Pre Seed Pitch Deck Examples and Best Practices

As you start working on your pre-seed pitch deck, it's essential to keep in mind that the goal is to spark curiosity and interest in your idea.

A typical pre-seed pitch deck should be concise, ideally no more than 10-12 slides. This allows you to highlight the most critical aspects of your business without overwhelming your audience.

Your pitch deck should be visually appealing, with clean design and minimal text. This will make it easier for investors to focus on the key points you're trying to convey.

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A well-crafted pitch deck can make all the difference in securing funding for your startup. This is evident in the case of DeepScribe, a client of Kruze Consulting, which raised $30 million in Series A funding.

Akilesh Bapu, the CEO and co-Founder of DeepScribe, showcased a part of his VC pitch deck in an interview on TechCrunch Live, which is one of the better examples of a live pitch deck presentation.

Oomf's seed deck is another exemplary case of how to effectively present a startup's value proposition, product features, and market potential. It helped raise $2 million and played a critical role in securing the funding needed to grow Oomf into a successful platform.

Key elements of Oomf's pitch deck include a clear problem statement, an innovative solution, market opportunity, product demonstration, business model, traction and metrics, competitive landscape, team, and vision for growth.

Oomf's pitch deck is successful because it combines a clear, compelling narrative with strong visuals and data. The deck effectively communicates the problem and solution, supported by a detailed product demonstration that showcases the platform's capabilities.

Here are some key takeaways from successful pitch decks:

By analyzing successful pitch decks like Oomf's, you can learn how to effectively communicate your startup's value proposition and secure funding for your venture.

Creating a pitch deck can be daunting, but with the right template, you can streamline the process. Our template provides a comprehensive framework that covers all essential components of a successful pitch deck, including company purpose, problem, solution, market size, business model, traction, competition, team, and financials.

You can tailor each section to your startup by customizing the content to directly relate to your business and industry. For example, you can highlight your unique value proposition and showcase your innovative features and benefits. Remember to incorporate visuals, such as images, charts, and graphs, to make your pitch more engaging and easier to understand.

There are four most common types of decks, including the Problem-Solution Deck, Vision-Opportunity Deck, Team Deck, and Traction Deck. The Problem-Solution Deck is ideal for founders with unique solutions to widespread problems. A variety of templates exist online, but don't be afraid to venture outside of existing formats if it helps you effectively communicate your business plan.

Here are the key elements to include in your pitch deck:

To write a compelling pitch deck, start by understanding why you'll be able to raise funding - it could be your traction, the market, the team, or the product strength. Find the one thing that will blow investors out of the water and build your story around it.

The most commonly used pitch deck template is the Problem-Solution Deck, which is ideal for founders with especially unique solutions to widespread problems. This template is a great place to start, and it includes essential components such as company purpose, problem, solution, market size, business model, traction, competition, team, and financials.

To create a well-structured pitch deck, use a template like High Alpha's pitch deck model, which includes key elements such as a title slide, problem, solution, market opportunity, product, business model, traction, competitive landscape, team, financials, and vision. This model provides a clear and concise approach to creating a compelling pitch.

Your business model should include your Go-to-market plan, how you will acquire customers, and how you will sell and price your product. It's also essential to highlight how you plan to retain customers and maintain recurring revenue.

When it comes to financial data, focus on having an operating plan or more detailed financial projections in the pitch. These should be backed up with a model that is sharable with investors, and the model doesn't have to be fancy - simple is often better.

Here are the key elements to include in your pitch deck:

A startup is a young company that's typically in the early stages of development, seeking to grow and scale. It's often characterized by a lack of established processes and a focus on innovation.

Startups usually aim to disrupt existing markets or create new ones, and they often rely on external funding to achieve their goals. They're not small businesses, but rather companies with a high growth potential.

A startup pitch deck is a key tool for entrepreneurs to raise capital from investors, and it's usually a brief presentation of 10-20 slides. This deck showcases the business plan, eye-popping metrics, and vision for the company.

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A well-structured pitch deck is essential for pre-seed startups.

A typical pitch deck should have 10-15 slides, starting with an introduction to the problem and solution.

The first five slides should cover the problem, solution, market, product, and team.

These slides should be concise, clear, and visually appealing, with a focus on storytelling.

A good rule of thumb is to use one slide per point, and to limit text to 3-4 bullet points per slide.

The next five slides should cover traction, marketing, sales, competition, and financials.

These slides should provide evidence of progress and growth, as well as a clear understanding of the market and competition.

To create a compelling pitch deck for your pre-seed startup, it's essential to focus on key elements that capture investor attention. A strong introduction that hooks your audience is crucial, so make sure to start with a compelling story that sets the stage for your presentation. This should clearly state your mission and vision.

When highlighting the problem your startup addresses, be specific and relatable. Use data and real-world examples to emphasize its significance, and highlight the pain points your target audience faces and explain why existing solutions are inadequate.

To showcase your solution, explain how your product or service uniquely solves the problem, and focus on the benefits and features that set you apart from competitors. Include visuals and screenshots to showcase your product's functionality and user experience.

Here are some key slides to include in your pitch deck:

Creating a compelling pitch deck is essential for capturing investor interest and securing funding. A standard deck consists of 10 to 14 slides, and it's crucial to keep it concise and visual.

Use large fonts that are easy to read, and include colorful charts, statistics, and graphics to make your points more impactful and easier to understand. Label each slide to help the audience follow your narrative.

A common mistake founders make is inundating their team slide with unnecessary information. Instead, focus on key members and demonstrate their relevant skills for the specific startup.

