VC Pitch Deck

Business Plan Articles

When it comes to raising money from venture capitalists, you are likely to require a pitch deck to provide them that helps them better understand the investment in the simplest, most effective way possible. VCs don’t have a lot of time and by being concise and to the point, you are helping them to capture the most important information about your Startup. This article presents how a VC pitch deck is usually structured, of course each deck is different, but we have spoken with dozens of VC firms that agree they prefer to see the same focused contents addressed.

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VC Pitch Deck

The overall purpose of a pitch deck for VC firms is to initiate the discussion. Most firms screen hundreds of decks at least monthly, if not daily, and are looking for a reason to reject them quickly and move onto the next. If they don’t understand what you do, there is a problem and if you don’t communicate the most important problems you solve in the market, they might fail to understand the significant of your company. We have met many Startup companies that have a stellar ‘solution’, but they propose something that is in the periphery – or less profitable. These things should be considered as you prepare the materials to effectively ‘pitch’ to gain the attention of investors, as explained at length below.

Value Proposition

When a VC reviews a pitch deck, usually the first thing they want to see is the value proposition. That is, they want to understand what problem the company is solving in the market or how it is better than the existing solution that a competitor provides. The most effective way to demonstrate this is through a couple simple slides that address the ‘Market Problem’ and the ‘Market Solution’. These should focus on the single most compelling argument that justifies the existence of your Startup company and it will likely be the most critical slide that determines whether a VC will continue to read the rest of the deck or not.

Related: Avoid these 7 Pitch Deck Mistakes




Business Model

Most VC firms realize that to some degree, the business model is malleable and may change over time, especially with early stage Startup companies. However, this is the section to connect the lines between the value that you product in the market and how that value will translate into profits. If your business model is for some reason unclear to investors and a clear path to profitability is not presented, many will be deterred. A business model may briefly touch on the supply chain in terms of how products will be sourced and delivered to end users or in the case of a software company how the value will be produced and priced, such as multi-sided platform where individuals are exchanging services.




Financial Projections

Most VCs realize that the financial forecasts for a Startup company are close to worthless unless they are based on historical metrics. The older your Startup company is and the more metrics it has, the more likely investors will be receptive to your financial projections and overall investment. In general, many VC firms like to see at least six months of operating history including user inflow, behavioral metrics, and other key performance indicators directly tied into the financials. If this is not possible, then they need to be based on the closest thing to empirical information such as competitors or the proposed marketing strategy and Startup budget.

Related: Approaching Investors for Capital




Market Analysis & Competitive Landscape

It's tempting to overestimate your industry and overestimate your prospects in the investor pitch decks. However, resist the urge. To back up your estimates, look to industry norms, benchmarks, and the performance of similar products. In the investor pitch deck don't make the claim that you're correct and everyone else is incorrect. Show how you may obtain an advantage over your competition if they are clever and strong. You'll lose any credibility if you act as if you don't have competition or defame them. Investors prefer it when you recognize your competitors. And there's always some education involved because you know the industry through and out, but the potential investors don't, so this is where you educate them on the competitors. Don't be afraid to discuss your company's competitive environment; rivals are really validating since it demonstrates that the industry is hot and that there is a desire for a solution to problems in that sector. If there aren't any or only a few competitors today, talk about it as well. Consider how you'll approach entering into a new market and establishing a category. Add a team slide to showcase the talent you posses the best talent to take the company forward . Take help from a slide deck or pitch deck template available online and see how to create a compelling startup pitch deck. Some of the great pitch deck examples you can follow is the original Facebook's pitch deck, Uber pitch deck, and intercom pitch deck.




What is Included in Our Custom Pitch Deck Service?


  • Marketing Plan
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Profitability Analysis
  • Personnel Plan
  • Organizational Chart
  • Company Valuation
  • Executive Summary
  • Company Description
  • Keys to Success
  • Three Year Objectives
  • Product or Service Description
  • Market Research
  • Fundraising Support
  • 12 Month & 3 Year Profit & Loss
  • 3 Year Balance Sheet
  • 12 Month & 3 Year Sales Forecast
  • 12 Month & 3 Year Cash Flows
  • Break-Even Analysis
  • Financial Ratio Analysis
  • Management Team

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