-page investment banking recruiting guide - plus, get weekly updates so that you can break into investment banking . Thanks for visiting!

Bankers like to complain about almost everything, but near the top of the complaint list is “investment banking pitch books.”

Some Analysts claim that you’ll devote all your waking hours to creating these documents, while others say they’re time-consuming but not that terrible to create.

Some senior bankers swear by pitch book presentations, claiming that they help to win and close deals, while others think they’re over-hyped.

We’ll look at all those points and more in this article, including downloadable pitch book examples and templates for you to use.

Table Of Contents:

• What Is An Investment Banking Pitch Book?

How to Create a Pitch Book

Pitch book presentation, part 1: pitching your team as the advisor of choice, pitch book presentation, part 2: providing background and context, pitch book presentation, part 3: choose your own adventure, sell-side pitch books for sell-side mandates, buy-side pitch book examples, equity pitch book and debt pitch book examples for financing mandates, other types of pitch books, why do you spend so much time on investment banking pitch books as a junior banker, what do you need to know about pitch books as an intern or new hire, what is an investment banking pitch book.

Pitch Book Definition: In investment banking, pitch books refer to sales presentations that a bank uses to persuade a client or potential client to take action and pay for the bank’s services.  Pitch books typically contain sections on the merits of the transaction; analysis of potential buyers or sellers; pricing and valuation information; as well as key risks to mitigate.

That is the classic definition, but in practice, people use the term “pitch book” to refer to almost any presentation created by a bank.

We’re going to focus on presentations to potential clients here because they tend to be the most time-consuming ones, and they generate the most horror stories as well.

There’s no way to “measure” how much pitch books matter, but it’s safe to say that they’re less important than the time spent on them implies.

Bankers win deals primarily because of relationships cultivated over a long time ; a pretty presentation right before a company goes public means little compared with the 5-10 years of meeting the CEO and CFO before that point.

Pitch books matter to you as an investment banking analyst or associate primarily because you’ll spend a good amount of time creating them – and you can’t screw up if you want a good bonus .

Almost all investment banking pitch books use a structure similar to the following:

• Situation, 0r “Current State”: Your prospective client is looking for growth.
• Complication, or “Problem”: The potential client’s growth rate has been slowing down.
• Hypothesis, or “Solution”: Acquiring a growing company can meet the potential client’s need for growth.

Then, you go into detail showing why the hypothesis might be true – including why your team is qualified to lead this transaction, similar transactions you’ve led before, and the valuation this company can expect to receive.

Investment Banking Pitch Book Sample PPT and PDF Files and Downloadable Templates

Here are a number of example pitch books in editable Powerpoint (PPT, PPTX) and PDF versions, drawn from some of the case studies within our investment banking courses :

• Jazz Pharmaceuticals – Valuation and Sell-Side M&A Pitch Book (PPT)
• Jazz Pharmaceuticals – Valuation and Sell-Side M&A Pitch Book (PDF)
• KeyBank and First Niagara – FIG M&A Pitch Book (PPT)
• KeyBank and First Niagara – FIG M&A Pitch Book (PDF)
• Netflix – Equity, Debt, and Convertible Bond Financing Pitch Book (PPT)
• Netflix – Equity, Debt, and Convertible Bond Financing Pitch Book (PDF)

Here’s what you can expect in the first few parts of any pitch book, including many examples from actual bank presentations:

The first section of investment banking pitch books introduces your firm’s platform, recent transactions, and team.

You might include stats on your firm’s position in the league tables , or explain its growth story and how it’s different from its competitors. Here are a couple of examples:

You might also write about distribution partnerships and other strategic developments here.

The next section consists of credentials , which include similar transactions your team has completed. Since turnover at banks is high, these lists often include transactions completed by team members when they were at other banks.

Here are a few examples:

These pages look simple, but they can be time-consuming to put together because you need to find the most relevant deals and rearrange elements from other presentations.

You may also go into more detail on a few deals and devote entire pages to them.

Banks often call these 1-page descriptions “ case studies ,” and you can see a few examples below:

Finally, this section will include a team biography , including previous firms, relevant deals/clients, and education for each member:

Before you move into the specific situation of the company you’re meeting, you’ll usually share some updates on the industry as a whole and recent deal activity in the sector.

Unlike the first part, which was about your team ’s experience, this one is more about general trends that affect everyone.

