pitch presentation term

• Presentation Design

What is a Pitch Deck: Meaning, Example, and Guide

This article will help you understand the concepts and components of an effective pitch deck.

Throughout many years of helping startup founders navigate fundraising, we’ve come across many pitch decks. We can confidently say that we know a thing or two about writing good pitch decks. In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the definition of a pitch deck and what the ideal pitch deck looks like.

Pitch Deck: What is It?

A pitch deck is a business presentation that tells your company's story. Depending on your stage and your particular journey, this ‘story’ can take different angles; solving a pressing problem, a unique business model, remarkable traction, revolutionary tech, or superhuman founders. Usually, a deck will have between 15-24 slides, but this depends on all the above factors and shouldn’t be taken as a rule of thumb. The deck's goal is clear: you need to persuade your investor audience to trust you and your solution so they want to invest their money in your company.

A pitch deck can be used for different purposes, such as emailing it to help you land investor meetings, pitching, and presenting in front of an audience. Depending on these scenarios and time constraints, the presentation can have more or less information, but the structure should generally be the same.

When will you need a pitch deck?

‍ You'll need a pitch deck throughout your journey as a founder and many stages of a startup’s life. For starters, almost every U.S. accelerator program will ask for a pitch deck during their initial screening process. Once you're in, get ready for the  "pitch practices." These spaces allow you to rehearse your pitch and refine your presenting skills. Rehearsing is crucial; it’s designed to prepare you for future demo days. An event where you present your business to a room full of key players—think investors and other program coordinators. 

However, this is not the most common use of your deck. The most common use for a pitch deck is whenever you and your team decide it’s time to seek external capital. Think of your pitch deck as your ‘presentation card.’ Often, what will determine whether you can sit in front of potential investors is if your deck has a clear and compelling story that can be understood . The presentation decks can also serve as a pre-meeting brief, allowing investors a sneak peek before a face-to-face conversation, or as a discussion tool during your meetings to walk them through your value proposition clearly and concisely. 

A pitch deck serves a dual purpose: not only does it provide investors with an overview of your company, making it easier for them to evaluate the investment potential, but it also helps you, as a founder, as a mental exercise into articulating the key aspects of your startup and pen key information and data about your company. 

The ideal structure 

Again, think of your deck as a story/journey your reader is going through. Throughout the presentation, the key questions the pitch needs to answer are:

• What market opportunity have you discovered? 
• What have you built to tackle it? How does it work, and who is it for? 
• How much are you growing, and will you continue to grow? 
• And why are YOU and your team THE right ones to change that status quo? 

These four guiding questions will frame the structure of your pitch deck .

First, you want to set the stage with your deck's introduction. This encompasses the cover slide and the status quo section. What’s the current landscape, and what isn’t working?

Next, we pivot to introduce your solution—think of it as the story's hero. This is where the narrative takes a turn. We focus on what sets your solution apart, its features, how it generates revenue, and its target audience. 

For seasoned entrepreneurs, this is also the point where we'd highlight any traction gained, demonstrating your understanding of your business's growth trajectory and your concrete plans for expansion.

Then, it’s time to size up the market. You should explore how the target market responds and how big it is—the stakes couldn’t be higher. But that’s not all; your audience will also be eager to learn about the competitive landscape and how you are better than your competitors.

Finally, we reach the climax of the pitch deck. Here we highlight the founding team, your unique competitive edges, or perhaps your innovative rollout strategy. We wrap up this section by clearly outlining your funding needs and providing a breakdown of how the capital will be used.

What should be in a Pitch Deck Presentation?

Many authors, venture capitalists, startup founders, and evangelists have developed various iterations of what they believe are the essential components for successful pitch presentations. There is definitely not one correct answer. However, there are certain best practices and highly recommended components the deck should have.

At Slidebean, we’ve created this visual to show how we visualize the ideal story arc of a pitch deck.

This fits perfectly into the ideal pitch deck structure we tend to use at Slidebean.

Pitch Deck Components:

Very broadly speaking, the key elements that fit this structure are listed below. This doesn’t mean the deck should have no more than 13 slides. Depending on your particular case, many of these sections should be expanded into more than 1 slide. 

• Market Overview
• Product/Features
• Revenue Model
• Go-To-Market
• Market Size
• Competition
• Fundraising/Use of Funds‍

These core sections of a pitch deck are intentionally designed to flow from broad to detailed, starting with the business opportunity and gradually zooming in on why this particular company is poised to fill a gap in the market.

If you're on the hunt for some pitch deck inspiration, check our gallery of successful pitch deck templates right here .

I want to take a moment to re-emphasize that this structure is, by no means, a rule of thumb. Every company has its own story, and whoever is creating the pitch deck will adapt these slides into the order that produces the best possible story, given their strengths. Early-stage startups, who usually don’t have relevant traction, lean heavily on the problem-solution fit, the market potential, and being first to market. More mature companies, in contrast, tend to emphasize their traction, KPIs, unit economics, and how additional funding can accelerate their growth.

Regardless of the size of the company or the milestones to date, the ultimate goal of a pitch presentation is to provide a broad overview of how the startup works, its strengths, and future growth opportunities.

Are there different types of pitch decks?

More than different decks per se, the main factor to consider is that there are different scenarios in which you’ll use a deck, so we definitely need to adjust the narrative to fit these different time constraints and content requirements. While there’s no one-size-fits-all guide to the types of pitch decks, here are some commonly encountered decks:

Elevator pitch deck :

This is a deck that should, as the name suggests, be able to deliver a pitch for 1-2 minutes during an elevator ride with a potential investor - figuratively speaking. Nonetheless, these sorts of decks are highly condensed versions of your pitch. Focus on the most essential information: problem, solution, traction, market, use of funds, and growth. 

Demo day pitch deck:

Usually a bit more detailed than an elevator pitch but still on the shorter side. These pitch decks are common on demo days when many startups present sequentially, and the time limit is sacred.  Here, founders usually have no more than five minutes to present. These pitches are often presented in large auditoriums, and the focus is yourself, so the deck itself should have little-to-no-text and be heavy on visuals to capture your audience’s attention.

Full investor deck:

‍ This is what you normally find when Googling “What is a Pitch Deck” or “Pitch Deck Meaning”. A full investor deck is the archetypical pitch deck and also the most commonly used. Typically, it showcases your company for potential investors to review and assess if it is venture-backable or not. This is a more in-depth look at your startup's aspects, from business model and go-to-market strategy to financial projections and fundraising needs. These decks have between 15-24 slides and are also called “email decks,” meaning they are sent to help you land investor meetings. They can also be used to guide in-person meetings and help you highlight traction and data that would otherwise be trickier to explain verbally.‍

Investor data room :

Beyond a pitch deck, an investor data room includes all the due diligence materials of a startup as the closing of an investment approaches. It goes deeper than the pitch deck, including crucial documents that confirm your company’s credibility and back up the claims made in your presentations, particularly regarding your financials. This setup is particularly valuable during acquisitions, as it allows investors to verify the essentials like legal structure, contracts, stock vesting agreements, trademarks, and financial records. For more information on this topic, you can check this article .

Key components for a solid pitch deck

• Good Story Structure - Storytelling Arc: In pitch decks, the order in which you present your information is crucial—almost as critical as the content itself. Your information should follow a logical order that paints an overall business picture and has a story arc that makes sense. Most storytelling techniques in public speaking also apply to narrating your business story.
• Easily Understandable: This point goes hand in hand with the structure and order of the deck and, honestly, is quite obvious. Readers need to understand your company and the deck, regardless of them being unfamiliar or unrelated to your industry. The typical trap in which many fall is getting too technical and using jargon that many of us simply - don’t understand. Try to tell the story clearly, compellingly, and concisely so that anyone* can understand the deck and get excited about your company. 
• Human-Centered & Relatable: It’s tempting to focus too much on the solution you created and give lengthy explanations of your product’s super cool features. The reality is that the best business idea is meaningless if it doesn’t solve a genuine human problem. The deck needs to convey that there is a clear problem/solution fit. Make things relatable by providing proof of the user's pain points, quantify the problem, and mention how your solution improves their lives - and why your team is the only one that can do it. If your audience can’t relate to the problem, convincing them of your solution will be hard.‍
• Compelling Visual Resources: While your presentation's content is vital, your slides' visual look is critical in engaging your audience. People get bored quickly, and a visually dynamic presentation can help you maintain their interest. We process images much more efficiently than text; use this to your advantage by crafting visually striking slides that enhance your message. And please, remember that this is not a business plan. You shouldn't have everything in your deck. This is a high-level document that has to paint a solid picture of your company. There will be a time and place to deep dive into different areas of the company; the slide deck is not the place.
• Traction-Oriented Slides : If you have the traction, brag about it. Results and actual data tend to be more relevant than anything else. They demonstrate you’ve found or started to find product/market fit, and that your addressable market has been identified and defined. Nothing gives you more credibility than actual, measurable success with paying customers. Bonus points: you must be prepared to discuss these metrics and unit economics once you present them, so make sure you know and understand them. 
• A Healthy, Exponentially Growing Business: The simple (and hardest) truth of crafting a solid and compelling pitch deck is that it depends on your company’s performance. Revenue-generating businesses, low-churning products, exponential and sustained growth, and consistent usage… these are the things that investors are looking for, and that will charm them. The reality behind the startup fundraising world is that investors want a 10x return for their investment. Despite the reputation of being risk-takers, they ultimately look for their investment to yield results. 

A pitch presentation is valuable for founders and investors to assess collaboration opportunities. A solid deck can take you really far, and a deck full of red flags can deter you from even having the opportunity to pitch in person to investors. It is a good exercise because it forces you to do a conscious exercise to articulate your story in a compelling manner, as well as a format that is compatible with the majority of investors around the world. By no means is it an easy task, but the exercise of writing it will help you understand your company from an external perspective and force you to understand key aspects of the narrative you have: growth, metrics, solution, problem, etc.

I hope this article has clarified what a business deck is and the components of a 5-star deck. 

For more insights, feel free to explore other articles on our blog about pitch deck basics.

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Pitch: Techniques & strategies for effective presentation

Among all the communication techniques, the pitch presentation is at the same time one of the most iconic of the business world and also one of the most fundamental for any business leader. As a matter of fact, pitching can also be necessary for anyone trying to convince an audience to believe in their idea or project. Consequently, pitching techniques can apply to a sales context but also for an employee presenting a strategy or any creative work. In this article, we will first detail what is a pitch presentation, then we will focus on its essential stylistic aspects and finally we will tackle more specific tips to prepare and deliver a successful pitch presentation.

Pitch: Definition and structure

Definition & objectives.

Pitching is a metaphoric term which comes from baseball meaning throwing the ball. The metaphor was first used in television and cinema where writers and directors “throw” their ideas at key decision makers from major TV networks and Hollywood powerhouses.

Today, in most companies, regardless of their industry, the primary objective of a pitch meeting remains the same : secure funding for the development of the idea, rendering it both feasible and financially rewarding.

However, to accomplish this primary objective, your pitch presentation needs to serve these purposes :

• demonstrating the value proposition of the business;
• streamlining intricate concepts for easy comprehension ;
• setting the business apart from competitors ;
• narrating the captivating story behind the company to its target demographic, igniting intrigue and enthusiasm, in other words: story telling .

There are many ways to pitch a business idea. It can be done by phone or e-mail or if you want to stick to the Hollywood iconography on a restaurant napkin or in the proverbial elevator, but more seriously, pitching is usually done during a meeting , with a PowerPoint (or similar software) presentation.

This is why having a great pitch deck is so crucial if you want to raise the interest of potential investors : each slide will need to be carefully thought through. Now let’s review the 5 parts which make for all good pitch deck templates.

Eye-catching introduction

After the title slide, which is commonly used as a waiting screen, your first presentation slide introduces you and your business: who you are and what you do . Don’t hesitate to oversimplify and compact your business value proposition into a single sentence. For instance: “”We provide personalized financial coaching for millennials” or “We’re the Airbnb for camping enthusiasts.”

If you decide to compare your company with a high profile player, make sure it is relevant : at the very least a similar business model. Don’t just namedrop.

What you are trying to achieve here is just getting everyone’s attention and nothing else. It’s not because people agree to meet with you that they are going to actively listen, you have to give them a reason to care.

Presentation of the problem and target market

Your next slide should present what need your business caters to , what problem it solves. Of course you already hinted at this in your initial value proposition but now is the time to give specifics.

This section doesn’t need to feature each and every problem your product offers a solution to. Two or three items will do just fine. For instance:

• “Our app streamlines meal planning, saving busy professionals hours each week.”
• “Our software optimizes supply chain management, reducing costs and increasing efficiency for manufacturers.”

Following the problem, you want to introduce the target market and begin to conjure up the investment opportunity. In this new slide, elaborate on your ideal customer profile and quantify the potential market size.

Depending on your business context, it might be a good idea to segment your market to match your marketing strategy as well as your product offers. In any case, be cautious when you define your market : contrary to one might assume, investors tend to prefer to be presented with a specific and well-rounded target rather than a giant but unrealistic market. The more precise your market description, the more compelling your presentation will be.

Proposed solution or core idea

Now that you have laid the groundwork, you can introduce your product or service which will solve the afore-described problem. It’s important to follow this particular order as it reflects the target customer’s reality : a challenge arises, your solution helps them deal with it.

Even though you are proud, as you should be, of your product, try not to focus on its characteristics , because of two main reasons :

• it can easily be boring for your audience;
• how your customers will use it on a regular basis is much more relevant when it comes to evaluating if a business idea is worth investing in.

Indeed, it is a much better angle to pitch your solution through an evocative story or scenario. Try your best to make your audience able to picture themselves how it would work in a live situation. If you have actual examples, even better.

This section also needs to include slides about how your idea will make money , for you whomever invests in it. Here, you need to prove you have thought things through and are competent and serious about it. You will want to include a slide mapping your business or revenue model and at least another one with a short summary of your business plan. Also offer hard copies or URLs of the full business plan to every attendee, for further consultation.

Keep it short, a pitch is not meant to be exhaustive, you only need to get the potential investor’s approval for a second meeting.

Evidence of value and financials

Otherwise known as traction, this section of your pitch aims at giving tangible early results (if you have any) to prove that your idea is already partially substantiated by hard facts and data :

• growth potential;
• sales already made with a similar but less perfected product;
• margins, etc.

Then you absolutely need to have a few slides featuring your financial projections over the course of the next few years:

• sales forecast;
• income forecast;
• profit and loss statement (expenses vs earnings).

