It's daunting writing a VC Pitch Deck, right? Hopefully, we can help you write the perfect one!
The Halo Media Group are a B2B marketing and brand agency that works with Venture Capitalist and Private Equity companies. We’ve created countless pitch decks for their fundraising initiatives. We’ve also seen the pitches that are shown to them by start-ups and funding seekers, so we've seen both sides of the coin for VC Pitch Decks.
Venture capitalists invest in start-ups because they believe that the companies will grow into successful businesses. Therefore to convince investors to back your start-up, you need to create an effective pitch deck. This guide will teach you how to write a winning pitch.
If you're pitching to investors, you'll likely be asked to supply a document called a "pitch deck." It's not just a sales pitch; it's an opportunity to explain why your offering is worth investing in.
Your pitch deck should tell your story and outline how your investors can make money from it under 3 minutes.*
* The average time spent at first glance of an emailed pitch deck
Writing and producing the perfect pitch deck is critical. You only have one opportunity to make an impact so you have to make it your best one.
VC Pitch (Deck) Perfect in 6 steps
1 - Know Your Audience
You should start by knowing who your audience is. This is the audience of your business solution and the VC audience you are speaking to.
Ask yourself questions like:
What do they care about?
What are their pain points?
How can you help solve those problems?
We recommend setting up a target audience avatar for your solution audience and your funding audience. If you know that the VC company you are applying to funding for, appreciates sustainable solutions, then your VC Pitch Deck should speak to that. But remember it needs to be authentic – if you are greenwashing or saying what you think they want you to say, your potential investors will see right through it.
2. Be Clear About Your Product or Service
Once you understand your audience, you need to figure out what problem you're solving. This will help you determine what features and benefits your product offers.
Clearly outline what the challenge is and how your product or service solves it. During this stage you should be looking at your key differentiator – why would your target audience choose you over your competitor? It could be that you have a higher-quality product. Or your customer service levels are at a premium level. You need to find some way to differentiate your offering.
3. Write your VC Pitch Deck with Clarity
Your pitch deck should be able to speak for you if you are not in the room, so you need to outline it clearly.
You should start by defining your company's market, its competitive landscape, and how it solves a problem. Then, describe your business model, your team, and your financial projections. Finally, talk about your growth strategy and any other unique aspects of your company.
Here is an example of a VC Pitch Deck example
Title slide: If you already have a corporate identity, show your logo. If not, type out your company name. Include your name, email and contact number.
Problem/opportunity: Here you’ll describe the problem you are solving. You can add power words or emotion to this page, but don’t go overboard!
Solution: Here is where you describe what your solution is – the methodology behind it and how you are solving the problem. If you have any images, use them here.
Value proposition: Your value proposition is the promise you make to your customer. It is a declaration of intent and explains the value of the solution you provide (For example does it alleviate their pain? Or does it give them pleasure?).
Market size: This slide is important as it allows the investor to see the scale of your solution and the potential opportunity. You’ll need statistics and data on this slide – make sure they are from a credible source. For example, consider adding graphs and infographics on this page.
Competitors: Every business idea, no matter how unique you think it is, will have competitors. Here is where you weigh up the competition and set the scene for your competitive advantages. Be factual here – your passion is not a differentiator. Equally important, you want to be enthusiastic.
Go to market: Explain the big picture of how you are going to reach your customer. Keep this slide at a high level but be prepared to go into more depth if you are asked. It’s a good idea to hyperlink this to a hidden slide in your deck if you’d like to be able to take your audience into your specifics.
Team: Describe the members of your team and advisors. Highlight specific experiences or skills which are beneficial to your offering.
Financial predictions: Look at a 3-year forecast of your future earnings, number of customers and conversion rates.
Current status: Explain your current status and what you’ll do with the funds you raise.
Call to action Finally, this is your call to action. End with your contact details and an encouragement to take a step in the journey with you.
4 - Focus on Value to the VC
Your pitch deck isn't just a list of features. It's a story about what makes your product different from others. Investors want to see evidence that your idea has real value. They also want to understand how your product will make money.
So, focus on explaining how your product adds value to customers' lives. Don't spend too much time talking about features. Instead, highlight the benefits your solution delivers.
5. Include Numbers
In addition to highlighting the benefits of your product, investors need to understand how your business model works. This means showing them how your company generates revenue. It’s advisable to have a financially-minded person double-check what you’ve written up as you don’t want errors with the numbers!
6. Include relevant images
A picture is worth a thousand words. Not always, but it certainly helps to keep the viewer's attention. Use good-quality images that support your story. You can find great creative commons use images here (basically this means that they are free to use from a copyright perspective).
