What should I actually put in my pitch deck?!

There are different answers, but most investors and business owners agree on one thing: keep your pitch deck short, memorable, and clear.

One of the reasons limiting the number of slides helps is that it forces you to find the optimal mix of story and business success (aka the numbers).

That mix, says Daniel Block, an Investment Principal at Mercy Corps Ventures and Ureeka mentor, is all about crafting a unique pitch…

“What works best for one company or type of investor won’t for the next. The key is to believe in yourself and think about why, really why, you started the company you did and why it matters to you. Your pitch is about making a sound business case for an investment, but equally important is exuding genuine conviction, confidence, and passion in your delivery.”

Learn: How to create a successful investor pitch deck

While each business is different, there are several key slides that can help you start a conversation with potential investors…

1. Grab the audience with an introduction: Start your pitch deck with something surprising, a story, a data point, or a specific example that makes us want to know more about your business.
2. Explain what your company is and what makes you different: This is the slide where you describe your company, what it is, what you offer, and how it is different from what is already available
3. Show the market size: Explain how the problem is real, and is a big opportunity. Make sure to include 2 data points on the market size to help investors understand the opportunity.
4. Share your solution: Restate the  problem, explain the solution, tell the audience why your solution is different / better / unique than what is out there already.
5. Describe the business model and show proof points: Explain how you make money (it sounds obvious, but don’t forget to do this). If you sell products, do you sell them online, in stores?
   Also: make sure to share your sales – if you don’t have any or have limited sales, it’s going to be harder to raise money but there are other traction milestones. B2C example: email list, community size, contracts. B2B example: letter of intent, contracts
6. Financials & Forecasts: Describe your sales with a 12 months or year to date income statement and a 3 year forecast. Be prepared to explain your margins, profits, and repeat customer rate.
7. Showcase your team: Include photos and a quick 1-2 sentence bio for each. Humanize the team, share your experience, talk about why you are the right people to solve the problem, address the market.
8. The Ask (tell them what you want): explain how much money you are raising, what your milestones are, and how you plan to use investment to get there.

Need help customizing your pitch deck for investors? With Ureeka, you can access templates customized for angel investors, venture capital investors, and pitch competitions.