Your conclusion slides should not be a summary of your presentation. Otherwise it would be a summary of a summary. No, you want to conclude with the million dollar question: how much you need from them . With all the data you have already provided, how you intend to use the invested funds should be clear to everyone but be ready to answer any related question.

Key guidelines to a good pitch presentation

Clarity and conciseness.

Successful pitching heavily relies on you being the most clear and concise as possible. Remember : this is an introduction to your company or to your business idea or concept. You have been granted a limited amount of time to convey your message so make it count because there is no do-over.

Go straight to the point in an easily digestible manner:

• remember that from the investor’s perspective “ less is more ”, meaning that too much information will lose their attention and ultimately their interest;
• use large fonts and color schemes to ensure physical readability ;
• you never have enough time to go over each and every bullet point for your presentation so skip some of them ;
• always save enough time for questions , no exception.

Core message and value proposition

The core message and value proposition form the foundation of any successful business pitch presentation. You need to assert what makes your business unique and why it’s valuable to potential investors or stakeholders. If you want to perfectly set the stage for a compelling pitch, focus on highlighting your business idea’s strengths as well as its competitive advantages. By focusing on the problem your business solves and how it addresses the needs of your target market, you can effectively convey its value proposition.

Besides, setting you apart from your competitors and showcasing the potential for growth and profitability reinforces the core message of your presentation.

Emotional connection and storytelling

The most efficient and powerful way to captivate your audience and make your business pitch memorable is to create an emotional connection between them and your vision through storytelling :

• engage with your audience on a deeper level through a compelling narrative around your product or service, how you came up with the idea and how it can help your target customers or users;
• to add authenticity and relatability to your presentation, share personal anecdotes or experiences that highlight the significance of the problem your solution fixes;
• even though you need to present hard cold data to be credible, at least the first part of you pitch should strive to humanize your business and give it a relatable aspect;
• give actual instances or scenarios where your concept has an impact on somebody’s life.

Call-to-Action

A pitch meeting is not throwing an idea at a wall and seeing what sticks. It is a means to an end, it has to produce effects. This is why you want to include at the end of your pitch presentation a strong call to action, to guide the audience towards the next step.

That next step can be :

• investment;
• partnership opportunities;
• further discussions.

A clear call to action prompts action and engagement from your audience. Outline the specific steps you want your audience to take, such as: reaching out for more information or committing to fund investment.

To make sure that your call-to-action is effective and leaves a lasting impression, make it coherent with what you expect from your audience . For instance, don’t understate your need for funding out of timidity if this is what you asked a meeting for in the first place.

Just like with all the rest of your pitch presentation, maximize your effectiveness by being clear and forthcoming.

Our tips for writing an effective pitch presentation

Understand your audience

Before diving into creating the content of your pitch, take the time to thoroughly understand your audience. Ask yourselves questions like:

• What are they looking for specifically?
• How do they prioritize their investments?

Tailor your message to resonate with them on a personal level. To that end, researching your audience’s demographics, preferences, and previous investments can provide valuable insights to customize your presentation effectively. SBI feedback and NVC can also be helpful techniques to empathize with your audience.

Use simple and direct language

Avoid jargon and technical language that may confuse or annoy your audience. Instead, opt for clear and concise language that everyone can understand. Remember, the goal is to convey your message effectively, and using complex terminology can hinder comprehension. Keep your sentences short , and use plain language as much as possible.

Although, for the financial prospections and growth potential parts, favor accuracy and precision over simplification because this is the area of expertise common to all investors.

Focus on benefits rather than technical details

While it’s essential to demonstrate your own expertise, focusing solely on technical details can overwhelm your audience. Instead, emphasize the benefits and value proposition of your proposition.

Highlight the following aspects:

• how your solution addresses your target customer’s needs or solves their problems;
• how is it better than existing solutions;
• what is your marketing strategy ;
• how much can your investors expect in terms of growth and ROI .

By showcasing the tangible benefits, you can captivate your audience’s attention and make a compelling case for your pitch and appear as a trustworthy entrepreneur.

Stay authentic and passionate

Authenticity is key to building trust and credibility with your audience. Be genuine in your delivery and convey your passion for your idea or project. Authenticity resonates with people on a deeper level and can leave a lasting impression . Let your enthusiasm shine through and connect with your audience on an emotional level to make your pitch more memorable.

Don’t Omit the Call-to-Action

Granted, we already discussed the benefits and even the absolute necessity of including a Call-to-Action to at the end of your pitch presentation. However, you would be surprised how many pitchers forget to prepare a slide for that or just skip it to save time.

Anyhow, do not forget for any reason to ask for what you came to the meeting for, be it money, partnership or a business opportunity. Besides, be precise and transparent about how invested funds will be used , don’t’ wait for a question, just say it outright when calling to action.

Don’t underestimate preparation and practice

By now, you might have guessed: preparation and practice are essential components of a successful pitch presentation. And we’re not only talking about rehearsal time:

• validate your data and ensure you have substantiating evidence for your assertions;
• prior to your presentation, familiarize yourself with the investor’s past investment portfolio to tailor your pitch accordingly;
• anticipate potential inquiries and prepare thoughtful responses in advance (integrate them to the flow of your presentation);
• know your project well enough to deliver brief and confident responses to any question from the audience, whether it is a simple question, a binary question or even a real curveball.

In the end , when doing a pitch presentation you need to walk a fine line between keeping it short and ensuring your audience gets your message. Conciseness requires making compromises: you wish you could talk about your ideas for hours but you have to settle for much less. It can be harsh but it is an essential skill to have for any business leader or even team manager.

At CoachYZ , we hold a strong conviction that within every business owner and team manager lies untapped potential awaiting discovery. By embracing fresh perspectives and committing to self-improvement, individuals can unlock this latent capability. If you share our belief and aspire to maximize your leadership prowess, we invite you to experience your coaching journey !

Coaching remains an essential tool in our toolbox, despite the ever-changing professional world. In the digital age, our approach has evolved from simply informing journalists to delivering rich, engaging content directly to our target audience. Good coaching must be personalized, relevant and adapted to the digital world to ensure optimal online visibility. What’s more, the incorporation of multimedia supports such as videos, images and interactive links can considerably enhance its impact. 

Yes of course, in a business context there are different types of pitches : the pitch presentation for investors ; the elevator pitch which is a 30 to 60 seconds presentation of your business and your product or service ; the sales pitch, a longer variant of the elevator pitch, the live plan pitch where you write down and draw the plan as you speak, etc.

Save at least a third of the total allotted time for questions. As for the number of slides you should use, it is generally in the ballpark of 10 to 15. Use short sentences with bullet points as well as clear color schemes and relevant illustrations (especially for the financial section). Don’t hesitate to skip bullet points, you don’t need to be exhaustive to drive the message home.

In business, there are three main styles of pitching, depending on what type of investment you are looking for. Pre-seed pitch, for initial funding, briefly tackles all the aspects of the project; Seed pitch, for early stages of product or idea development, it focuses on traction and feasibility; Series pitch for further expansion.

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What is a Pitch Deck & What Makes It Fundable (+Examples)

Learn about the definition of a pitch deck, what it includes, types of pitch decks. Get examples, templates, and tools to make a good winning pitch deck.

7 minute read

helped business professionals at:

Short answer

What is a pitch deck.

A pitch deck is a presentation showcasing your plan for a new business to investors or VC funds. Pitch decks are used fo r in-person presentations or as reading material. The purpose of a pitch deck is to convince investors to fund your endeavor.

A good pitch deck should include a clear definition of the problem you tackle, your unique solution, a compelling business model, and a go-to-market strategy.

What does a pitch deck look like?

There are many ways to put together a pitch deck, but most pitch decks will pretty much look the same - a 10-20 slides presentation with brand colors and visuals depicting atmosphere, a product or data.

Yet to stand out you have to do things differently.

Below is an example of what an outstanding deck looks like - a modern web story with multimedia and interactive content.

Why 99% of pitch decks fail

Pitch decks can feel intimidating because so much depends on this single document (especially if it's your first one).

Even if you’re not intimidated (good for you!) and you’re a true magician when pitching your business idea face-to-face, some investors nowadays ask for your deck by email as a preliminary step before they ever bring you into their office to meet them.

The challenge is making a self-sufficient deck that brings your idea and enthusiasm to life without your in-person help.

In this article, you’ll learn all there is to know about pitch decks, what they’re used for, who needs them, and how to make your own world-class deck as well as the effort and resources it will require.

By the end of this article, you’ll have critical information for success that 99% of your peers don’t have.

What is the purpose of using a pitch deck?

The main purpose of a pitch deck is to pique the interest of potential investors. The main challenge of a pitch deck is NOT getting investor buy-in , but rather avoiding being disqualified right then and there.

It’s a common mistake to think that a pitch deck is supposed to persuade investors to invest in your startup, project, or business idea, but in reality that’s still a ways away. You have to be considered for evaluation first.

Every investor or VC has their own investment criteria, and since investors are drowned by people asking for their money they are looking to disqualify you based on those criteria.

In the words of Gordon Miller , an entrepreneur and investor, “Investors aren’t looking to say “Yes”, they are looking to say “No.””

Who needs a pitch deck?

Pitch decks are used by startup founders or entrepreneurs to seek funding for their business ventures by showing high growth potential and a strategy for scaling their business (fast).

Who does NOT need a pitch deck?

1) You do not need a pitch deck if you don’t yet have any of the following planned out in detail:

A business model

Market analysis

Competitive analysis

Costs of building your business

A growth plan

A GTM (go-to-market) strategy

If you don’t have all of the above then no investor will take you, so don’t bother.

2) You don’t need a pitch deck if your business is too specific so that you have to hand-pick a handful of very particular investors. In that case, you should talk to them and prepare a document tailored to their specification.

3) You don’t need a pitch deck if you can fund your business on your own , whether through your own capital or because your business is already generating revenue (any money you take from investors will dilute your holdings in your company).

4) If you’re looking to close business deals and acquire new clients. Then you need a sales pitch deck or a product pitch deck, not to be confused with a pitch deck for investors.

What does a pitch deck include?

Some investors can be very particular about the pitch deck structure that they expect to see. Whenever possible, you should clarify the outline with potential investors and build your pitch deck accordingly.

That said, there are still some basic slides that are to be expected by most investors and VCs.

10 basic slides 99% of investors will require from you:

Introduction

The problem

Your solution

Market size and opportunity

Business and revenue model

Traction and validation

Marketing strategy

Team (authority, experience, and skills)

Investment and use of funds

For more information on this go read our post on the the nitty gritty details of what to include in a pitch deck .

Here's our recommended pitch deck storyline:

What types of pitch decks are there?

• Intro pitch deck: This is the initial investor deck you send to grab the interest of potential investors and secure a meeting.
• First meeting pitch deck: This is a detailed presentation for your first face-to-face with investors.
• Post-meeting pitch deck: This company overview deck includes in brief the main points covered in the meeting with investors with a focus on the interests and concerns investors voiced in the meeting.
• Subsequent meeting pitch decks: As discussions progress, your deck might need to evolve to address deeper questions and provide more detailed data. These pitch decks may include decks like Market research, Product roadmap, Marketing plan, Sales plan, and others.

You should know - there are many pitch deck types for different industries and use cases. You can find everything we have below.

Pitch deck sub-types (customizable templates)

Seed pitch deck VS Series A/B/C pitch deck

The seed pitch deck is the deck you present to investors when you’re looking to secure your first-ever round of funding.

A seed pitch deck is typically short and focused on presenting your business's grand vision and big idea. It attempts to answer “why an investor should be interested in what you have to offer?”.

A Series A/B/C pitch deck needs to be more financially heavy than a seed pitch deck since at this point you have been running your business for over a year.

A series pitch deck should include your current financial results and proof of traction, and conclude with ambitious yet realistic financial projections and milestones.

If in doubt, you can always reach out to a startup coach to help guide you through the process.

Static vs. interactive pitch deck

The main difference between static and interactive decks is that static decks follow the traditional format of text-based slides accompanied by images, while interactive decks enable you to create engaging multimedia content.

Another difference is that you can only insert old-school links or image links in static decks, whereas interactive decks allow you to embed lead-gen tools, including calendars, to get readers to book that next meeting straight from the deck.

Airbnb's static deck vs an interactive remake of the same deck:

Is a pitch deck the same as an investor deck?

Pitch deck and investor deck are terms sometimes used interchangeably. The term “pitch deck” in this context is used to describe a brief document containing basic information about your company and introducing your vision to someone with no prior knowledge of it.

The term “investor deck” is used to describe a more detailed deck with an in-depth analysis of your unique value proposition, market opportunity, and go-to-market strategy.

When in doubt, it can be beneficial to ask potential investors what they expect to see at any stage of the investment process.

Is a pitch deck the same as a sales deck?

The main 2 differences between a pitch deck and a sales deck are their purpose and audience. The purpose of a pitch deck is to convince potential investors that your company is worth funding by promising them the desired return on their investment (ROI).

The purpose of a sales deck is to get prospects to become paying customers of your company by presenting how it’s going to change their lives for the better.

If you want to expand your knowledge you can read our posts on how to create a sales deck that makes you irresistible to buyers , or check out some Unique Sales Deck Examples that Outsell the Rest .

Is a pitch deck the same as a marketing deck?

A pitch deck is a document used to gain investor buy-in during a funding round, whereas a marketing deck is an umbrella term that can mean a host of different things depending on the context it’s used:

A marketing pitch deck is a presentation shown externally to potential investors by founders of marketing agencies in the hopes of getting the necessary funding.

A marketing sales deck is a presentation shown externally to prospective clients of marketing agencies in order to educate them about your offering and close deals.

An internal marketing deck can be shown internally to the general managers and business owners, or to stakeholders to demonstrate a company’s marketing or advertising efforts and present key metrics.

How do you build a pitch deck?

In order to build a successful pitch deck, the design of your presentation needs to be as important as its contents.

There are 4 best practices that can make all the difference between whether an investor gets all the way down or bounces after the first slide:

1) Don’t overload investors with information

I know this sounds like a total cliché, but less is genuinely more when it comes to pitch decks. If you need an entire wall of text to get your point across, perhaps it’s not as clear as you were hoping.

Narrow it down to a couple of bullet points and skip that 5th table to show investors that you value your time.

2) Always personalize your decks.

Investors can smell generic from a mile away. Even if it’s the 100th deck you’re sending out this week, they need to feel like you crafted it specifically for them. By including a personal note, you can get 68% more people to read your deck in full .

