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If you're looking to kickstart your startup, you're going to need a pitch deck. Think of it as your business's first handshake with investors—it's got to be firm, confident, and memorable.
Now, you might be thinking, "I've never done this before. Where do I even start?"
Let’s walk through what makes a pitch deck go from good to great, dive into ten examples that knocked investors' socks off, and share some insights on how you can do the same.
And don’t worry. There's a ton of tried-and-tested templates out there inspired by startups that nailed it. You don't need to be a design whiz to put together something slick.
But first, let’s talk about what a pitch deck is.
A pitch deck is a concise presentation that provides an overview of your business plan to potential investors. It's your storytelling tool that highlights your startup's vision, strategy, team, and the problem you're solving.
The goal of a pitch deck is to spark interest and lay the groundwork for further conversation, not to secure funding on the spot.
The key components of a pitch deck includes the business model, market analysis, product information, and financial projections— all packaged in a visually appealing way that's easy to understand.
However, a pitch deck isn't just a bunch of slides. It’s your story, your dream, distilled down into a few minutes of prime time to win over those with the funds to make it real.
So, what's the pitch deck's job, really? It's about making those investor meetings happen, setting the stage for that “let's talk business” moment. And when that moment comes, your pitch deck needs to sing your startup's potential loud and clear.
Here's what a kickass pitch deck does:
When you're crafting a pitch deck, think of it as a narrative arc of your startup's life. It’s the story you're going to tell to pique an investor's interest and get that all-important second meeting.
A pitch deck can make the difference between a dream and a thriving business reality. It's the crucial moment where founders get to showcase their vision and convince investors that their idea is worth betting on.
In the following section, we're going to walk through ten standout pitch decks from some of the most successful startups of our time.
Each of these decks tells a story, not just of a product or a service, but of a solution to a real problem, a pathway to growth, and a clear vision of the future.
Let’s take a closer look at what made each of them tick and how they captured the imagination of their audiences. Don’t forget to click on each of them to see what their pitch deck actually looked like.
Airbnb is an online marketplace for people to list, discover, and book accommodations around the world, catering to both B2C and B2B sectors within the hospitality and travel industry
Their pitch deck was simple yet effective. It focused on a clear problem and a unique solution—the sharing economy of home rentals. It showed massive market potential with a user-friendly platform at its heart.
This pitch deck helped them raise $600K during their seed funding round from venture capitalists and angel investors in 2008.
As of 2021, Airbnb has maintained its position as a leading platform in the accommodation sector with the United States housing over 2.25 million active listings.
The company has witnessed significant demand, with the United States alone accounting for nearly 99.5 million nights booked in 2021. The gross revenue generated by Airbnb in the USA in 2021 was over $21.4 billion, nearly doubling from the previous year.
Dropbox offers secure file sharing, team collaboration, and cloud storage solutions. It serves both individuals and businesses and operates on a SaaS and subscription business model.
Dropbox’s pitch deck was a hit due to its clear demonstration of the product's ease of use and the existing problem of file sharing and storage, proving that sometimes, showing is better than telling.
This pitch deck enabled them to secure $1.2M in pre-seed funding from corporate investors and venture capitalists in 2007.
In the first quarter of 2023, Dropbox reported a revenue of $611.1 million, marking an 8.7% increase from the previous year. They have a total annual recurring revenue (ARR) of $2.468 billion with 17.90 million paying users.
The company is exploring opportunities with AI/ML to enhance their product offerings and has a positive outlook on applying these technologies for the transformation of knowledge work
Uber is a technology platform that offers a wide array of services, including ride-hailing, food delivery (Uber Eats), package delivery, couriers, and a freight transportation. Uber connects consumers with providers of these services through its mobile apps.
Uber’s pitch deck communicated a revolutionary transportation concept with a sleek design, emphasizing convenience and reliability, tapping into urban commuters' daily pain points.
This initial pitch deck was successful in securing an early-stage seed funding round totaling $200K, which set the stage for its future fundraising success and growth
As of the third quarter of 2023, Uber has shown robust growth with a 25% increase in trips and a 15% increase in monthly active platform consumers year-over-year.
Gross bookings grew 21% to $35.3 billion, and the company reported a net income of $221 million. Their income from operations stood at $394 million, with an all-time high adjusted EBITDA margin.
