What is a pitch deck?
A pitch deck is a short presentation, usually 10 to 15 slides, that explains your startup to investors. It is often the first thing an investor sees, and many decide whether to take a meeting after a few minutes with it.
A deck doesn't need to say everything. Its job is to make the investor want the next conversation. Detail belongs in the meeting and the data room.
The slides to include
- 1
Title
Company name, a one-line description of what you do, and contact details.
- 2
Problem
Who has the problem and what it costs them today. Use a specific customer example.
- 3
Solution
What you built and why it solves the problem better than the alternatives.
- 4
Product
Screenshots or a short demo. Show it working.
- 5
Market
Who you sell to and how large that market is, built bottom-up where you can.
- 6
Traction
Revenue, users, growth, pilots or letters of intent. Put your strongest number here.
- 7
Business model
How you make money, pricing, and unit economics if you have them.
- 8
Competition
Who else solves this problem and where you win.
- 9
Go-to-market
How you reach customers and what has worked so far.
- 10
Team
Founders and key hires, and why this team can build this company.
- 11
Financials
A simple projection for the next two to three years, with the main assumptions.
- 12
The ask
How much you're raising, what it pays for, and the milestones it gets you to.
Send deck vs presentation deck
Many founders keep two versions. The send deck is read without you in the room, so it needs full sentences and enough context to stand on its own. The presentation deck supports what you say, with fewer words and bigger visuals.
Common pitch deck mistakes
- Too many slides, or slides packed with text
- Hiding traction near the end
- A market size quoted from a report with no link to your customers
- Claiming to have no competitors
- An ask with no breakdown of how the money will be spent
- Financial projections that grow implausibly fast
How to prepare your pitch deck on Startupply
A deck is only as good as what's behind each slide. Startupply helps you work out that content before you open a slide editor.
- 1
Problem, solution and business model
Fill in a Lean Canvas or Business Model Canvas in Business Frameworks. AI framework filling drafts each block from your startup profile.
- 2
Competition
Use a SWOT analysis to put your strengths and weaknesses next to the alternatives honestly.
- 3
The ask
Use the AI Funding Calculator to work out how much to raise and what it pays for.
- 4
Check what's missing
Run the Startup Readiness Index. Its Investor Readiness pillar covers the deck, cap table and use of funds.
A Pitch Deck Generator that turns your Startupply profile into slides is on the roadmap. Until then, the frameworks above give you the content for every slide.
Frequently asked questions
How many slides should a pitch deck have?
Ten to fifteen for most early-stage startups. If a slide doesn't help the investor decide to take a meeting, move it to an appendix.
What is the most important slide?
For most investors it's traction, because it's the hardest to fake. If you have no traction yet, the problem and team slides carry more weight.
Should I send my pitch deck as a PDF?
Yes, or as a view-only link that lets you see who opened it. Avoid editable files and large attachments.