3) Stay consistent

When your deck looks like you just haphazardly threw together a bunch of slides from different presentations you had on your disc, it doesn’t bode well.

Certain presentation makers , such as Storydoc, will auto-extract your branding information and automatically apply it to all slides.

You can keep your slides consistent by ensuring that the color combination, brand logos , fonts, spacing, and more retain the same format throughout your pitch deck.

4) Visualize your data

If investors need to make sense of your data to decide whether or not your business is a good fit for them, they’re not going to bother reading.

Instead, make the decision process easier for them by visualizing hard data with the help of charts and graphs.

Can I design a pitch deck myself or do I need to hire a professional?

You can absolutely design a pitch deck yourself using pitch deck designer tool like Storydoc on the market. If you already have a designer in-house, you can also get them to design your pitch deck.

If, however, there’s even the slightest chance your pitch deck could end up looking like it was created for a high school project, you may be better off letting a professional handle it.

When investors see a poorly designed deck, they’re already predisposed to disliking your entire presentation. Your chances of shaking that bad first impression are close to none.

How much does it cost to make a pitch deck?

Creating a pitch deck on your own depends on the tool or set of tools you use to create it:

Google Slides is free

PowerPoint is free with a Microsoft Office license

Canva Pro subscription costs $12.99 per month; the Basic version is free.

Pitch.com subscription costs $8 per member per month when billed annually, the Starter plan is free.

Storydoc subscription costs $40 per seat per month

You may also need design tools like Adobe Photoshop or Figma, which also come at a price.

Hiring a professional designer to create your pitch deck would cost around $100 per hour. The number of hours depends on your needs and the number of iterations you’ll require, but could take anywhere from 3-8 hours.

What is the best software for creating a pitch deck?

There are 3 different types of tools available on the market for creating a pitch deck:

1) Legacy tools

Such as PowerPoint or Google Slides , that allow you to create traditional slideshow presentations. They have limited integration and customization options, and typically follow pre-designed patterns.

2) Mid-way tools

Such as Pitch , Canva , and Visme , which come with a wide variety of templates to choose from and customize.

These are more aesthetically pleasing than your average PPT, but don’t offer anything truly new in terms of features.

3) Dedicated pitch deck creators

Such as Storydoc , that provide next-gen interactive templates optimized for engagement, conversions, and performance.

They let you design on autopilot, as well as customize and personalize your decks at scale. You can also include smart CTAs to get investors to book that next meeting straight away.

For more information, check out our ultimate list of the best presentation software .

Where can I see examples of pitch decks?

You can find the best pitch deck examples in this post with all the pitch deck examples worth taking inspiration from . The best part is that you can simply take any example on the page and use it as a template for your own pitch deck.

Where can I find pitch deck templates?

If you have itchy hands and can’t wait to start creating your pitch deck, I highly advise that you visit Storydoc’s pitch deck templates gallery .

These templates go way beyond looking pretty—they have been optimized for engaging investors regardless of whether they view your deck on desktop or their phone in-between meetings.

Just pick a templates from the gallery below.

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What is a pitch deck?

Table of contents

What is a pitch deck a quick guide.

A pitch deck is a presentation that provides an overview of a business, startup, or project to potential investors, partners, or stakeholders. It is typically a concise and visually engaging document that outlines key information — with the goal to communicate a compelling story about a project or new business and convince the audience of its viability and potential for success.

Pitch deck basics

A pitch deck, often considered the cornerstone of entrepreneur and investor communication, is a brief and visually compelling way to create a presentation that overviews your business. This invaluable tool provides a snapshot of your company's value proposition, market analysis, product details, and more. It's your golden ticket to securing the interest and backing of potential investors.

Understanding how a pitch deck works

Think of your pitch deck as your company's story condensed into a powerful narrative, the quintessence of your venture told through compelling visuals and concise text. This tool communicates the "what" and the "why" behind your business. It conveys your mission, vision, and strategy in an easily digestible format, ideally leaving investors intrigued and keen to know more.

What are the components of a typical pitch deck?

An effective pitch deck typically consists of the following elements:

Introduction : The essence of your company — what it is and what it does.

Team : Details about the skilled people driving your venture.

Problem : The issue your product or service aims to address.

Solution : Your unique value proposition.

Market analysis : Your target audience and market size.

Product : In-depth details about your product or service.

Business model : How you intend to make money.

Marketing and sales strategy : Your plan to attract and retain customers.

Financials : Current performance and future projections.

Ask : Your request from investors, whether it's funding, advice, or partnerships.

Advantages of making a pitch deck

The overall goal is to capture the audience's interest and generate enough enthusiasm for them to want to learn more or potentially invest in the business. A well-constructed pitch deck offers multiple benefits:

Clarity : By distilling your business into a pitch deck, you understand your venture more clearly, helping you articulate your vision effectively.

Investor attraction : An engaging pitch deck is a magnet for investors. It communicates critical details about your business and demonstrates your professionalism and commitment.

Guidance : A pitch deck provides a roadmap for investor presentations, guiding the flow of conversation and ensuring key points are addressed.

Successful pitch deck examples

To better understand how a good pitch deck should look, here are examples of 3 successful SaaS companies with great pitch decks:

Airbnb : Airbnb's original pitch deck succinctly outlined its unique value proposition, market analysis, and growth strategy. It effectively showcased their novel solution to a widespread problem, capturing investor interest.

Slack : Slack's pitch deck focused heavily on their product, using powerful visuals and simple explanations to communicate their platform's benefits. They underscored their unique selling points, clearly differentiating themselves from competitors.

Zendesk : Zendesk's pitch deck is a testament to the power of storytelling. They successfully used a narrative approach to guide potential investors through their customer service solution, making their proposition highly relatable.

How to make a pitch deck

Creating a compelling pitch deck involves thoughtful design, clear writing, and strategic storytelling. Here are some steps to guide you:

Understand your audience : Understand your potential investors' interests and concerns to tailor your pitch deck effectively.

Define your structure : Outline your deck using the key components mentioned earlier. This will serve as your pitch deck template .

Create your content : Keep your text succinct and impactful. Use data to support your statements and weave a compelling story around your business.

Design your slides : Use a clean, professional design. Leverage visuals and infographics to communicate complex information.

Refine and practice : Revise your deck, seek feedback, and practice your delivery. Remember, your pitch deck is not just a document — it's a presentation.

Tips and best practices when making a pitch deck

Less is more : Avoid cluttering your slides with text. Stick to key points and let your oral presentation fill in the details.

Consistency is key : Maintain a consistent design throughout your deck. This includes colors, fonts, visuals, and tone of voice.

Data-driven : Back your claims with relevant data. This demonstrates market understanding and adds credibility to your statements.

Tell a story : People connect with stories. Weave a narrative around your business journey, from the problem you're solving to the solution you're offering and your vision for the future.

Call to action : Make sure to include a clear 'ask'. Whether you're seeking funding, partnerships, or advice, be specific about what you want from your audience.

Creating a pitch deck might initially seem daunting, but with the right approach and tools, you can craft a compelling presentation that captures your audience's attention and leaves a lasting impression. Remember, your pitch deck reflects your business vision — it should not just inform but also inspire. Happy crafting!

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How to create a successful pitch presentation

Get your team on prezi – watch this on demand video.

Anete Ezera December 18, 2023

When it comes to startups and entrepreneurs, getting that first big deal can be tricky. It can be hard to put your business idea forward in a way that’s going to convince potential investors or partners. This is where pitch deck presentations come in handy as they are often short and precise. The goal is to explain your idea in a way that gets straight to the point and is easy to understand. These quick, punchy presentations are critical for those looking to make a strong first impression and secure funding for their business venture. Let’s talk about what a pitch presentation is and how you can create one with the help of Prezi. 

What is a pitch presentation? 

To get a better understanding of what a pitch presentation really is, let’s look at some of the important elements that make one: 

Conciseness: It’s typically short, usually 10-20 slides. This fast pace enables the presenter to captivate the audience and maintain attention. 

Clarity: The aim is to keep the content clear and straightforward, avoiding complicated jargon so that the message is understood. 

Powerful storytelling: It will often tell an interesting story about the problem being solved, the solution offered, and the potential market opportunity. 

Key information: Because of its fast-paced nature, it will often be packed with vital information like the business model, financial projections, and the unique value proposition of the product or service being pitched. 

Appealing visuals: Like other styles of presentation, having visuals that can draw in the audience is a must. Pitch deck presentations will often use graphics and minimal text to convey information better. 

To get a visual understanding of what a pitch presentation is, explore the following pitch presentation:

The evolution of pitch presentations: a look back and ahead

Ever wondered how pitch presentations became such a big deal? They started as simple PowerPoint slides but have evolved into something much more dynamic. This journey reflects changes in business, technology, and what investors look for. In the early days, pitch decks were pretty straightforward – just a few slides outlining a business idea. But as technology advanced, so did the expectations. Now, we see pitch presentations with interactive elements, attractive visuals, and even storytelling elements. This evolution shows how we’ve learned to communicate complex ideas more effectively. Understanding this history helps us understand how pitch decks have evolved into what they are today. 

Is a pitch deck the right presentation style for me? 

A pitch deck is perfect if you’re looking to present a business idea, especially if you’re aiming to attract investors or partners. It’s designed to be concise yet impactful, focusing on the key aspects of your business or project. Think of it as showcasing your business- you’ve got a limited amount of time to make a strong impression. So, if you’re in the early stages of a startup, seeking funding, or trying to win over some stakeholders with a clear, compelling story about your business or idea, a pitch presentation could be just what you need.

People who might also benefit from pitch presentations 

Pitch presentations are a versatile tool that can greatly benefit a wide range of individuals and organizations. We’ve discussed the role of pitch decks for startups and entrepreneurs, so let’s look at some other instances where these presentations might be particularly useful: 

• Business executives: Established business owners can use pitch decks to propose new projects or strategies to stakeholders, boards, and investors. 
• Sales and marketing professionals: To pitch products or services to potential clients or partners, highlighting their unique selling points.
• Non-profit organizations: For presenting their mission, impact, and funding needs to donors, sponsors, or grant agencies.
• Researchers and academics: To secure funding or collaboration for research projects, especially when presenting to funding bodies or at academic conferences.
• Inventors and innovators: To attract investors, partners, or attention to their new inventions or innovations. 
• Freelancers and consultants: To pitch their services and unique value proposition to potential clients or agencies.

What makes a good pitch deck presentation?

When we talk about pitch presentations, it’s important to compare the differences between a great pitch deck and the ones that just don’t hit the mark. 

What a pitch deck should look like 

A successful pitch deck should have a clean, uncluttered design . This way your audience can take in the information without being distracted by over complicated slides. Any images used should be of high quality, and be relevant to the text. A pitch presentation should flow logically , so the information provided tells a story about what you’re aiming to achieve. 

The colors used should match that of your brand, often logos and fonts will correspond with the theme of the brand, organization, or company. This is a great way to reinforce who you are and what you stand for. A good pitch presentation will captivate the audience by using each slide to convey a single key point, this way, the message is concise and easily absorbed. 

Pitfalls to avoid 

Now, let’s talk about what a pitch presentation shouldn’t look like. If you want to entice your audience, don’t cram too much information onto your slides . This is going to overwhelm your audience and make their attention span drop. Don’t stray away from key points by including irrelevant information. You want your pitch deck to persuade people to take action and have faith in you and your product, so don’t go off on a tandem.

Use a language tone that’s relatable to everyone – don’t use overly technical terms or industry-specific jargon. This can be off-putting for potential investors who don’t work in your field. One of the biggest mistakes you could make is to be inconsistent with your theme, color, and fonts. Remember, the idea is to appear professional, and inconsistency screams amateur. 

Things to consider when preparing to create your pitch presentation

Although it might be appealing to dive straight into making your presentation, there are certain points you should consider to get the best out of your pitch. Here are some things to think about when planning: 

Know your audience

Consider who you’re presenting to and include criteria that are going to be appealing to them. For instance, what resonates with venture capitalists may be different from what appeals to potential partners or customers. 

Engaging storyline

You want to hold your audience’s attention throughout the whole presentation, so tell your story in a way that builds anticipation and makes them want more. 

Keep each slide simple. Your audience will respond better to clear, concise content that’s not too busy and complicated. Keep text easily readable and appropriate for all levels of knowledge. 

Key messages

Plan out the purpose of each slide beforehand, that way you can be sure the key messages come across well. 

You can include things like graphs or charts to simplify complex data, but do this in a way that doesn’t overcrowd the slides. Remember to stay consistent with colors and fonts to reinforce clarity. 

Data and validation

Do your research when preparing to make your pitch presentation. It’s crucial to back up your claims, such as market research, growth projections, or case studies. Using real-world examples is a good way to back up your credibility. 

Business model

Think about how you’re going to explain your business model in a way that comes across clearly. Always be honest about your revenue streams, pricing strategies, and your position in the market. 

Investors often invest in people as much as they do ideas, so think about how you can highlight the strengths of yourself and your team. 

You need to clearly state what you’re asking for. Whether it’s funding, support, or a partnership, make sure your audience knows what you need from them. 

Practice your pitch so that it flows well and fits with the time constraints. Rehearsals are great for realizing flaws, which means you can rectify where needed to ensure the best possible pitch on the day. Be prepared to answer questions and address potential concerns- you can do this by listing some possible queries and preparing an adequate answer. 

Beginning and ending

How can you draw the audience in from the minute you start speaking? A successful pitch presentation often starts with a bang, such as a powerful punch line, a vibrant image, or a brain teaser. When it comes to ending your pitch, summarize the main points and offer a chance for discussion. 

Discover other crucial and noteworthy tips on creating and delivering pitch presentations by watching the following video:

Presenting your pitch deck presentation

Your presenting skills must be just as effective as the pitch presentation you’ve created. Imagine spending all that time and effort on making each slide perfect, to go and blow your opportunity by poorly presenting it. Here are some tips to help you own the stage for your pitch: 

Body language

• Posture: Stand tall and proud. A good posture reflects confidence and keeps you physically engaged. 
• Gestures: Gestures should be natural and purposeful. For example, you might use hand gestures to emphasize important points. Avoid being overly dramatic with gestures as this can be distracting. 
•  Movement: Moving can add energy to your presentation, but be careful not to pace around the stage, as this can make you appear nervous. A simple step forward when you’re reaching the punchline of your story can elevate impact. Similarly, turning your body to face different sections of the audience can make everyone feel included. 