For example, if a tech startup is considering an initial public offering , you’ll review tech IPOs from the past 6-12 months, explain how they’ve performed, and discuss the types of companies that tend to go public.

Here are a few examples of industry updates:

And here are a few examples of deal/transaction updates:

After these first few sections, which are similar in any pitch book, the structure and content start to differ based on what the bank is pitching.

We’ll look at three broad categories here:

• Sell-side mandates (i.e., convince a company to sell itself)
• Buy-side mandates (convince a company to acquire another company)
• Financing mandates (raise debt or equity).

You’ll start by including a few slides on how your bank would position the company and make it attractive to potential buyers.

For example, if the firm is a traditional services provider with a growing online presence, you might attempt to spin it as a “SaaS” (Software-as-a-Service) company – within reason.

If you’re pitching a large company on a divestiture, you might explain how you’ll make the division sound like more of a standalone entity – meaning that buyers won’t have to spend as much time and money integrating it.

Next, you’ll lay out the company’s valuation and the price it might expect to receive in a sale.

This valuation section might be only 1-2 slides in a short pitch book or 20+ slides in a longer one.

Common elements include the valuation football field , output of a DCF model , comparable public companies , and precedent transactions .

The “football field,” or summary valuation, pages range from simple to more interesting to so complicated they could be eye charts .

Here are a few examples of other valuation-related slides:

It is unusual to include a Contribution Analysis or any M&A analysis in this section unless the deal is highly targeted or has advanced quite far.

After the valuation section, you’ll discuss “potential buyers,” a list that is sometimes the longest and most time-consuming section of the entire pitch book.

Short summaries aren’t too bad, but if a senior banker wants a full page on each acquirer, you can look forward to a lot of monotonous work gathering the information.

Here are a few shorter examples:

You’ll conclude the pitch book with a summary of your recommendations and the company’s next steps.

For example, you might suggest that the company pursue a targeted sale process with the 5-10 best buyers and aim to complete a deal within 12 months.

These slides tend to be generic ones, used across multiple presentations:

Finally, in longer investment banking pitch books, there is often an Appendix with more detailed models and data, and sometimes even longer lists of potential acquirers.

No one reads this section, but bankers enjoy spending time on unnecessary work (read: evidence of effort).

Investment banking pitch books for buy-side M&A deals follow a similar structure, with a few key differences:

• The “Positioning” part in the beginning might be more about the types of acquisitions the company should pursue and how your bank will help close these deals.
• There may be valuation information, but the purpose will be different: in buy-side deals, you value the buyer to estimate how much a stock issuance to fund the deal might be worth. You might also include quick valuations of potential targets.
• Instead of profiling potential acquirers, you’ll profile potential targets . This list is often longer than the list of potential buyers because a large company could, in theory, choose from hundreds or thousands of potential targets to acquire.

Buy-side M&A pitch books are often shorter than sell-side ones, but they can be more tedious to create due to the longer profile lists.

As a junior banker, you won’t have much input into the acquisition targets that are profiled in these presentations, but senior bankers try to present ideas that:

• Maintain or exceed the firm’s cost of capital.
• Maintain the firm’s competitive advantage.
• Enhance the firm’s ability to serve clients.
• Help the firm expand into high-growth geographies or industries.

Large companies often meet with dozens of bankers per month, so originality can be important as well; many investment banks pitch the same set of acquisition targets repeatedly.

If you present an idea the company has seen 100 times before, they’re unlikely to be excited – but if you find a company they haven’t considered, or you have some exclusive insight, you’ll capture their attention.

It’s tough to find real investment banking pitch books for these transactions because most buy-side M&A deals never close, so the banks do not disclose any of the documents.

But here are a few company profile and associated commentary slides similar to the ones found in buy-side pitch books:

• Brookfield Canada Office Properties by Greenhill
• Banco Santander S.A. by Goldman Sachs
• Side-by-Side Comparison of Buyer and Seller by JP Morgan
• Equity Research Commentary on Buyer’s Offer for Seller by Greenhill

In financing mandates – for equity, debt, and even restructuring deals – there are a few major differences compared with the investment banking pitch books described above:

• No Profiles – You are simply pitching the company on raising capital or restructuring its capital, so there is no need to discuss potential buyers or sellers.
• Financing Models Instead of / or In Addition to Valuation – Valuation still matters for equity and restructuring deals, but you will also have to present additional analyses that are relevant to the deal.

