A well-designed, comprehensive pitch deck is vital to convincing investors that your company has massive growth potential, so you can get the resources you need to scale.
In this post, we’ll look at the best startup pitch deck examples 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? No worries. You’ll find a ton of pre-made pitch deck templates and designs inspired by the examples throughout.
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Traction and validation/roadmap
You can discuss your sales or early adopters here if you have already made sales or have early adopters. In order to reduce risk, investors want to see some proof that your business model is proven, so any evidence you have that supports your solution as a solution to the identified problem is extremely persuasive.
This slide is also a good place to talk about your milestones. In the past year, what major goals have you achieved and what are your plans for the future? Key milestones can be outlined in a product or company roadmap.
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Marketing and sales strategy
What is your plan for attracting customers’ attention and executing your sales process? This slide can be used to outline your marketing and sales strategy. To get your product in front of potential customers, you should outline your key tactics.
A startup’s biggest challenge can sometimes be finding and winning customers, so it’s important to demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of your target market and how you will reach them.
You should emphasize your unique marketing and sales process here if it differs from your competitors.
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Team
Who are the best people to build and grow this company? Can you tell me about your experience that others don’t have? Showcase the key members of the team, their successes at other companies, and their key expertise.
Consider the critical positions you still need to fill, even if you don’t have a complete team yet.
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Financials
At least three years worth of financials are expected by investors: sales forecasts, income statements (also known as profit and loss statements), and cash flow forecasts.
For your pitch deck, you shouldn’t have in-depth spreadsheets that will be hard to read and consume. Keep charts showing sales, total customers, expenses, and profits to a minimum.
If you’re going to discuss your sales goals and key expense drivers, you should be ready to discuss the underlying assumptions you’ve made.
Keep your expectations realistic. Investors see “hockey stick” projections all the time and mentally reduce your projections. A comparison of your growth to traction you already have or a similar company in a similar industry is extremely helpful in explaining your growth.
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Competition
In some form or another, every business faces competition. Your potential customers are using alternative solutions to solve their problems even if you are opening up a brand new market.
Describe how your product fits into the competitive landscape and how it differs from the alternatives available today. Is there some “secret sauce” that you have that others lack? What are your key advantages?
You must explain how you are different from the other players in the market and why customers will choose you.
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Investment and use of funds
The time has finally come to ask for the money. This pitch deck is for that purpose, isn’t it? My pitch deck isn’t really about getting funded, I know. Nonetheless, your potential investors need to know how much money you are seeking.
Aside from explaining why you need the money you are asking for, you should also explain how you intend to use it. It is important for investors to know how their money is being used and how it will help you reach your business goals.
You should now discuss why those other investors decided to invest if you already have some on board.
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