Facial expressions

• Eye contact: Make eye contact with your audience, and maintain it. Don’t just focus on one area, move your gaze around the room to add a personal element to your presentation. This is going to help you build a connection and keep them engaged. 
• Smiling: Smile where appropriate. This is going to make you seem approachable and passionate about your subject. However, you don’t want to unnerve your audience by wearing a forced smile throughout the whole presentation. 
• Expressiveness: Your facial expressions should match the tone of what you’re saying. They can be a powerful way of transporting emotions from the screen onto the audience. 

Voice control

• Volume: You want everyone in the room to hear you, so speak loudly, but avoid shouting. 
• Pace: Remember that your audience needs to clearly hear every word for maximum impact, you can do this by keeping a moderate pace throughout. Speaking too fast can be hard to keep up with, and talking too slowly can become boring. 
• Tone: Use a varied tone to maintain interest, as monotone speech can be disengaging. For instance, you could change the pitch and intensity of your tone when discussing something positive or exciting. 
• Duration: Stick to the allotted time for your pitch presentation. Running too long can lose your audience’s interest, while cutting it too short may not deliver enough information. 
• Pauses: Pauses are handy for creating suspense, or allowing key points to sink in. They can also be helpful for a smooth transformation from one topic to another. 

Dealing with nerves

• Practice: The more familiar you are with your content, the less nervous you’re going to be. Practice your body language cues, speaking clearly, and using the right facial expressions. 
• Visualization: Envision a successful pitch presentation. It’s when we worry about the things that could go wrong that causes anxiety to kick in. 
• Relaxation techniques: Before taking the stage, simple techniques can help with nerves, such as mindfulness practices and progressive muscle relaxation. 
• Deep breathing: Practice deep breathing to control nerves and keep a steady voice. This helps in delivering a calm and confident pitch. 

If you’re struggling with nerves, watch the following video on how to not be nervous for a presentation:

Audience interaction

• Question prompts: To make your pitch presentation more interactive, encourage audience participation and questions. 
• Read the room: Always be aware of the audience’s reactions and adjust accordingly. If they seem disinterested, you might need to change your approach or pace.

As a pitch deck presenter, your role is to deliver your content in a way that makes an impact. Mastery of body language, voice, and timing all play a crucial role in yielding the results you want. 

Prezi: Your tool for creating pitch presentation

If you’re aiming to create a pitch presentation that sets you apart from competitors, Prezi is the tool for you. Here’s why: 

Unique presentation style

Unlike traditional slide-by-slide presentations, Prezi allows you to create a more fluid and dynamic pitch deck. You can move freely around the canvas, zooming in on details and out to the bigger picture. This helps in structuring your pitch presentation in a way that best suits your story, making it more engaging for your audience.

Zooming user interface

This is one of Prezi’s signature features. You can zoom in to focus on specific details and zoom out to show the overall context of your idea. Since pitch presentations are all about emphasizing key points, this feature is essential. 

Visual storytelling

The best way to tell a story through your pitch presentation is to turn complicated information into digestible parts. With Prezi, you can use appealing visuals to simplify ideas and make data easier to interpret. Prezi supports images, visuals, graphics, and animations, so you can create a pitch that captivates your audience. 

Experience visual storytelling in action in a Prezi presentation:

Templates and customization 

Prezi offers a variety of templates , which can be a great starting point for your pitch presentation. These templates are fully customizable, meaning you can align the design with your brand’s look and feel. 

As an example, take a look at this product launch template by Prezi. This would be a solid choice for a pitch deck presentation, particularly if you’re about to launch a new product or service. It provides a structured layout that guides you through the essential elements of a pitch. If you’re hoping to make a good impression, the design of this template looks clean and professional while focusing on key points. It allows you to highlight what sets your product apart in a compelling way. 

Like most Prezi templates, it offers customization options. You can tweak colors, add your images, and moderate the content to align with your brand and product. These are all essential elements for creating a personalized and relevant pitch. 

Collaboration tools

Prezi’s collaboration features come in handy when you’re working with a team. Multiple people can work on the pitch presentation at the same time, offering valuable inputs and different ideas. This way, your pitch deck presentation can reach its full potential. If you like to delegate tasks and give each team member a role in the creation, this feature is great for coordinating efforts. 

Prezi Video

For remote pitching, Prezi Video is the perfect solution as it allows you to add a video of yourself presenting alongside your content. This enables you to make your pitch just as personal as it would be in person. 

To explore how Prezi Video works, watch the following video:

Path tool for story flow

To help create a natural flow for your story, Prezi lets you set paths to move between topics. This easily guides your audience through your presentation in a logical way, which is crucial when it comes to pitch decks. 

Prezi is keeping up with the AI revolution by bringing you a set of AI presentation tools: AI text editing and layout features. These features give you text and layout suggestions, so you don’t need to stress about finding the right words or structure. It can adjust to your writing style, keeping your pitch personal to you but with added clarity and relevance. Discover more about Prezi AI features here .

Successful business pitch presentation examples

Many well-known companies famously used pitch decks in their early stages to secure funding and partnerships. Here’s some you may know: 

Back in 2008, Airbnb was just starting out and needed funding, so they created a pitch deck. This wasn’t just any pitch deck—it was really clear and straightforward, showing off their business model and what they hoped to achieve. They ended up raising $600k from an angel investment round. Their pitch presentation was so successful that people still talk about it today. It’s a classic example of how a good pitch can really set a company on the path to success.

Did you know about Uber’s beginnings? On their ninth anniversary, Garrett Camp, one of the co-founders, shared their first pitch deck. It was a 25-slide presentation that they used way back when they were just starting out. This pitch presentation was a major part of their strategy and really helped in the company’s early growth and evolution. It’s pretty impressive to think how those early slides contributed to making Uber the giant it is today. 

We all know how significant Facebook is when it comes to social media platforms, but it’s all down to their original pitch presentation back in 2004 that propelled them into such success. The pitch deck contained mix-and-match slides for summarizing Facebook’s value proposition, key metrics, and audience demographics. Shortly after the launch of facebook.com, Eduardo Saverin, who was 21 at the time, took their presentation to New York. He was there to pitch Facebook’s Ad platform to potential clients. Now, fast forward to today, Facebook for Business has grown massively. It’s the second biggest digital advertising platform, just behind Google, and holds more than 25% of the market share.

These examples are not only inspirational but show just how important pitch presentations are. A strong pitch is critical for making a good first impression, forming business relations, and opening up opportunities for scaling your business. 

Final thoughts on pitch deck presentations

To wrap up, pitch decks are more than just presentations; they’re your chance to make an impact. They’re vital for anyone looking to get their idea off the ground, especially in the startup world. So when you’re putting one together, keep it straightforward, focus on your key points, and make sure it reflects what you and your business are all about. A well-crafted pitch presentation can open doors, attract investment, and set the stage for your future success. Remember, simplicity and clarity are your best tools. Good luck, and here’s to making your ideas shine!

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What is a Pitch Deck? Examples, Tips, and Templates

Businesses need adequate financing at every point in time for all their processes to run smoothly . However, most of the funding that a business needs to maximize its growth does not often come from business profits, personal coffers, or financial assistance from families and friends.

That is why you need to convey your ideas to potential sponsors. These sponsors or investors invest their money into your business with the expectation of a positive yield. The funding helps materialize whatever future business plans you have.

You will not get investors to put their money into your business if you do not have a solid business plan. Instead of just conveying your ideas in a drab manner; you have to convince financiers that your plans and projections are worth investing inside. Make them feel excited about the partnership.

There are several steps you need to take to get financiers to fund your business. All the steps and tips you need to know about creating a winning pitch deck will be discussed in this article. The pitch deck is the tool you use to capture the interest of potential investors.

In this article, you will learn everything about pitch deck from its definition to insightful pitch deck examples you can learn from. You will also learn about what is included in a pitch deck presentation, the do’s and don'ts of pitch decks, and how to create a pitch deck in three simple ways.

Let’s get started.

A pitch deck is a concise presentation (in the form of slides) that business owners create to boost the growth of their establishments. It refers to a collection of slides to express an overview of business plans . The display gives clients a wrap-up of business plans, products and services, and operations.

Pitch deck, also known as investor pitch deck , helps prospective sponsors to learn more about your business. The presentation in slides makes it more fun, and the clients won't go through the stress of reading generic texts.

Many business owners or sales executives make the mistake of thinking that the primary goal of the pitch deck is to acquire finance. The primary goal is not to acquire finance but to intrigue them and make them fix a time for an official partnership meeting. Acquiring finance is the end goal.

Getting financing is not a one-step procedure. It involves a series of steps in which the pitch deck presentation is the first. Of course, you have to give valid reasons why the investors should entrust their money to your business.

The pitch deck presentation is an effective business communication tool for meetings with potential clients, sponsors, and investors . This way, you can have an audio-visual appointment, resulting in a better understanding of the motive with fewer talks.

You can either host your pitch deck presentations in a physical or virtual space. If you choose the virtual space, there are tons of conference call services and web and video conferencing platforms you can choose from. They include RingCentral, Zoom, Zoho Meeting, ClickMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and other RingCentral alternatives .

Slides are what help you convey the compelling story of your business to your clients or investors . You need to use slides to help you achieve the desired results. Software packages like PowerPoint, Visme, Keynote, Prezi can help you craft a convincing presentation.

To gain the attention of your target audience, you can design two different pitch decks . The first will contain more text. The second will concentrate on visuals. People are always attracted to visual information; this will enable them to focus more on what you have to offer.

What’s Included in a Pitch Deck Presentation?

The pitch deck is a conversion tool to get your business funded. However, the sad reality is that some companies can create a pitch deck presentation and still not get sponsors. Why?

For your pitch deck to have a high conversion rate, it must have the following qualities.

• Easy to implement

A good pitch deck must not have more than 19 slides. Apart from being a general rule of thumb for pitch deck presentations, having more than 19 slides can make your presentation boring and uneasy for investors to follow through.

However, there are good pitch deck presentations that have more than 19 slides. Ideally, you should work towards finding that sweet point slide length where you have enough space to drive interest in your idea and do not bore your audience.

The information in every slide must be compelling and contain no fluffs and fillers . Ensure the information is easy to act on when studied.

There are so many opinions on the internet and in the business world about what the ideal pitch deck must contain. Simply from looking at examples of successful startup pitch decks, it is easy to see patterns on what a successful pitch deck must absolutely contain.

Here are the 10 compulsory key slides that every business and organization should have in their pitch deck presentation , irrespective of their industry, target audience , or offer.

Let’s take a look at these 10 key slides in detail.

Slide 1: Introduction

The first slide of your pitch deck is the most crucial of all your slides . For a presentation to have a high conversion rate, there must be a brief intro at the beginning to hint at what the whole thing centers on.

This slide is a crucial one; it is what determines the state of mind of the client. Are they getting excited? Are they already fed up? Do they want to know more?

The introduction is your chance to give a great first impression. If you fail to do it right here, you can lose the investor. Prioritize making the first slide as powerful as possible. Many investors or financiers are impatient and use the first few slides to judge your business.

Ensure you keep the first slide or introduction slide short and sweet. It is the slide where you can tell people about who you are and the reason why you are here.

You can also use the introduction slide to communicate the value proposition of your business. Ideally, your value proposition should be a single phrase or sentence long.

Examples of the perfect business value proposition include:

“We Make Happy Meals for Infants.”

“The Smartest Way to Get Around” – Uber

“The Experience IS the Product” – Apple iPhone

“Be More Productive at Work with Less Effort” – Slack

When you use a good value proposition, your audience will be eager to listen to the rest of your presentation.

How to Make Your Introduction Catchy

• Make Your Introduction Simple, Short, and Engaging: The introduction slide is where you introduce yourself, your business, and the reason why you are talking to the audience. Don't say unnecessary things here because you will probably bore the reader and set a bad template for the rest of the presentation. Make sure your expressions are as simple as possible and avoid complex grammar. Of course, you won't have them look up the dictionary every minute to get your point. Make your tone conversational too.
• Briefly Talk about Your Business: Communicate what your business is about in simple sentences. Business owners feel they get sponsors interested by saying more than they should. The truth is that, at this stage, they want to get a glimpse of what you do. For instance, if you cook meals and deliver to the aged people, you can tell them, ‘We make meals and deliver fast to the aged in their homes.’ With that simple sentence, you have communicated that you can deliver meals as fast as possible to the aged (the ones that can't cook themselves) in homes.
• Propose the Value of Your Business. You can present your business with a high value by making a valid comparison with a popular company. For example, if you sell email marketing services for small businesses , you can make comparisons with established email marketing software services such as HubSpot, MailChimp, GetResponse, Convertkit, AWeber, and MailChimp alternatives .
• Provide Ways the Investors Can Reach Out. This vital point shows that you are anticipating a positive response after they go through the slides. Update your contact information, like your phone number and your email , so that investors can reach out and fix a meeting. If possible, give your phone number to build strong personal relationships.

At the end of your introduction, the audience should know:

• You and Your Business
• Your Mission
• Ways to Reach Out to You

Everything about your intro should be top-notch and quality. The texts should be well organized and clear, avoiding the use of complex grammars. If you have to introduce visuals at any point, it should be a high-resolution image. The logo of the company must be legible and presentable too.

Slide 2: The Problem

The purpose of meeting with your investors is to solve a problem that finance can solve. Why must a pitch deck have a problem slide?

Investors fund businesses because they see a problem and feel they can find a solution to it. Entrepreneurship, at large, is all about solving problems. It would help if you had your laid-out plans on dealing with the problem, and that is what you will display in your slides when meeting the sponsors.

If your super business idea does not solve any actual problem, your pitch deck presentation is going to be a huge disaster.

In the problem slide, you highlight the market's problems and the relevance of your solution to their welfare. You should do your market research to find out this problem or gap that your target audience faces and the market is not addressing.

A good problem slide will reflect two or three problems your audience faces that your product or service solves. It does this without being long and boring.

If your business idea does not solve the problem, then you should not source for funds yet. Financing can only work out when acted on good and yieldable plans. You should find a problem affecting your target audience, draft a strategy that can solve the problem, and make plans known to the financier.

A good problem slide will highlight numerous problems that your product can solve. Avoid being too verbose while explaining your offer. Ensure you keep your texts centered on the issues affecting your target audience. This way, the clients don't get confused while trying to understand your point.

The problem slide is to explain what, why, and how you and your team will achieve the results. The problem must be a pressing need that the market currently lacks the solution to draw their attention or an improvement on the existing solution.

