Pitch Deck

Pitch Deck
The Anatomy of a Successful Pitch deck

What is a pitch deck?

In simple terms, a pitch deck is a presentation that entrepreneurs put together when seeking a round of financing from investors.

Why do we need a pitch deck?

A pitch deck aims to generate interest and even excitement with investors about a company that can lead to another meeting and the potential for investment discussion. A pitch deck can be a critical tool in raising money for a business, but it’s only the first step in the process.

Startups need it for fundraising and investors need it to understand the A to Z of the company they are investing in (in a nutshell) as it acts as a visual document that provides investors with essential information about the business model, products or services, fundraising needs, and key metrics like valuation, target market and financial goals.

Pitch decks get their name from the union of two concepts: “the acetate decks”– those big old projectors used back in the day- plus the verb “to pitch” which is used to describe delivering a business presentation.

How have pitch decks evolved over the years?

As we look back at pitch decks of the past, we can see they have come a long way. While the quality of design was not a major focus 15 or 20 years ago, today it is crucial. Companies that are serious about their ideas will invest money and effort into the design of a pitch deck. A poor design will leave a bad first impression with potential investors.

How long a pitch should be and what should be the order of slides?

Apparently, the answer is subjective as different companies have different opinions around the size and no of slides that go into a pitch deck.

Moreover, it also depends on the stage and round of funding as well as the timing & medium.

For e.g., a seed or series A pitch deck will have a different order of slides vis-a-vis series B & beyond pitch decks while the no. of slides remains more or less same.

The pitch deck that you send over an email as an introduction is short and concise vis-a-vis the pitch deck that you prepare for face-to-face or virtual meetings with potential investors. One is usually 15 slides and used for presenting. Another is usually 3-5 slides (or even a one-pager) and is used to gauge interest amongst potential investors.

However, typically an ideal pitch deck should contain 15-20 slides and the order can flow as mentioned below:

We will cover each & every slide at length later.