Furthermore, Uber's cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $5.2 billion at the end of the quarter, indicating a strong financial position.
YouTube is a global video-sharing platform where users can upload, view, and share videos. It encompasses a wide array of content, including movie clips, music videos, and amateur content.
In their pitch deck, YouTube focused on the growing trend of online video consumption and content sharing. It showed a deep understanding of user-generated content before it became the norm.
This pitch deck helped them secure $3.5 million in their Series A funding round.
Today, YouTube has grown immensely, with over 2.51 billion monthly active users in 2023. It is the second most visited website in the U.S., and its global reach is reflected in the 81% of internet users worldwide who have watched YouTube.
The platform sees over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute and more than 5 billion videos watched daily. With 51 million channels, YouTube has become a content monolith, influencing entertainment and creating opportunities for content creators globally.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform on the Internet, designed to help businesses and professionals connect, exchange ideas, and find opportunities.
LinkedIn’s pitch deck highlighted a professional gap in social networking. It was data-driven, showing a keen insight into networking needs and the potential for monetization.
Plus, the company exhibited clarity in addressing investor concerns and its strategic comparisons to established networks like Google, eBay, and PayPal.
It outlined multiple potential revenue paths, which, while typically risky, was a viable strategy due to the founders' strong backgrounds and the company's growth stage.
In effect, they managed to raise $10 million in their Series B funding round in 2004. Then, they went on to raise a total of $154.8 million over several funding rounds and was eventually acquired by Microsoft for $26.2 billion,
Now, LinkedIn boasts over 900 million users globally as of 2023, with an annual revenue of $14.5 billion in 2022. It is expected to reach a user population of 1 billion by 2025.
Today, the platform sees approximately 90 job applications submitted per minute and about 50 million people use LinkedIn to job hunt weekly, demonstrating its integral role in the professional landscape.
Buffer provides a suite of apps and tools designed to help increase engagement and grow an audience on social media.
It operates in the marketing, social media, analytics, and productivity industries with a business model based on SaaS and subscriptions, primarily serving B2B customers.
Buffer’s transparency about their product and operations, including actual user statistics and growth trajectory, made their pitch deck stand out and built trust from the outset.
They also showcased their vision for simplifying social media management and demonstrated the potential impact of its tools on social media marketing, which eventually helped them raise $500K in their seed funding round.
As of 2023, Buffer continues to serve over 140,000 small businesses monthly, assisting them in building their brands on social media. The company has firmly established its role in the market, offering valuable tools for social media management and analytics.
Tinder, initially known as Matchbox, revolutionized dating by allowing users to anonymously find and connect with people nearby interested in each other, only revealing matches after mutual interest is established via a right swipe.
In their pitch deck, Tinder revolutionized the dating world with its simple swipe feature. They clearly demonstrated the novel 'swipe' feature and the potential for widespread market disruption.
This pitch succeeded by presenting a straightforward solution to social connectivity and dating, wrapped in a viral package. As a result, they snagged $50 million in seed funding in 2016 from venture capitalists.
Today, Tinder boasts 55 billion matches to date and is valued at $10 billion.
Spotify is a commercial music streaming service offering on-demand access to a vast catalog of music and lyrics from various artists and record labels, catering to a B2C market with a subscription-based business model.
The platform’s pitch deck harmonized the love for music with the convenience of streaming, highlighting a massive library and personalized experience as key differentiators in a competitive market.
Because of this, they raised $100 million in a late-stage funding round in 2012, supported by angel investors. Another source also cites a $2.1 billion raise, indicating the scale of investment Spotify attracted.
As of the third quarter of 2023, Spotify's performance exceeded expectations, with a 26% increase in Monthly Active Users to 574 million and a 16% growth in subscribers to 226 million.
The company also reported a total revenue of €3.4 billion and a return to profitability with an operating income of €32 million for the quarter
Snapchat is a multimedia messaging app renowned for its unique approach to social interaction.
Launched in 2011 by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown, it offers the ability to send photos and videos (called Snaps) that disappear after a set amount of time, emulating ephemeral real-life interactions
The pitch deck used by Snapchat in 2014 played a pivotal role in their growth strategy, although it was not targeted at investors for fundraising.
Instead, it was designed to attract businesses to the platform for advertising purposes, presenting detailed information about the app’s functionality and potential as an advertising medium.