Here are some tips for creating effective slides:

To avoid common mistakes, consider the following:

For very early stage companies, having an operating plan or detailed financial projections in the pitch is crucial. This should be backed up with a model that is sharable with investors.

A simple model is often better than a fancy one, as it's there to illustrate your strategy's financial implications and sell your vision to investors. Don't worry too much about making it perfect, just focus on getting your point across.

As financial advisors, we tend to overemphasize the financial section of a pitch deck, but for your startup's presentation, it may not be all that interesting or important. Focus on what matters most to your business.

During a meeting with venture capitalists, you can expect to be asked a range of questions to gauge your startup's potential. Questions during a pitch are a great sign that the venture capitalist is paying attention.

When answering questions, it's a good idea to use your pitch deck as a crutch, jumping to the right slide to answer the specific question, then going back to the original presentation order to make sure all important topics are hit.

Here's an interesting read: How to Pitch to Venture Capitalists

Some of the trickier questions investors might ask during a presentation include the backstory, what problem you're solving, and how you plan to acquire customers.

Here are some of the questions VCs might ask during a meeting:

Remember, it's okay if you don't know the answer to every question - saying you don't know but then laying out your plan to figure it out is a great response to many questions.

When crafting your investor presentation, it's essential to keep it concise and engaging. The professionals suggest delivering your pitch in 15 minutes or less, with the ability to condense it to a 5-minute pitch if needed.

Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 rule is a great guideline: your deck should have 10 slides, you should be able to deliver it in 20 minutes, and the font should be 30 points or bigger.

A common mistake founders make is inundating their team slide with unnecessary information. Instead, focus on key members and demonstrate their relevant skills for the specific startup.

A well-crafted mission statement is crucial in your investor presentation. Buzzfeed's first pitch deck is an excellent example, clearly articulating their goal to become a leading digital media company.

Here are some essential elements to include in your pitch deck:

Your pitch deck should also include a competition slide to demonstrate your understanding of the market landscape.

When presenting your pitch, remember to:

Some recommended slide order is:

1. Traction - metrics that show adoption or market validation

2. Product magic/product demo - showing off the offering

3. Market size

4. Business model / how you make money

5. Go to market/growth - explain how you are going to grow

6. Competition and or competitive analysis/advantages

7. Financial projections - include revenue growth, high-level spend, burn, and other KPIs like customer count

Your pitch deck should also include an "executive summary" slide, highlighting key metrics and sales points, and a "Q&A" slide to encourage investor questions.

Guy Kawasaki's pitch template is a great place to start, it's the OG demo pitch deck and is short and sweet. It's a good reminder that you don't need a 30-slide deck to make a strong impression.

You can also check out Ycombinator's slide template, even though the design is a bit poor, the order of slides and topics are spot on. The final slide is a great example of how to clearly outline funding needs and use of funds.

Here are some examples of pitch decks that you can learn from:

These decks are great examples of how to structure your pitch and what to include in each slide.

Canva's seed deck played a pivotal role in securing early-stage funding that helped the company grow into a leading online design platform. This pitch deck is an exemplary model for startups looking to communicate their value proposition, market potential, and product innovation effectively.

Canva begins with a clear statement of its vision to democratize design and empower everyone to create professional-quality graphics. The deck outlines the challenges non-designers face when trying to create visually appealing graphics using complex software.

The key elements of Canva's pitch deck include a vision and mission statement, problem identification, solution overview, market opportunity, product demonstration, business model, traction and metrics, competitive analysis, team, and financial projections.

Here are the key elements of Canva's pitch deck:

Canva's pitch deck is successful because it combines a clear problem-solution narrative with compelling visuals and data.

Guy Kawasaki's pitch deck template is a great place to start, with its simplicity and effectiveness making it a popular choice. It's based on the "10/20/30 Rule" - 10 slides, 20 minutes, and 30-point font.

The template includes a clear problem statement, value proposition, underlying magic, business model, and go-to-market plan. It's particularly useful for early-stage startups, tech startups, and SaaS companies that need to clearly articulate their value proposition and business model in a limited time.

Slidebean's Demo Day pitch deck is another standout example, showcasing the company's AI-powered platform that automates the design process. The deck includes a clear problem statement, innovative solution, product demonstration, market opportunity, business model, traction, and competitive landscape.

Consider reading: Business Venture Examples

Mint's pre-launch pitch deck is a classic example of how to effectively present a startup's value proposition, market potential, and monetization strategy before product launch. The deck includes a compelling problem statement, innovative solution, market opportunity, business model, product demonstration, go-to-market strategy, traction, competitive landscape, team, and financial projections.

Here are the top 10 venture capital templates:

As you're building your startup, you'll likely reach Series D and beyond, but before that, let's break down what happens after Series C.

Series D funding is typically used for further growth and expansion, with a valuation of around $100 million to $500 million. It's often a critical phase for companies looking to scale globally.

The Series D round is usually led by a new investor, such as a strategic partner or a growth equity firm, who brings fresh expertise and resources to the table. This can be a significant turning point for the company, as it often involves a change in leadership or a shift in focus.

For example, Airbnb raised $1 billion in Series D funding in 2015, which helped the company expand its global presence and develop new products. This funding round was led by a new investor, TPG, who brought significant resources and expertise to the table.

In contrast, Series E funding is often used for further growth and expansion, but with a focus on specific areas such as product development or geographic expansion. The valuation at this stage can range from $500 million to $2 billion.