For example, some older people can't run around the busy cities to get food to eat. Some are too old to get into the kitchen and prepare something to eat; others are even bedridden without any human help. As a catering establishment, that is a problem that you can identify and bring up ideas to solve.

One thing you should be very careful about is the length of the texts on each slide. Learn to convey your ideas with fewer words.

While introducing the problem slide, it is advisable to make your audience emotionally attached to your story. That emotional connection increases the flow from you, the speaker, to the audience. It makes the rest of the presentation relatable.

Ensure you do not let out the solution to the problem entirely in this slide. I will discuss that in the next slide.

Slide 3: The Solution

After going through the problem slide, there must be an agreement between you and your audience that there is a problem to solve. This slide is where you make known your solutions to the problem. Providing immediate solutions to the issue shows how prepared you are for the presentation.

While stating the solutions, explain the strategies you and your team will utilize in making the plan work. Convince them that their contribution will hasten the whole process and generate desired results with little time.

Try as much as possible to make your solutions realistic and achievable. If your solution is a concrete product, introduce it during the presentation, let them hold and feel it. Nothing drives home your point than a visible test or trial.

Make your solution slide as brief and straightforward as possible. Long texts bore readers, especially the ones you are trying to convince into buying your idea.

For instance, a solution to the scenario I painted in the previous slide is something like this: You are to convince the investors that delivering the food to them at their doorstep is one of the best ways to help. Tell them how you plan to partner with Uber and other logistic companies to provide the food as fast as possible when they make orders. Tell them how this can encourage longevity (by reducing the stress of running around to get food).

In this case, you highlighted a problem and provided an immediate solution. You are also able to show the importance of your offer to the target audience.

You can summarize your intentions in a sentence boldly written and identifiable . Then, you can go on with a detailed explanation (brief one).

A good way of convincing your clients to buy your idea is to provide numerous solutions to the problems. Pick the best option and state why you chose that option. It shows the client that you have done thorough market research, and you have the best solution to that problem.

Instead of hammering on the uniqueness of your solutions, describe the proficiency of what you have and why you believe it is the best thing to do. The truth is that almost all possible solutions to the problem have been heard before. What makes the difference is how you implement yours.

Avoid monopolizing the solutions you have. In essence, avoid the phrase ‘we are the only ones capable of doing this.’ The investors you are talking to have probably related with countless businesses before yours, which also offered similar solutions to the common problem.

Your goal is to show the unique steps in providing your solution and why yours is beyond normalcy.

Slide 4: The Market Size and Opportunity

The slide that comes after the solution slide is the market size slide. The market size of your establishment determines if you win the heart of your financiers. If the size of your market is small and there are no huge opportunities there, you will struggle to attract quality investors.

Many investors don't want to partner with small-scale businesses because they feel that their gain would be small and the risk too high for such a small return. The primary aim of getting funding from investors is to use their money to earn more. These potential investors want a business that can multiply their contributions 10x within a space of 6-7 years.

If the market size of your business is highly appreciable, it would interest investors to fund you. Do your research on the potential of market growth in your field and back it up with correct numbers where necessary.

A good market size slide will map out the market growth of the business over the years of operation. You can also hint at your business plans for the future and how you intend to achieve them.

Make your potential sponsors see the proficiency of your product . Like every human, investors are moved when there are testimonies to back up their plans and proposals. Show them how you have been able to grow your project over the years and how it has affected your market's growth.

A good market size slide will tell the investors that you are the person for the job. With a productive market size slide, you will show investors opportunities associated with the plans, the options you have made use of, and the ones you are utilizing at the moment.

If your business is a new one and you barely have data to create a market slide, it might be challenging to produce a reasonable market size slide; but there is a solution.

What you need to do is to study other businesses in your niche . Create analogies from their market and introduce your ideas alongside them.

An excellent example of a company that used this strategy is Uber. While creating a pitch deck, they illustrated the market size of their competitor, the taxi market. However, they introduced the service they wanted to render to the masses, which is slightly different from the ones in existence.

The strategy worked and Uber got investors which helped it with funds it used to become a worldwide brand. Today, Uber is dominating every other private establishment in the transportation sector.

Slide 5: The Product or Service

The product or service slide is where you show off the product you sell or the service you offer. This slide is similar to the solution slide.

In this slide, you take the extra step of talking about what will provide the solution to the foreseen problem. Some pitch decks combine the two (the solution and the product or service slide) in one or even talk about one and leave out the other to avoid repetition.

If it is a physical product, include beautiful and high-resolution images of your product in the slide. If it is a multi-functional product, you can upload different angles of the photos of your product, showing the functions.

For complex products that you can fully explain their function in a 3D display, you can highlight a cutaway view and explain the essential parts. If your product is an application or an online website with tools, you can add screenshots of the app's usage or the website. The screenshots can highlight the unique and outstanding features of the app.

For example, if your product is a website builder for small businesses like Wix and Squarespace , you can take screenshots of how it builds high-quality business websites.

If it is a domain registrar such as Bluehost, GoDaddy, SiteGround, and other Bluehost alternatives , you can repeat the same process as above. Take screenshots of how it provides quality web hosting services for users and include them in the product or service slide. These are brilliant examples of you showing what you have to offer.

Your presentation in this slide should show that your product is competitive enough to challenge the big leagues of your market. In essence, your slide should tell how your product works, how it looks, and the satisfaction attached to its use.

If it's a physical product, you can bring it to the presentation for the audience to feel it. For businesses that offer services, you can upload photos of your workers while at work. For instance, if you head a logistics company, you can upload photos of your riders making deliveries to your client's homes.

As an add-on, you can do a video of the Display the video on your slide. Don't make long videos; a maximum of 60 seconds length is okay. Remember that you are still trying to convince them to fund your business model.

Slide 6: Traction

Everything that has to do with financial investments needs assurance. Investors want to relax their minds that they are not losing their money to some random Ponzi scheme. One of the slides that help reinforce their confidence in your business model is the traction slide.

The traction slide is where you show the investors everything about the growth of your business over the years. It is also where you show evidence that your business will be more successful.

You would be dealing primarily with numbers in the traction slide . Let them know the number of sales you have made and how massive your profits have been on an annual basis.

Tell them about the minor and major goals you have achieved and the ones you plan to accomplish in the coming years. This information will convince the investors that they are on the right track . It will also help them decide to release their funds to be a part of the bigger picture.

Most business owners represent their numerical values on a chart. The chart enables them to display a lot with a small space. What they could have created a long table of numerous rows and columns for, can be done easily with a simple bar chart or histogram chart.

Clients can get a quicker grasp of the business or startup’s current achievements with charts as opposed to tables. Show the essential figures when creating the slide.

The traction slide is an important one to include in your pitch deck presentation. To the financiers, it reduces the doubts they have about your business. They want to see proof that your business is worth investing in . They want to see evidence that your business model canvas is highly profitable.

Be mindful of the texts on this slide, the use of numbers can be a trap to stuff your slide. Conciseness is vital irrespective of whatever you are presenting.

Investors and financiers want to see the assurance that they are getting a high return on investment.

Slide 7: The Team

The team slide is to introduce your team to the investors. A famous saying goes, ‘show me your friend, and I will tell you who you are' .

These financiers want to see the people you are working with. They want to know the drive of these people, their commitment, passion, and why they are essential to your business. The team slide builds confidence in your team members.

This slide will be a bit comprehensive because you will have to introduce each key member according to their roles. Under each member's identity, state the member's achievements, educational background, the quota he/she has contributed, the work experience, and the titles.

You can also explain why they are vital to your mission and business plans. Also, talk about their virtues and the positive effect on your business is essential.

Ensure the information about your team members is in short sentences. Don't elaborate unnecessarily. You are to attract your audience's attention, not tell them the life stories of people.

Keep the display cohesive, list according to the rankings from top to bottom. It makes the slide easy to comprehend. Highlight the specific thing (maybe the title) about a member in a conspicuous color.

Photos will make your slide enjoyable. Add the pictures of your members along with their descriptions. You can also categorize the illustrations based on department. It narrows down the search for a member on the slide.

If a client has to refer back to a member's description, he/she can go straight to the section the member is in, if they have been appropriately categorized. It will be better than running your eyes around a large screen looking for a name.

The descriptions on the slide should be limited to the core members only. Externals and advisors should be left out. The team slide can introduce a few things about the founders of the business and the common goals they share. Some financiers care to know how the whole thing started.

Slide 8: Competition

There is hardly a business without competitors or rivals. Whatever idea you have to solve a problem, other people also have that same idea to solve that same problem. Competition occurs when both businesses try to convince the same target audience to buy into their concept.

The competition slide is to show the clients who your current rivals in the game are. List all your competitors for the audience to know you have done good research on your part. Describe how good they are and what they don't handle well.

Tell them how the competitors have been performing over the years and why you are different from them. Inform them about what made your business grow so big to compete with your top rivals.

From your speculations, tell them your position in the market among your competitors. It can wow the clients and increase their interest in your business model.

You can top up the information on the slide with the things you offer that your competitors don't. It gives you an edge on winning the heart of potential investors. Even the features you commonly offer with your rivals; show them how uniquely you do yours and how it has influenced your business growth.

Avoid painting your rivals badly in any way. Do not use the opportunity to tell lies about your competitors. If your investors find out you are telling lies in your presentation, you have ruined any chance of acquiring the needed financial support.

Bringing your competitors down doesn't take you up, instead, it shows you as too ambitious to possible investors. You have to watch the tone you use in this slide. Avoid sounding condescending; it is imperative.

You can introduce unique graphs to compare the products of you and your competitors in your presentation.

Slide 9: Financials

The financial slide is one of the few slides clients spend most of their time on. You have to make the most of it to give them another reason to fund your business plans. The financial slide will include your financial projections, cash flow statements, balance sheet and income statement , and other important information.

Just like the traction slide shows everything you have acquired over the years, this slide shows your business' future growth plan. Use this slide to show them what your company should achieve in the next three years (unless asked otherwise) using your business plans.

Tell them about your financial projections, business models, operations, and others in detail. The past achievements are proof that they can partner with you. Use it to prepare their minds on what they are to expect from your business in the future

You should also make use of bar and pie charts, histograms, etc. here. It makes your expressions compact and defined. Don't just create charts with plain-colored arcs and bars. Make the charts colorful, it gives more meaning and beauty to the slide.

Colors make charts and pictorial representations easily understandable and conspicuous. Colorful charts make your presentation attractive, unlike a long spreadsheet full of figures and numerical signs.

The information you provide in this slide is changeable as you move on. It is almost impossible to accurately determine where the business will be in the next five years. But financiers expect you to map out a business plan and have what it takes to achieve what you have outlined. That is what the idea of pitch deck presentation is all about.

You can also share your plans on how you want to channel the distribution of money provided and how you intend to reach your target income goals.

The financial slide can hint the investors on the strength of your company and how long your relevance in the market will be. If you just started your company, you can skip this slide and include just the traction slide.

Be realistic with your information, don't cook up unrealistic things to impress the audience. You might not be able to hit the point you want to during the given time if you do not manage your time well. Being realistic will make you not far away from what you envisioned.

Slide 10: Investment and Use of Funds

The previous slides have been about you introducing your business as an entrepreneur. This slide is where you tell the financiers what you need from them.

You must make sure this slide answers the questions:

• How much do you need?
• How do you want to use the funds?
• What do you want to achieve with the funds?.

There are a lot of ways to go about this, however, not all are effective. A lot of entrepreneurs get it wrong on this slide. Don't just ask for a certain amount of money, state what you want to use the money. Highlight your financial plan for them to know what their money is funding.

When you back up your requests with valid reasons, it builds their trust and confidence in you. Also, they would take your plans more seriously.

Ensure you are specific with your requests; let your clients know exactly what you want. Don't waste time by going through corners, be direct. It gives the investors an impression that you have done your calculations and analysis very well. Also, it tells them that you didn't just come to call any amount of money because you feel you have convinced them.

Make your requests real. Don't ruin all you have planned by aiming higher than you need. Remember, they have heard your plans and projections. They can tell if you are trying to be over-demanding.

Most entrepreneurs with successful pitch decks used a pie chart or bar chart to state the distribution of money. This way, investors have an insight into the execution of funds.

Let the investors know your expectations when you are funded. Tell them the heights you will reach. They have to see if they are capable of adding more money in the future.

These are the essential slides you need in your pitch deck presentation. Some specific businesses might require extra slides to introduce new things . Ensure there is cohesion among your slides, that is, one slide should lead to the next.

The next section will expose you to the things you should do and the ones you should avoid when creating your slides or presenting the contents on the pitch deck.

Do’s and Don’ts of Pitch Decks

While trying to create a perfect pitch deck presentation, there are some things you have to embrace and other things you have to avoid.

Do’s When Presenting

1. engage your audience.

While passing your information, engage your clients with narratives to express the problem, your solution to it, and how you want to go about it. Tell them how your plans will affect them.

Don't just read out everything like you are reading an English comprehension passage in front of a class. Ensure you carry the audience along as you explain the information on each slide.

Engaging the audience will get them to focus on you and follow the presentation from the start to the end. Also, engagement builds interests. They get more interested when they understand every bit of what you say.

Imagine you have to read this article without having examples to buttress my point? It can be daunting and tiresome. Tell short related stories in between your presentation to keep the conversation alive.

2. Strike a Balance Between Elaboration and Conciseness

As important as your content is, so is the way you present it to your audience. The style of presentation had made some entrepreneurs lose out on significant investments , even when they had the best plans and business models in possession.

How do your slides appear when creating your presentation? Do you over-deliver or under-deliver? Do you give out more or less than you should?

You need to strike a balance between saying too much and explaining yourself better. Don't cite instances unnecessarily.

If you have expressed yourself well on a slide, move on to the next slide without wasting much time. However, if you feel a narrative will do better in communicating your points, make it short, cohesive and relevant.

Don'ts When Presenting

1. don't base your presentation on pure statistics.

A presentation full of statistics will look like an account officer reading the company's financial report to the managing director. Can you imagine how boring that is? Yes, it is tiring.

Back up every stat you provide with a coherent narrative. Don't just focus on the statistics hoping that you are amusing the investors with 6-7 figures on the chart. Of course, you are, but narratives and life examples make it better.

Many people believe that you only need to engage your audience on slide one during the introduction. The truth is that you need to engage throughout the presentation, from the intro to the conclusion.

Statistics are vital but are not the only significant feature of a pitch deck presentation.