By emphasizing how celebrities and companies utilized Snapchat, the deck showcased the platform's marketing potential.
Snapchat's deck also captured the fleeting nature of moments and pitched it as a new communication form, focusing on the youth demographic's desire for quick, ephemeral sharing.
Because of this, Snapchat raised a staggering $4.9 billion.
Today, Snap Inc. has shown substantial growth, reporting a 14% increase in daily active users, totaling 397 million. The quarter’s revenue was reported at $1,068 million.
Oscar Health is a digital health company offering health insurance through its online platform. The company's early pitch deck from 2014 emphasized its customer-centric approach to health insurance, focusing on a seamless and user-friendly experience.
During 2014, Oscar Health held two significant funding rounds. While it's unclear whether the discussed pitch deck was part of their Series A or Series B fundraising efforts, it's evident that the pitch deck was instrumental in their successful capital raise.
This pitch deck dissected the health insurance industry and repackaged it into a consumer-friendly product with a strong focus on user experience and data-driven personalization.
Oscar Health secured a substantial $110 million in funding that year.
This financial injection, facilitated by the compelling narrative and clear value proposition presented in their pitch deck, played a critical role in the company's rapid growth trajectory and its ability to humanize health care through technology, design, and data
While there's no one-size-fits-all format, successful pitch decks often share common elements:
Start with the problem you're solving. This isn't just about stating facts but connecting with your audience on a human level. Why should they care? If you can get them nodding in agreement here, you're on the right track.
Now, introduce your product or service as the hero that's going to save the day. Keep it simple, relatable, and remember, less jargon is more understanding.
Demonstrate your product in action if possible. Visuals are powerful—use them to show what your product can do, rather than just telling.
Investors love numbers, so hit them with the size of the opportunity. But, don't just throw out big numbers. Contextualize them. How much of that market can you realistically capture, and how?
How are you going to make money? Be clear and concise about your revenue streams. This shows you’re not just a dreamer but a doer who’s thought about the bottom line.
Talk about your go-to-market strategy. How will you reach your customers, and what’s your growth plan?
Got traction? Show it off. Whether it's sales, partnerships, or user testimonials, this is the evidence that your idea has legs.
Acknowledge your competitors but highlight how you're different and better. A SWOT analysis can be handy here.
Introduce the team that's going to make it all happen. Highlight key experience, past successes, and industry know-hows.
Present your current financial status and projections. Be realistic. After all, optimistic projections are good, but credibility is better.
End by being clear about what you're asking for. Is it funding? Partnerships? Be specific about the amount and what it will be used for.
A pitch deck is a strategic tool that can turn a visionary idea into a viable enterprise.
As we've seen in the companies above, the key lies in a pitch that resonates with investors, aligns with market needs, and above all, encapsulates the essence of the innovation it aims to fund.
In the end, an exceptional pitch deck not only opens doors to funding. It also forges the narrative that can define a company's path, turning fleeting pitches into lasting legacies.
What is a pitch deck and why is it important for startups?
A pitch deck is a concise presentation that gives potential investors a snapshot of your business, aiming to pique their interest for further discussions. It is essential for securing initial meetings and is a key fundraising tool for startups.
What should be the first slide in a startup pitch deck?
The first slide, or the cover slide, should captivate your audience within the first few seconds. It should provide a memorable snapshot of your business idea and generate curiosity for the rest of your presentation.
How many slides should a pitch deck have and what topics should it cover?
A standard pitch deck contains 10 to 15 slides covering the problem, solution, product, market, traction, business model, team, competition, and financials.
What is the primary goal of a pitch deck?
Contrary to common belief, the primary goal of a pitch deck isn't to secure funding on the spot—it's to get to the next meeting with potential investors. Securing funding is often a multi-step process.
Can a pitch deck template help in creating a successful pitch?
Absolutely. Studying successful pitch deck examples and using a well-designed template can be integral to launching a business and securing funds for growth.
How do I make my cover slide stand out?
Your cover slide should be memorable and provide a clear and intriguing snapshot of your business idea to draw investors into your story from the beginning.
What kind of financial information should be included in a pitch deck?
Include your current financial status and realistic projections. Investors are interested in numbers that show you've thought about the bottom line and have a clear plan for profitability
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