Startup pitch deck: free template with investor tips

You’ve got a great business idea. You’ve done your due diligence, and now you want that all important cash injection to get your dream off the ground. But before you decide to approach an angel investor or a venture capitalist, you need a story that will convince them to put their faith in you and invest. The first and best way is to have a killer pitch deck. But, it 100% has to stand out from the crowd because competition is rife.

Every day, more than 1,000 new pitch decks emerge globally and that same number of pitches are believed to be created on a daily basis in San Francisco alone. Of those, investors glance at 10% of decks and of those, only 1% succeed in acquiring funds.

But all is not lost. You can succeed, provided you heed the advice of the experts and stick to the tried and trusted. That being the SeedLegals customizable pitch deck.

We see thousands of pitch decks from founders who create and share their pitch on SeedLegals and we speak to countless investors who tell us what they need to see when approached for funding. Using all of that knowledge and experience, we’ve created the perfect pitch deck template for you and one that will give you every chance of selling your idea.

The average cost of a pitch deck can run from $1,500 to an eye-watering $50,000, money that most early stage founders can ill afford to part with. Fortunately, though, the SeedLegals pitch deck is free.

It includes:

🎨Customisable framework for an investment-winning pitch deck

🌟Detailed guidance on what to include in each slide

💁‍♀️Insightful tips from experts

🔗Links to additional resources

How to use the template 

The template comes in PowerPoint format but you can easily convert it into Google Slides if that’s what you prefer. Just upload it to your Google Drive and it will convert automatically. Once you’ve done that, you can create the magic by customizing each slide with your company’s details and of course, your standout pitch.

Expert contributors

Free pitch deck template: what’s inside?

This pitch deck template includes the key slides necessary to capture investors’ attention and convey essential information. On average, investors spend slightly less than four minutes reviewing pitch decks, so cut to the chase as exceeding this time limit risks losing their interest. Ensure your pitch deck is concise, visually engaging, and leaves a lasting impression amid the numerous others they review.

In the deck you should tell them:

• What problem you’re solving
• Why your company has potential to generate significant returns
• What you need from investors to grow your business

Our downloadable pitch deck template includes the following slides:

Problem

On this slide, you’ll identify the problem solved by your product or service. You’ll describe the pain point your target customers are experiencing, and explain why existing solutions aren’t as good as yours. This helps investors understand the market opportunity and the potential demand for your solution. Avoid spending too much time on the competitive landscape on this slide — you’ll have the opportunity to cover it in more detail later.

Solution

After you’ve identified the problem, you’ll explain how your product or service effectively addresses the identified problem. Be specific about the features and benefits of your solution and how future customers will use it. Make it concise and clear, highlighting the essence of your offering to ensure the potential investor is left with a clear understanding of what it is and what it does.

Product

Defining your product’s functionality and operation is essential, but even more crucial is addressing the “why” in terms of the benefits it provides to the end user.

So in this slide, you’ll showcase your solution in action by:

• Explaining how it works (concisely)
• Sharing images or a video of any prototypes or demos you’ve developed
• Listing unique features of your product/service (if you didn’t do that on the previous slide)
• Listing key benefits of your product/service (again, if you didn’t do that on the previous slide)

Achievements/validation

This is one of the most important slides. You’ll need to validate your team and company.

On this slide, you’ll set out:

• What you’ve achieved
• Why you’re the best people for the job

You can include awards, recognition, achievements, significant traction and your team’s unique expertize.

Market

Investors need to know why investing in your company is a great opportunity for them. Use the next two slides to showcase:

• Market adoption of your product/service
• Market size

You don’t need to go into too much detail about the total serviceable market or serviceable obtainable market. Investors will want to see that you have a very specific and reachable market, so just briefly show the market potential.

Add testimonials and short case studies to show that your product is needed and loved.

Competition

You are not going to be the only company in your sector, so competition is going to be rife. And even if your product or solution is niched, chances are that someone has already thought of it. So, it’s important to acknowledge and address the competition. Identify your key competitors and briefly show how your solution is different and better than what they offer. It can’t be stressed enough that your USP is key.

Be specific about your competitive advantages, such as:

• Pricing
• Features
• User experience

You can use a simple comparison table to show how the pricing, features and user experience of your product/service stack up against your competitors.