For example, if you’re pitching an IPO, you might show the range of multiples at which the company could go public, the range of proceeds it might receive, and how its value might change after the deal.

In a debt deal, you’ll show the credit stats and ratios for the company under different scenarios, such as Term Loans vs. Subordinated Notes, and explain which one is best based on that.

For more examples, please see the articles on ECM , DCM , and Restructuring .

Also, see our coverage of IPO valuation models and debt vs. equity analysis :

Many other presentations get labeled “pitch books” even if banks pitching their own services do not create them.

For example, management presentations for pitching clients to potential buyers are often labeled “pitch books.”

However, they’re just extended versions of the Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM) .

And in the EMEA region, they’re the same thing because CIMs tend to be more like presentations than written documents.

Banks also create presentations to deliver Fairness Opinions , update clients on recent buyer or seller activity, and update clients on the status of M&A deal negotiations.

None of these is a pitch book according to the classic definition, but the slides often look similar, and there may be some common elements, such as the valuation section.

Not all pitch books take days or weeks to complete – shorter ones might require only a few hours of work.

But they can easily spiral into never-ending projects that require all-nighters and extraordinary effort to finish, resulting in those legendary investment banking hours .

That’s because of:

• Attention to Detail – You’ll spend a lot of time making sure your punctuation is consistent, that all the footnotes are in the right spots, and that the dates are correct.
• Dozens of Revisions – Senior bankers love to make changes well past the point of diminishing returns. It’s not uncommon to see “v44” at the end of file names.
• Conflicting Changes – The Associate wants one thing, the VP wants another, and the MD wants something else. And if you implement the MD’s version based on seniority, the others may fight back.
• Random Graphic Design Work – This one is more of an issue at boutique firms that lack presentations departments, but sometimes you’ll have to spend time creating fancy visual elements on slides – which end up being useless once your MD changes his mind and rips out those slides.

If you’re new to the industry, you should familiarize yourself with the layout and design elements of pitch books, but you do not need to be an expert on the creation process.

Different banks use different tools and methods, so it might be counterproductive to learn too much in advance.

You should also learn the key PowerPoint shortcuts very well, including how to customize PowerPoint to make it more efficient (see our tutorial on PowerPoint Shortcuts in Investment Banking below):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnJ1e2xJmFc

Everyone knows that Excel is important in finance, but people tend to underestimate PowerPoint – even though most junior bankers spend more time in PowerPoint than Excel.

To learn those efficiently, check out our PowerPoint Pro course , which covers the fundamentals of presentation creation, including how to set up PowerPoint properly in the first place, alignment and formatting tricks, slide organization, pasting in Excel data, and applying the “finishing touches.”

There are also practice exercises for creating deal and company profiles and fixing slides with formatting problems.

If you learn all that and understand the structure and layout of investment banking pitch books, you won’t have much to complain about – even as the other interns and analysts around you are whining.

You might be interested in a detailed tutorial on investment banking PowerPoint shortcuts or this article titled Stock Pitch Guide: How to Pitch a Stock in Interviews and Win Offers .

About the Author

Brian DeChesare is the Founder of Mergers & Inquisitions and Breaking Into Wall Street . In his spare time, he enjoys lifting weights, running, traveling, obsessively watching TV shows, and defeating Sauron.

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10 thoughts on “ Investment Banking Pitch Books: Design, Examples & Templates ”

Hi Brian. Thank you for valuable information!

I’m currently interning. After sitting in a client presentation. What questions should I ask my supervisor regarding the presentation. As we’re going to have a follow up call

I’m not sure I understand your question. The questions you ask are completely dependent on the presentation, so I can’t really answer this without knowing the contents of the presentation.

Its a great article. Appreciate if you also have a link or article for new PE firm Pitch Deck (presenting to investment banks or FIGs), please. Thanks

Sorry, don’t have anything there.

Great article! The information is very helpful and informative. Where and how can I find other examples of sell-side pitchbooks similar to the ones mentioned in this article?

Thanks, Ryan

Thanks. Unfortunately, sell-side pitch books are hard to find because they’re not disclosed publicly. You can find presentations for recently announced deals by Googling the deal’s name and limiting the search to the sec.gov site and going through those results.

Is an information memorandum informally called a teaser or is this something else?

A teaser is a much shorter document, such as a 1-2-page summary of the company’s key benefits, financials, growth opportunities, etc.

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