2. Don't Stare At the Slides While Presenting

Staring at the slides while presenting is a bad posture and shows a lack of confidence. Ensure your presentation is a conversational one , don't just stay glued to the slides while presenting. It is an inappropriate posture or body language for someone trying to win the heart of a group of people.

While presenting, move your eyes from the slides to the audience and vice versa at regular intervals . Doing this ensures that you engage them as your pitch deck presentation runs. Turning every minute to read from the slides can reduce the tempo and also bore the listeners.

When you address them without staring at the slides, it builds your confidence and reassures the audience that you know what you are saying . Also, it can clear doubts of improper preparation beforehand.

These financiers can also read what is on the slides. The essence of the presentation is for you to engage them.

Do’s When Designing Your Slides

1. reduce the texts on each slide.

When creating a pitch deck presentation, it is not advisable to choke your slides with texts . Make sure you can pass across the necessary information with little texts. Use lots of visuals like pictures, charts, screenshots, and short clips, to explain your plans in detail . Remember, long texts bore readers.

Likewise, while designing, strike a balance between elaboration and conciseness. It will help you a lot in engaging your audience throughout the presentation.

Also, use large font sizes and visible colors on the palette. It reduces the texts on each slide and makes your work legible.

2. Use Bullets to Introduce Critical Points

An excellent way to avoid stuffing your audience with texts is by bulletin. Use bullets on your slides, it organizes your work.

Don't just pack paragraphs together on the slides to present. In slides where you have to list things for your audience, don't separate them with commas. Instead, separate them with bullets to reduce the texts and give your workspace.

Stuffy slides are complex for the audience to comprehend. Your presentation has a short time frame, you wouldn't want to spend the whole time reading out long and boring paragraphs to the audience.

Cut them short with bullet points and make your presentation more enjoyable for you and your audience.

3. Add Your Contact Info

Imagine you meet a long-lost friend, exchange pleasantries, and fix a date to meet again, but you do not exchange contact details. There is a high possibility that you might not see each other for a long time and that the meeting will not hold. It is the same scenario when you don't include your contact details in your presentation.

Ensure you add your contact information at the end of the presentation slides so that your clients can always reach out after that meeting. Some clients probably have to bother with questions after the presentation; they need your contact info to reach out.

Furthermore, you can add a photo of yourself before the contact information. It gives your business a ‘face' that financiers can look up to when they need certain information.

One last thing, whatever contact details you use in your pitch deck presentation must be available all the time. Investors can quickly lose interest when they can not get a response on time, considering that you have competitors.

Don’ts When Designing Your Slides

1. avoid adding too many team associates.

In the team slide, where you have to introduce your team, introduce only the core members. Adding too many members can fill up the whole screen and leave the audience perplexed.

As you introduce your business plans and various backup data supporting your business idea, investors also want to know the main person captaining the ship.

Too many team members can make the mistake one for the other, especially when you have to add photos of each member alongside its description. For precision, the core members should not be more than seven. Anything above that is excessive.

How to Create a Pitch Deck in 3 Simple Steps

Knowing what a pitch deck presentation should entail is not enough, you need to know how to put them together.

Creating a pitch deck is easy if you have the necessary tools and templates. You can use free or paid pitch deck presentation templates to get one done quickly.

Some websites offer to create pitch decks for users such as Visme . Your pitch deck will be ready in a few minutes. Save yourself the stress of creating slides from scratch, you can pick from the templates available on the application. These templates are ready-made to suit different interests.

If you don't want to use a pitch deck website tool, you can create your slides from scratch. It can take your time, but you are sure to have what you want.

Another option is to hire the services of a freelance graphic designer in the event you do not have the graphic design skills needed to design killer pitch deck presentation slides. You can find these freelance graphic designers on freelance job websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, and Freelancer.

Here are the three steps you need to create the best pitch deck that appeals to investors and financiers.

Step 1: Choose a Pitch Deck Template

Templates are ready-made copies that you can use instead of creating from your pitch deck from scratch. There are lots of Pitch deck tools such as Google Slides, Visme, Canva, and Slidebean that help users create and design pitch decks. These tools provide tons of useful templates for users.

The first thing you need to do is to pick a template from the hundreds at your disposal. Avoid picking a template because you like it, you have to look for the one that suits your business model and contents. That is why there are different templates for different types of businesses.

In some cases, you might not find a perfect template for your business. The next best thing you can do is pick the closest you can get and modify it.

If you are not using a pitch deck tool, you can create your pitch deck presentation slides from scratch . You can use any graphic design software or the simple Microsoft PowerPoint to create your pitch deck from scratch.

Step 2: Customize your Pitch Deck Story

When you choose the template that fits into your business model, you can edit and customize it for better results. The template you pick is probably not the exact thing you want; that's why the edit option is available.

Most pitch deck software has editing tools to help you reshape your template to your actual desire. These tools are so diverse that you probably won't use them all before creating something attractive.

You can change anything you want to fit your style. Some apps even have the drag-and-drop function to ease your editing. With these tools, someone without foreknowledge of editing or presentation can even create something beautiful.

You can change font sizes and styles, texts and background colors, images and themes, and motion style of slides. You can add bitmap images from external sources to make the boring texts lively to read.

Furthermore, you can add animations, links, short video clips, and many more to beautify each slide. You can add, remove, replace, or rearrange slides the way you want.

This whole process won't take up a lot of your time if you use the right tools. It is immensely beneficial for you to do everything necessary to put out a perfect body of work. The pitch deck layout contributes to your chances of securing the funds.

Step 3: Download and Share with Investors

After customizing your pitch deck to a perfect taste, you can download it to your device. You can even share it online across different media using a link.

Pitch deck applications offer you a wealth of format options for download. You can download your pitch deck as an image to display the slides, side by side. Also, you can download it as a PDF format, or better still, as a PowerPoint file.

Another thing you can do with the finished pitch deck is that you can create a private link to share the pitch deck with specific people via mail.

There is the option of uploading it on the web to be available for people on search results on Google and other search engines. You can also put the presentation on the company's official website for the core members to access.

Insightful Pitch Deck Examples You Can Learn From

The process of creating a good pitch deck can be tiring. You need the inspiration to help you escape that dreadful fear stage and hit the right entrepreneurial mindset . Will my pitch deck presentation be a success or a failure?

There is no better way to escape the imposter syndrome that every entrepreneur faces than to get inspiration from companies who had successful pitch deck presentations. What is better than reverse-engineering the pitch deck presentation that successful companies like Facebook, CoinBase, Square, Uber, and Airbnb used to attract investors?

Here are some insightful pitch deck examples you can learn from.

Amount Raised: $500,000

Buffer is one of those awesome pitch decks that although does not hold much visual appeal but still won the hearts of investors. How did they achieve this? They had the captivating numbers to capture the mind of financiers.

Amount Raised: Seed – $3,000,000

Cubeit is an app that helps users to get unique content from anywhere . The company developed a simple, short, and compelling story for a pitch deck presentation. The presentation got them about $3 million from clients, and that was how they got to where they are today.

3. Contently

Amount Raised: $9,000,000 | 2014

Contently is an American technology company that is based in New York City. They create software that helps companies and brands connect to freelance writers, videographers, editors, graphic designers, social media marketers, etc.

This widely-known company created a pitch deck to show investors what plans they have for the future. They got an amount of $9 million from financiers.

4. Frontapp

Amount Raised: $10,000,000 | 2016

Frontapp is a company that handles the communication channels of its users. They manage their social media accounts, live chats, SMS, email address, etc. They created a pitch deck and focused on the critical numbers that are crucial to the business at that point. The pitch deck generated a sum of $10 million, and the rest is history.

Amount Raised: $600,000 | 2009

Airbnb is a digital marketplace for people to discover places for different purposes. They can book these places through their mobile phones, tablets, computers, etc. It could be a suite for relaxation, a penthouse for vacation, or a room to spend the night.

The platform connects people across over 180 countries. Airbnb, as we know it today, was once a group of people with ideas and no funds. They tried a pitch deck and made over $500,000 from investors.

Amount Raised: 14 rounds – $11.5 bill

Uber is a global transportation company that conveys users from their current location to their choice of destination with the help of online orders. It has its headquarters in California, United States of America.

The online cab company has undoubtedly made transportation easy over the years of operation. Not many people could jump into traffic all day. Uber saw this and decided to make things easy. They made a pitch deck from the start and raised close to $12 billion. Today, Uber operates in over 600 cities in the world.

7. Crew (fromely Ooomf)

Amount Raised: $10,000,000 | 2015

Crew is another technology company that connects individuals and agencies with freelance designers, content creators, media accounts managers , etc. Crew has worked with big companies like Eventbrite, Tinder, Dropbox, etc.

Crew's founder used a simple but powerful pitch deck to communicate his ideas to the public. He didn't have to say too much, went straight to the point, and raised $10 million.

Amount Raised: Series D – $335,000,000

WeWork is an American company that is headquartered in New York City. The company provides workspaces for freelancers, entrepreneurs, small and large-scale businesses, enterprises , etc. It was founded in the year 2010.

They have been able to develop lots of workspaces and still want to build more. During the start, they created a pitch deck, showing the right things investors needed to see. Today, they are dominating their market.

Amount Raised: $30,000,000

Dwolla is an American e-commerce company that provides a medium for online payments and mobile payments. It was founded in 2008. Dwolla helps users to send and receive funds from each other. It is located in Iowa.

Despite the massive and tight competition in the online payment system world, Dwolla still holds its stance. They are not the most successful, but they could attract financiers to the online payments industry with captivating ideas. They raised about $30 million from investors.

10. The Daily Hundred

Amount Raised: $1,000,000

The Daily Hundred is an app that gives businesses the chance to compensate customers by encouraging product endorsements and micro-level brand advertisements. It produced this alluring pitch deck that not many investors could ignore.

This pitch deck covered everything about the business, from the past operations to the plans. They made $1 million from the presentation that year.

11. Mixpanel

Amount Raised: $65,000,000 | 2014

Mixpanel is an advanced platform available on the web and mobiles. They help businesses and enterprises grow by making them understand their users. Also, the company uses its products to track people's behavior.

They created their pitch deck by focusing the contents on incredible numbers. Mixpanel also showed investors the reasons why they are different from their competitors in the game. Note, they didn't shame their rivals; they only highlighted some differences between them in their favor.

12. LinkedIn

Amount Raised: $10,000,000 | 2004

Virtually everyone operating a mobile must have heard of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a networking app where people get business connections, seek jobs, recruit remote workers, and find clients .

This app also helps businesses to expand networks across countries. It was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in California. Over the years, users have been able to acquire knowledge and skills and even get business opportunities. LinkedIn was able to raise about $10 million from investors.

13. Foursquare

Amount Raised: $1,350,000 | 2009

Foursquare is a search-and-discover mobile app that satisfies user's quest to find visiting places . They provide personalized search results for users.

What the mobile application does is to recommend close places that you can see based on your current location. Also, they scan your browsing history data and orders to give you a clear choice. Interesting, isn't it? The operation is not an easy-to-explain one. For their pitch deck, they focused on explaining how the app renders its services.

14. Ad pushup

Amount Raised: Angel Round – $635,000

Ad pushup specializes in optimizing people's websites to increase the views rate and conversion rate of Ads. They also maximize the number of clicks without disturbing the visitors' user experience.

The company focused on the traction slide in their pitch deck presentation. This traction slide was peculiar to what they were introducing to their audience. They raised about $600k from financiers. You can impress your audience with great numbers.

15. WealthSimple

Amount Raised: Seed – $1,900,000

WealthSimple is a new kind of financial counselor that is brilliant, diplomatic, human, and affordable. They help users eliminate the guesswork from future investments. With this, users are on the right track financially.

The company also helps users achieve new financial goals. They are one of the premiers of digital financial advising . Also, WealthSimple has been able to explain the concept of the application to people (in a layman’s way) with the help of a pitch deck.

16. Manpacks

Manpacks is a digital service that delivers men's accessories, including grooming products, underwear , etc. These products are from popular brands like Gillette, PACT, Champion, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton, etc.

The company was able to get some traction over the years due to its friendly customer service experience. This method won the hearts of many investors, and they raised $500,000.

17. Snapchat

Amount Raised: Series C – $50,000,000

Snapchat is everywhere today. Almost everyone has the Snapchat app on their mobile. The app allows users to make videos and pictures with different filters and themes. It operates as a social media application.

When Snapchat came, despite the social media apps dominating the market like Facebook and Twitter, Snapchat could still create its space from that world with its unique features. Snapchat proved its ability to dominate a part of social life by understanding the market. They raised $50 million from a pitch deck presentation.

Amount Raised: $120,000

Podozi is a beauty tech that helps users find the right beauty products for people of different colors . It is an online e-commerce platform based in Nigeria. The platform helps customers discover authentic and reliable beauty brands from all over the world. Also, customers enjoy new shopping experiences all the time.

During the pitch deck presentation, they acquired many photos of their target audience (women of color) to show them. It made it easy for the audience to understand their intentions in no time, and they got funded from different sources.

Podozi showed their target audience the working partnership they already had with big brands in their pitch deck presentation. It helped them attract funds from investors.

Amount Raised: Venture – $79,000,000

Linio is like a business directory. It is an e-commerce company that offers various products online, ranging from gadgets and electronics to personal accessories .

The company was founded in 2012 in Mexico. Today, they work in Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, etc. Linio connects online retail services to the South-American markets.

20. Kompyte

Kompyte is an intelligence website tool designed to reply to strategies used by its users' rivals . The tool aims to study the techniques that competitors use and quickly respond to them.

Using high-resolution photos, Kompyte explained the concept of their services smoothly and shortly. In this case, visuals did the most work here.

21. Launchrock

Amount Raised: $800,000

Launchrock is a digital platform that allows users to create advertisement pages for their products and services with special tools . It helps its users compensate other people for advertising their products through different social media networks and email.

It was launched in 2011 in Philadelphia, United States of America. Launchrock used a short and straightforward pitch deck for its fundraising activities.

Amount Raised: Angel Round – $270,000

Castle helps landlords and landladies to manage their rental homes. It finds tenants, secures the rent dues, and oversees the affairs of the houses, helping reduce the burdens of property owners. The software was able to develop a solution that is quite different from what is dominating the market over the years. It enabled them to seize the attention of the audience right from the pitch deck presentation.

23. Intercom

Amount Raised: $600,000

Intercom is an American software company that provides a messaging channel for business. It is a platform that makes it easier for businesses to communicate with their new and existing customers personally.