Revenue model

Now that you’ve described your product or service, it’s time to explain how it generates revenue. Investors will want to know how you plan to make money and achieve profitability. But they don’t want to see too much detail in your initial pitch deck. In this slide, keep it to top-line information: outline your revenue streams, pricing strategy, and any recurring revenue opportunities.

In this slide, keep it to top-line information: outline your revenue streams, pricing strategy, and any recurring revenue opportunities.

Team

This slide is crucial for establishing credibility. It is the only slide that appears in every startup pitch deck and serves as the foundation of a compelling pitch. Since investors focus primarily on the people driving the ideas and product, this slide plays a pivotal role in securing their confidence. Use it to showcase your team’s credibility and skills.

Investors invest in people as much as they invest in ideas. They want to know that:

• Your team will be a good fit for them
• Your team has the expertise to successfully achieve your company’s goals

Introduce your team and highlight their relevant experience and expertize. This is also a good opportunity to showcase any advisors or mentors that you have on board. Remember to include significant accomplishments for each person that show their key strengths and experience.

Deal Summary

Finally, make sure you clarify what you are asking for from investors. This could be a specific amount of funding, a partnership opportunity, or an introduction to potential customers. Be specific and make it easy for investors to take action.

The deal summary slide is an overview of the core investment proposal and makes it easy for investors to see at a glance how much they can invest and whether they can claim QSBS tax benefits. It also shows that you understand the investment process.

Startup pitch deck FAQs

What is a startup pitch deck?

A startup pitch deck is a visual presentation about a company. The deck sets out:

• What problem a company solves
• How you solve it
• Key strengths
• Unique value proposition
• Market opportunity
• Growth potential

A pitch deck is typically presented to potential investors, partners, and customers.

A startup pitch deck should be concise, visually appealing, and easy to understand. It should be structured to tell a compelling story about the startup and its potential for success.

What should a startup pitch deck include?

A startup pitch deck should include high-level information about how a company solves a problem and why investing in your company is a great opportunity.

A typical startup pitch deck will cover these key topics:

• Problem – What problem or pain point does the startup aim to solve?
• Solution – What is the startup’s proposed solution to the problem?
• Market – What is the size of the target market and what is the startup’s potential market share?
• Business Model – How will the startup generate revenue and what’s the pricing strategy?
• Competition – Who are the startup’s main competitors and what is its competitive advantage?
• Team – Who are the key members of the startup’s team and what relevant experience do they have?
• Deal summary – What are your funding requirements and can you offer investors QSBS tax deductions?

How do I present my pitch deck?

You’ll present your pitch deck either by sending it to investors to read in their own time or during live events and investor meetings.

If you present your pitch deck in person, aim to be clear, confident, and engaging. Start with a strong opening that grabs the audience’s attention, then walk them through each section of the deck, highlighting key points and providing supporting evidence. Use visuals to enhance your presentation and avoid overwhelming the audience with too much information. Finally, be prepared to answer questions and address any concerns raised by the audience.

What should I not include in a pitch deck?

When creating your pitch deck, avoid:

• Irrelevant or unnecessary information that may distract or confuse your audience
• Overloading the presentation with too much data or technical jargon, and focus only on the key points that are essential to understanding the business model and potential for success
• Unsupported claims or exaggerating your startup’s achievements or potential

What file format should I submit my pitch deck in?

We recommend submitting your pitch deck to investors as a PDF, PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation.

Luckily, you get the best of those three worlds as our free pitch deck template download can easily be converted into all of the below:

• When you download the template it will be in PowerPoint format to easily edit
• If you prefer working in Google Slides, you can easily convert the PowerPoint into Google Slides by uploading it to your Google Drive
• When your pitch deck is ready, you can export it as a PDF from both PowerPoint and Google Slides

What file format does my pitch deck need to be for SeedLegals Pitch?

At the moment, we only support pitch decks in PDF format. If your deck is currently in a different format, you can convert it to a PDF. Make sure it’s in landscape orientation.

Watch video: 10 pitching mistakes to avoid

Investors hear hundreds of pitches. So what can you do to make sure you absolutely nail yours and win that investment? We’ve asked founders and investors about the most common mistakes they see during pitches so you know exactly what NOT to do. Check it out in the video below 👇