You can use the platform to communicate through different social media accounts and email addresses. This famous company did not start big, the owners could craft a top-notch pitch deck that assisted the fundraising.

Amount Raised: $20,000,000

Pendo is a company that provides a digital platform for businesses and organizations to upgrade the product usage experience .

With this platform, companies can track customers' reviews and impressions, get feedback and provide solutions to their problems, all within one application.

Pendo created a pitch deck and raised $20 million! The pitch deck painted a future that is unavoidable for everyone and provided the necessary solution to the problems in the market.

Amount Raised: $4,230,000 till date – deck used to raise $200,000

Mandaê is a mobile app that helps Brazilians ship their goods. The company collaborates with postal services and other exclusive transporters that are not available for everybody (an add-on for Brazilians).

They created a powerful pitch deck that introduced the perfect solutions to inevitable problems, a strong team ready to solve the issues, and great numbers to back up their plans. They raised about $200,000 from prospective investors and materialized the beautiful plans they had.

26. Gaia Design

Amount Raised: $2,850,000

Gaia Design, a Mexican online store, sells beautiful furniture and home accessories at considerable prices . They make quality products that are available for every Mexican household.

The pitch deck might seem challenging to understand due to language barriers, but you can learn a lot from the pitch deck layout. Gaia Design was able to categorize the information into slides without stuffing each of them. Their target audience understood the messages, and they got funded with above $2.6 million.

Startup Pitch Decks FAQ

The length of your pitch deck presentation is one question that business owners regularly ask. There is no rule guiding the size. But with the wealth of past experiences available on the internet, it is advisable to make your pitch deck as short as possible.  The minimum number of slides you should have is 10, while the maximum number is 20. You can exceed the maximum of 20 but it has to be because it is worth it.  Depending on the type of business you operate, the number of slides you want to use for your pitch deck will vary from another. Business owners with the assistant of professionals determine what each slide contains. Ideally, the pitch deck should be as brief as possible to avoid unnecessary information. Although you want to maintain a few slides on your pitch deck, you must be very careful not to stuff each slide with contents. If 13 slides can explain everything about your business without stuffing the slides, go ahead to use 13. You don't need to shrink the number of slides at the expense of the overall organization. Also, irrespective of the number of slides you have, your presentation should not be more than 18-20 minutes. It would be best if you did everything needed within that time frame. If the audience wants you to stretch it, then it is okay.

What makes an effective pitch deck are a compelling story, conciseness, conversational tone, and engaging slides.  You must be brief with the contents of the slides and the presentation. Your aim for a pitch deck presentation is to introduce your business models and projections to financiers and get them interested in funding your ideas. Avoid boring them with information that is not needed at the moment. While presenting, you must be able to tell a convincing narrative. It is what determines if the audience will yield to your requests. Your ultimate goal is to convince your audience to fund your business . You do this by showing them all the benefits associated with it. It makes the difference between you and other entrepreneurs. Your tone while addressing the audience should be conversational. Don't read out the contents on the slide like someone reading out a novel. Remember, you are trying to convince people. You must carry them along while explaining what you have on the slides. Keep your slides engaging, one slide must link to the next. It makes your presentation organized and understandable.

The cost of buying a pitch deck depends on the professional approach. The prices of different pitch deck templates vary depending on the quality.  Hiring a designer to build a pitch deck for you will also cost you some money. The more experienced the designer, the more it will cost. You can opt to build a pitch deck yourself using free or paid pitch deck templates from websites such as Visme, it is fast and cheap that way. However, it might not be as perfect as what a professional graphic designer will create. Before buying a pitch deck, do your research first. Compare the range of prices from different individuals and agencies.  According to SlideGenuis , the cost of a pitch deck can be split into three categories: the low-end pitch deck, mid-range presentation design, and the upper-end presentation services. The low-end pitch deck costs between $1,000 to $3,000 and is suitable for those who want to revamp their existing pitch deck or create from scratch at a cheap price. At this price range, you can expect to get the bare quality.  The mid-range presentation design costs between $3,000 to $10,000 and the upper end presentation services cost $10,000 to $50,000. There is a huge difference between these two categories, the upper-end presentation services give you better appeal and a more refined corporate identity. Although you can hire freelancer designs from Upwork and Fiverr at a much lower price, you will hardly find pitch deck experts but just designers who can do a good job. Since your pitch deck is not just any design but one that has the potential to bring lots of capital for your business, investing in quality pitch deck services is worth it.

The financials in your pitch deck should include your present performances, plans, and projections. You can employ the use of bar and pie charts, histograms, tables, and other charts in a slide.  Your pitch deck should show the predictable monthly or annual gross and net profits. Show financials where the models you are proposing worked out as planned. Also, you can include your cash flow statement and financial projections.

Ready to Communicate Your Business Idea in Your Pitch Deck?

The pitch deck presentation is one of the best ways to introduce your business plans to potential investors. Over the years, many startups have used pitch decks to get funds from financiers for their businesses.

Many of these companies have grown to become giants in their fields. They are hardly recognizable from the companies that they were when they presented the pitch deck. Some good examples are Facebook, Square, Uber, WeWork, Airbnb, and Snapchat.

After reading this article, you are just about set to communicate your business idea into a pitch deck. The only factor delaying that is your action.

Perhaps you have tried communicating your business idea in your pitch deck with little success before. With the advantage of knowing the do’s, don’ts, and best practices of a pitch deck, what is included in the pitch deck, and insightful examples you can get inspiration from, you stand a better chance of securing the funding you need.

A pitch deck is a vital tool for getting funding from investors. How you create a pitch deck, the designs you use are just as important as the message you want to convey. Use high-quality and professional pitch deck designs even if it is going to cost you more.

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

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What Makes a Great Pitch

• Michael Quinn

It’s all about reading the room.

A good pitch is a balancing act that can be adjusted to the currents in the room. A recent survey of HBR readers found — at least in this community — how important it is to understand not just what you are pitching, but who you are pitching to. The reason? The more senior your audience, the less you should rely on your deck and the more you should expect your pitch to be a conversation, showing your team’s authentic passion for the challenge or problem and their resilience for solving it creatively, together.

Pitching for new business is a make-or-break moment for many teams. You want to win the pitch, and so you develop a detailed slide deck, tout your credentials, capabilities and successes (case studies), and select your strongest presenter – possibly the leader of your team or company — to do all the talking. Right? Wrong.

• MQ Michael Quinn is the founder of Minor Nobles, the NYC-based consultancy offering workshops, webinars, rehearsals and 1:1 training to help teams and leaders update their behavior to win more pitches for new business and investment. He is also a faculty instructor for the Association of National Advertisers and host of the podcast, “Own The Room,” where top executives discuss their own experiences pitching and what they wish people would do more often, or avoid altogether, in pitches to them.

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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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9 Sales Pitch Examples (Plus Tips on How to Write Your Own)

FREE PITCH TEMPLATES FOR SALES TEAMS

Looking to expand your client base? Look no further! A well-designed pitch deck can be the key to success.

Updated: 05/29/24

Published: 05/29/24

Your sales pitch can make or break the deal. Trust me, after 16 years in sales I’ve seen it time and time again. Fumble the pitch and a prospect goes cold.

Sales reps need to have their pitch perfect before meeting with a customer. It’s about perfecting your opening line, your verbal business card, and the first thing your customers hear when you call or meet with them.

In my time in sales, I’ve heard my fair share of both great and less-than-stellar pitches. In this post, I’d like to discuss the anatomy of a good sales pitch and share examples of the best sales pitches I’ve seen.

Table of Contents

What is a sales pitch?

How to start a pitch, how to make a sales pitch, the sales pitch framework, great sales pitch examples, sales pitch presentation examples.

A sales pitch is a condensed sales presentation where a salesperson explains the nature and benefits of their business, ideally in less than one or two minutes. Sales pitches are often referred to as “elevator pitches” because they should be able to be delivered within the time constraints of a single elevator ride.

Salespeople are past the point of giving prospects hour-long presentations to sell products or services. Nobody has that kind of time and, to be honest, if you need an hour to relay your value proposition, you‘re doing it wrong. (Psst: If you need help creating a value proposition , we’ve got you covered.)

Remember: They're called elevator pitches for a reason. Ideally, if you're giving me one, I should be able to understand what you have to offer in the time it takes to get from the lobby to my floor. I need to be hooked by your opening line so I’m reluctant to leave the elevator because I’m so intrigued.

A good salesperson should be able to get their message across compellingly and concisely. If you can nail your sales pitch, odds are you'll have more time to talk down the line.

What is a product pitch?

A product pitch is not much different than a sales pitch, but it’s specifically focused on a product or service. When I pitch a product, I go in-depth and emphasize how the product works, how it will solves customers’ pain points, and the specific benefits it will bring to customers.

A sales pitch can be broadly focused. Let’s say I’m at a consulting firm that offers a wide range of services. I’m selling the business as a whole, rather than a specific product or service, like a CRM platform or accounting tool.

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Starting a sales call is arguably the hardest part of the pitch. You have to grab your prospect’s attention so that they actually want to hear the value of your product and how it can help their business. But before you can share the product’s value, you have to hook the prospect.

When starting a pitch, I make sure to do the following:

• Starting with the problem. I always start with the problem my offer solves. Unless customers know what my team can do for them, they won’t be open to hearing how our product is a solution.
• Tailoring the start of the pitch to their vertical. No one wants to hear a general pitch that would apply to any business. Instead, I research their vertical and use the information I find to personalize my pitch immediately.
• Offering stakes. If they don’t solve the problem using our solution, what do they have to lose? I don’t need to state it in such clear terms. However, alluding to the risks at the start of my pitch helps me secure buy-in straightaway.

Here are a few methods for starting a product pitch, but remember: Try to stick to thirty seconds, or one to two sentences if you’re delivering the pitch via email.

Start off with a personal anecdote.

I always start a pitch with what I know best — myself. While I don’t think you should focus solely on yourself throughout your entire pitch, starting off with a personal anecdote can help you speak with more authenticity and foster empathy.

The key here isn’t to focus on the product’s merits. How many product pitches start off with “This product helped me achieve X results in X amount of time”? A lot. And I’m already yawning. And no one cares about results unless they know the problem first.

Instead, my personal anecdotes focus on a problem that my offering can solve. Make it as excruciating as you’d like — and don’t forget to be genuine and connect your anecdote to their business.

Ask a question that relates to the problem you solve.

Oh, yes, the good old question. While it might verge on overused, it’s not to be dismissed. Asking a question is a highly effective way to start a pitch. The question should, again, focus on the problem.

I stick to yes or no questions and tailor them specifically to the business I’m pitching to. If I’m speaking to a real estate business, I craft questions that articulate a problem specifically experienced by real estate firms. If I’m selling a property management software, it could be as simple as, “Do you spend way too much time tracking individual property sales? That’s time better spent actually showing homes to prospective buyers.”

Start with a stat that resonates and offers stakes.

Starting with a stat can be effective — but it has to resonate with the audience and offer stakes. In other words, what does the stat have to do with the problem? How does it reflect a potential and critical downfall that could harm your prospect?

Let’s say that I’m selling yard maintenance services. Starting off with “50% of homes don’t use yard maintenance services” is a lazy and boring way to begin my pitch. Instead, I say that “50% of homes don’t use yard maintenance services, resulting in thousands paid to HOA every year.”

Now that you know how to start your pitch, it’s time to deliver the rest of it. Use the following tips to secure buy-in in less than three minutes.

• Make it short.
• Make it clear.
• Explain who your customers are.
• Explain the problem they're facing.
• Explain how your product addresses their needs.
• Describe what success will look like as a result of using your product.

1. Make it short.

A sales pitch isn‘t a conventional presentation. You’re not going to have PowerPoint slides. You‘re not going to have complimentary pastries on a boardroom table. And, most of all, you’re not going to have your audience’s time and patience for long — at least not until they’re sold on your product.

2. Make it clear.

This ties in with the previous point. You don’t have the time to go on tangents or talk about anything but the message you’re trying to get across. Your pitch has to be lean and to the point. It has to register with your listener immediately. That means speaking with intention and clarity.

If I’m pitching a product, I want to ensure that I clearly communicate how it will solve the prospects’ pain points. My listeners should leave with a clear picture of how their day-to-day will improve if they decide to make a purchase.

3. Explain who your customers are.

Consider the picture you’re going to paint in your pitch. Give your listeners perspective on who’s buying your product or service. They want to know that you have a lucrative, engaged market in mind. Be specific in identifying who will be interested in your product. Then, try to convey why your listeners should be interested in them.

4. Explain the problem they're facing.

Cover why your customer base needs you. Your target market is only as valuable as the problems you can solve for them. Convey a problem they consistently face. If I’m pitching a spreadsheet software for accountants with functionality Excel doesn’t have, I could discuss how hard it is to bookkeep without my software's unique features.

5. Explain how your product addresses their needs.

Here’s where you start to bring it all home. You’ve established who you’re selling to. You’ve established why you’re selling to them. Now, you have to establish why they’d buy from you. What can you do better than your competition?

As mentioned above, you need to clearly explain how your product addresses their needs. Continuing with the accounting example, you could touch on how your unique data visualization features make busywork more efficient.

6. Describe what success with your product will look like.

Show the benefits of your product on a broader scale. In the example we’ve been using, I can talk about how accountants who use my software have more time to spend with important clients or the flexibility to spend time with their families. I can show how my product makes customers’ lives better as a whole.

Ideally, your pitch should be a one-liner summarizing what your company does, how they do it, and for whom. And this is not just a requirement for sales reps. Anyone in your company, from the CEO to sales consultants, needs to know your one-line sales pitch by heart.

So, how should you structure your sales pitch?

If you have time to properly expand and work on a conversation, touch on points of interest. Here’s a framework you can use for building your pitch:

• Problem. Start with a statement or question about the problem you solve. You can present the problem using a personal anecdote, question, or eye-opening statistic. Answer the why.
• Value statement. Share a very clear, concise statement of value. Be action-oriented and outcome-focused. Avoid using jargon. Share benefits.
• How we do it. Highlight unique differentiators and explain what you do.
• Proof points. Provide clear reference examples and list recognizable achievements. Share industry validation and awards.
• Customer stories. Share customer examples and successes. Tell emotional and personalized customer stories. Make it real and tangible.
• Engaging question. Close the pitch with an open-ended question, creating a space to have a conversation.

Many companies use success stories in their pitches to ensure the sale. Name-dropping really works, so be sure to use that to your advantage. And if my product is small or light enough to keep in my pocket, I should always have one on hand to show prospects.

I always stress the need for a concise sales pitch. So keep it free of professional jargon, don't get into the weeds, and be sure to talk more about your prospect and their problems than yourself.

Nothing’s more off-putting than a bragging salesperson talking about themselves, their company, or their services. That’s what I call the “me monster.” The actor in your story is the customer, not you — period.

Distribution Matters

Lastly, presentation and distribution are everything. You need to deliver your sales pitch to the right person at the right time with the right tools on hand (like a demo, free trial, or presentation).

The sale starts with your list of contacts. Define your list and personas, know their correct contact information, get an introduction, and make sure you contact them at a time of day when they’re likely to respond.

Sales Pitch Ideas

• Tell a story.
• Include a value proposition.
• Personalize the sales pitch.
• Switch up your pitch.
• Practice your pitch.
• Try not to use metaphors.
• Create a WOW moment.
• Appeal to emotions.
• Back it up with facts.
• Tap into their fear of missing out.
• Educate them.

How can you make your sales pitch the best it can be? Here are some sales pitch presentation examples and ideas.

1. Tell a story.

Keep your listeners engaged by telling a brief story . The story could be either about the company or how a customer found success through your product or service. In this latter example, I can start with the issue the customer was facing, lead into the solution, and end with the key results the customer achieved.

If you think storytelling is difficult, don’t fret. Just think of your favorite movies and TV shows — how did they keep you engaged? Try to emulate the same tricks as you try storytelling during a sales pitch. Use images and interactive elements to enrich the experience for your listeners, keeping in mind who your audience is and what their preferences are.

Your story doesn’t even need to be an anecdote. This sales pitch presentation example from a template deck I found in Canva demonstrates how to communicate a relevant industry statistic at the beginning of your pitch. In my opinion, data is a great way to tell a story.

What I like: The video immediately presents a common problem that ecommerce vendors and marketers deal with and offers a solution. Beyond that, the use of animated visuals and catchy audio make it engaging to watch. Plus, I can actually see how to use the tool.

7. Social Sales Pitch

Social sales pitches are tailored messages delivered to prospective customers through social media platforms, like LinkedIn. This process is often referred to as social selling .

Unlike traditional sales pitches that can be more direct and transactional, a social sales pitch aims to establish relationships and build trust with prospects by delivering valuable and relevant content. The goal is to increase brand awareness and drive conversions by aligning your sales message with the interests and needs of your prospects.

Here’s an example of social sales pitch that works when you have a mutual connection:

In this sales pitch, Algoplanner — a supply chain SaaS company — uses a strong storytelling method. I like how they first set up a clear problem statement, tapping into prospective customers’ emotions (read: overwhelmed, overworked). Then, they position themselves as the solution.

UpSend, a former customer service software, has a great sales pitch presentation here. I like how they focus on setting up the problem they are solving for — and then clearly illustrating how their product adds value.

3. Surfe (Previously leadjet)

The revenue workspace Surfe illustrates another strong sales pitch. They quickly tell the story of their prospective customers’ pain points and communicate a lot of understanding. Then, I like how clearly they illustrate how their product solves those pain points.

Bonus: HubSpot

This isn’t exactly a pitch presentation but instead a podcast episode with CTO Darmesh Shah about how the company has grown over time. However, I included this episode in the list because Shah goes into the anatomy of HubSpot’s early sales pitch.

“What we said was, ‘By the way, everything you’ve done in marketing doesn’t work any more…’ When you’re selling to a VP of marketing, you’re creating an existential crisis in their head when you’re telling them everything they know how to do well is no longer relevant,” Shah says on the episode.

Then, Shah could recommend a change in direction with HubSpot.

Why a Short Sales Pitch is a Good Pitch

An important note to make about these sales pitches is that they are all amazingly optimized for a short conversation. (Notice how short the three pitch examples above are?) I can't stress enough how much brevity matters for a sales pitch. Talking too much, using filler words, and talking about your company for more than two minutes can easily kill a conversation. So, keep your sales pitch short, clean, and simple! Your customers will thank you.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Takeda’s TAK-861 Phase 2b Late-Breaking Data Presentations at SLEEP 2024 Demonstrate Clinically Meaningful Impact of Oral Orexin Agonist in Narcolepsy Type 1 Compared to Placebo

Phase 2b Trial Demonstrated Statistically Significant and Clinically Meaningful Improvements Across Primary and all Secondary Endpoints up to 8 Weeks

TAK-861 is the First Oral Orexin Receptor 2 Agonist to Potentially Address the Underlying Pathophysiology of NT1

Safety Results Indicated TAK-861 is Generally Safe and Well Tolerated

Phase 3 Trials of TAK-861 to be Initiated in 1H FY2024

OSAKA, Japan and CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, June 3, 2024 – Takeda ( TSE: 4502/NYSE:TAK ) will present today positive results from its Phase 2b trial of TAK-861 in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) as late-breaking data presentations at SLEEP 2024, the 38th annual meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. TAK-861 is an investigational oral orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonist and, based on the results, has the potential to provide transformative efficacy in addressing the overall disease burden in people with NT1. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple dose trial, TAK-861-2001 ( NCT05687903 Go to https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05687903?term=TAK-861&draw=2&rank=3 ), in 112 patients with NT1 demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements across primary and secondary endpoints, with efficacy sustained over 8 weeks of treatment.*

NT1 is a chronic, rare neurological central disorder of hypersomnolence caused by a significant loss of orexin neurons, resulting in low levels of orexin neuropeptides in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. No currently approved treatments target the underlying pathophysiology of NT1. People with NT1 suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone), disrupted nighttime sleep, hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations and sleep paralysis. These debilitating symptoms lead to a markedly reduced quality of life and can severely impact job performance, academic achievement and personal relationships. TAK-861 is designed to address the orexin deficiency in NT1 by selectively stimulating the orexin receptor 2.

The presentation highlights results from the Phase 2b trial including:

The primary endpoint demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful increased sleep latency on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) versus placebo across all doses (LS mean difference versus placebo all p ≤0.001). Improvements were sustained over 8 weeks.

Consistent results were achieved in the key secondary endpoints including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Weekly Cataplexy Rate (WCR), demonstrating significantly improved subjective measures of sleepiness and cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone) frequency versus placebo that were also sustained over 8 weeks.

The majority of NT1 patients in the trial were found to be within normative ranges for MWT and ESS by the end of the 8-week treatment period as a result of these sustained improvements.

The majority of the participants who completed the trial enrolled in the long-term extension (LTE) study with some patients reaching one year of treatment.

The trial also included additional exploratory endpoints that showed meaningful improvements in narcolepsy symptoms and functioning according to most participants. These data will also be presented in poster presentations at SLEEP and at future scientific congresses.

The dataset showed that TAK-861 was generally safe and well tolerated during the study, with no treatment-related serious treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) or discontinuations due to TEAEs.

No cases of hepatotoxicity or visual disturbances were reported in the Phase 2b trial or in the ongoing LTE study. The most common TEAEs were insomnia, urinary urgency and frequency, and salivary hypersecretion. Most TEAEs were mild to moderate in severity, and most started within 1-2 days of treatment and were transient.

“In this trial, TAK-861's profile balanced efficacy and safety with the potential to establish a new standard of care for people with NT1,” said Sarah Sheikh, M.D., M.Sc., B.M., B.Ch., MRCP, Head, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Unit and Head, Global Development at Takeda. “We are dedicated to investigating the full potential of orexin biology and advancing TAK-861 to late-stage clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of delivering a potential first-in-class treatment that can make a meaningful difference for patients.”

Based on these results, and in consultation with global health authorities, Takeda plans to initiate global Phase 3 trials of TAK-861 in NT1 in the first half of its fiscal year 2024. The Phase 2b data also supported the recent Breakthrough Therapy designation for TAK-861 for the treatment of EDS in NT1 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Breakthrough Therapy designation is a process designed to expedite the development and review of a drug that is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition, for which preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapies on at least one clinically significant endpoint.

Takeda will be hosting a call to discuss these data this evening, June 3, at 7:30 p.m. CT for investors and analysts. Presentation slides and a virtual meeting link will be available here .

Additional presentations on TAK-861 will be shared during the SLEEP 2024 poster presentation session on Tuesday, June 4, from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. CT, assessing function and health-related quality of life in individuals with NT1, as well as patient satisfaction with TAK-861 treatment. There is no change in Takeda’s full year consolidated forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025 (FY2024), announced on May 9, 2024.

About Takeda’s Orexin Franchise

Takeda is advancing the field of orexin therapeutics with a multi-asset franchise offering tailored treatments to unlock the full potential of orexin. Orexin is a key regulator of the sleep-wake cycle and is involved in other essential functions, including respiration and metabolism. TAK-861 is the leading program in this franchise. The company is also progressing multiple orexin agonists in patient populations with normal levels of orexin neuropeptides and other indications where orexin biology is implicated. This includes TAK-360, an oral OX2R agonist being investigated for narcolepsy type 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia, which recently initiated a Phase 1 trial and received Fast Track designation from the U.S. FDA, and danavorexton (TAK-925), an intravenously administered OX2R agonist being investigated in a Phase 2 trial in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea undergoing general anesthesia.

About Takeda

Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit www.takeda.com .

* The topline results were announced on February 8, 2024, via a press release, “Takeda Intends to Rapidly Initiate the First Global Phase 3 Trials of TAK-861, an Oral Orexin Agonist, in Narcolepsy Type 1 in First Half of Fiscal Year 2024."

Media Contacts:

Japanese media.

Yuko Yoneyama

[email protected]

+81 70-2610-6609

U.S. and International Media

Rachel Wallace

Important Notice

For the purposes of this notice, “press release” means this document, any oral presentation, any question-and-answer session and any written or oral material discussed or distributed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) regarding this release. This press release (including any oral briefing and any question-and-answer in connection with it) is not intended to, and does not constitute, represent or form part of any offer, invitation or solicitation of any offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction. No shares or other securities are being offered to the public by means of this press release. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. This press release is being given (together with any further information which may be provided to the recipient) on the condition that it is for use by the recipient for information purposes only (and not for the evaluation of any investment, acquisition, disposal or any other transaction). Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. The companies in which Takeda directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release, “Takeda” is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Takeda and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

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This press release and any materials distributed in connection with this press release may contain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions regarding Takeda’s future business, future position and results of operations, including estimates, forecasts, targets and plans for Takeda. Without limitation, forward-looking statements often include words such as “targets”, “plans”, “believes”, “hopes”, “continues”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “ensures”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “projects” or similar expressions or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements: the economic circumstances surrounding Takeda’s global business, including general economic conditions in Japan and the United States; competitive pressures and developments; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; challenges inherent in new product development, including uncertainty of clinical success and decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; uncertainty of commercial success for new and existing products; manufacturing difficulties or delays; fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates; the impact of health crises, like the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Takeda and its customers and suppliers, including foreign governments in countries in which Takeda operates, or on other facets of its business; the timing and impact of post-merger integration efforts with acquired companies; the ability to divest assets that are not core to Takeda’s operations and the timing of any such divestment(s); and other factors identified in Takeda’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Takeda’s other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available on Takeda’s website at: https://www.takeda.com/investors/sec-filings-and-security-reports/ or at www.sec.gov Go to https://www.sec.gov . Takeda does not undertake to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results or statements of Takeda in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast, guarantee or projection of Takeda’s future results.

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Apple didn't mention the metaverse once

• Apple's mixed-reality headset is finally here, but it isn't talking about the metaverse.
• Tim Cook unveiled the Vision Pro on Monday, instead using the phrase "spatial computing."
• Apple may see the term metaverse, pushed by Mark Zuckerberg, as confusing and alienating.

Apple  mixed-reality headset , called Vision Pro, is finally here but for anyone watching the grand unveiling in Cupertino something was conspicuously missing: The metaverse didn't get a single mention.

Tim Cook took to the stage on Monday to unveil the Apple Vision Pro , a ski-goggle-like virtual- and augmented-reality headset priced at an eye-watering $3,499. At no point did the Apple CEO use the term metaverse.

"In the same way Mac introduced us to personal computing, and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro will introduce us to spatial computing," he said. He also described it as an engaging, immersive, infinite canvas.

Related stories

On the surface of it, this is a dry way to describe what is ultimately Apple's biggest and riskiest launch since the debut of the iPhone in 2007. But the company has a clear reason not to follow in the footsteps of rivals who bet big on the metaverse: the concept is pretty much a PR flop and Apple knows it. 

Separating the Vision Pro from the metaverse

The term "metaverse" was first coined by author Neal Stephenson, who introduced the concept of a 3D virtual space in his 1992 novel "Snow Crash." Entrepreneurs have since been racing to create their own versions of a digital universe, touting it as the future of computing. Mark Zuckerberg has been most aggressive in that race, renaming Facebook to Meta as a kind of binding commitment to an AR/VR future.

His decision has been a costly one for Meta both financially and reputationally. Its metaverse-focused Reality Labs division  lost $13.7 billion in 2022 . Some of its products have sparked mockery, such as the  cheap-looking digital avatar meant to represent Zuckerberg . 

Microsoft, meanwhile, has broadly given up on the HoloLens – a mixed-reality headset that CEO Satya Nadella once talked about as a transformational, metaverse device for everything from remote health services to collaborative design. A new version seems to be off the cards , and all Nadella talks about these days is generative AI. 

Google also took a crack at an immersive headset with the Google Glass , but a tepid reception to its launch and high price tag of $1,500 resulted in its eventual discontinuation in 2015.

In short, the metaverse hasn't been an easy concept to crack, and indeed there isn't necessarily much evidence that it's worth trying. Has Apple understood that most people don't want to walk around with dorky headgear ?

It's a little early to tell. The high price tag on the Vision Pro makes it a developer rather than a consumer toy, one that will spark a wave of experimentation once it becomes available next year.

And Apple's language around "spatial computing" feels more like the firm wants to talk about a device that retains some rooting in the real world, versus a wholly digital alternative reality. As a hardware firm, Apple's pitch is a little more convincing than Meta's, positioning the Vision Pro headset as a kind of natural successor or companion to the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac. 

Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management and longtime Apple bull, believes spatial computing is "just too powerful not to go mainstream," and forecasts Apple's headset will account for 10% of all its sales in 2030. That's chunky — and clearly Apple believes talk of the metaverse may jeopardize any success.

Watch: What can Apple's new VR headset do?

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