Every fundraising starts with the investors' presentation, or as we call it in startup world Pitch Deck. Your deck can either open doors for you, or be forever lost in the "look later" folder. Let's learn for the best, and apply it to your startups.
Want help creating your Pitch Deck? Our team is happy to do it for you! Book a FREE call with CEO, Anastasia Green today.
1. Facebook
Core takeaways: 1. Determine growth drivers to increase the number of users. For Facebook, the growth driver is the number of member schools. The increase in users is a consequence of the correct use of a growth driver. Determine your growth drivers.
2. Expansion plan based on growth driver. Very clear mission/goal for the next 4 months.
3. Highlight the purchasing power of your consumers. Monetization is just a matter of time.
2. Airbnb
Core takeaways:
1. A short intro that describes the project and gives an understanding of the whole deck is a real art. Airbnb intro gives an idea of the problem, market, and even approximate size of it.
2. The less text the better. Try not to overload the slide with a lot of information and text. Show - don’t tell. Slides like bullets.
3. One core business model. Don't tell you to have three different products and four business models.
4. The simplicity and clarity of the Airbnb’s pitch deck made it one of the most popular references for entrepreneurs around the world.
3. Buffer
Core takeaways:
1. The deck is based on traction and numbers - users, paid users, revenue, growth rates, milestones.
2. Show rapid growth. In Buffer's case, it was a 5% churn and good LTV, that allowed them to acquire new users.
3. Describe your teams' achieved results to date by each core team member. It's always a good idea to show traction as often as you can.
4. Square
Core takeaways:
1. The team is a huge asset and leverage. It's wise to show the management team on the first slides if they have a great background in the industry.
2. The deck is focused on a business model with detailed financial assumptions showing their annual revenue and growth rate.
5. Linkedin
Core takeaways:
1. The deck focuses on why LinkedIn is different than other social networks and shows extended analogy with other services and how they were transformed into more advanced ones.
2. Impress investors by showing that your previous growth commitments were wrong – you just exceeded them multiple times or achieved them in a shorter time.
6. Mint
Core takeaways:
1. The clear value proposition for customers and prospective partners.
2. Lots of attention towards competitors, risk, and precautions, defensibility. If you operate at a competitive market with big guys, you should have a clear vision of how to defeat yourself.
3. The deck also responds to the main investor’s concern – the exit strategy.
7. Mapme
Core takeaways:
1. Social proof and traction trumps all. If you have a strong viral effect, do not hesitate to put it in front.
2. The short deck answers the questions about traction, go-to-market strategy, business model.
3. If you have a demo that clearly shows the product - definitely use the demo.
8. Launchrock
Core takeaways:
1. If you have great traction put it first.
2. The deck demonstrates how the product works and how it can be used in different cases.
3. Strong accent on viral effect and recommendations. People promote what they like and what resonates with them but also promotes LaunchRock.
9. Mixpanel
Core takeaways:
1. The first 6 slides are talking about problems, solutions, and competitive advantage but briefly and clearly. The 7th slide vividly confirms that everything said before is a fact.
2. The deck provides numbers of sales KPIs, marketing funnel metrics, and presents clear expansion plan.
3. Financial history affirms the effect by providing the names of the previous investors.
10. Moz
Core takeaways:
This pitch deck can be used as a template by an already established company.
If you are able to present accurate estimated revenue, revenue run rate, average customer lifetime value, cost of paid acquisition, then follow this template.
11. Buzzfeed
Core takeaways:
1. The numbers are the best attractors. If you have big numbers don’t be afraid to put them on the first slides. Millions of users visiting the website on a monthly basis and reputable quotes are the best signals for investors.
2. Many slides refer to description of the platform and giving information on what is inside.
3. Good projects are born at the intersection of industries. Buzzfeed shows that they operate on the intersection between Media and Ads and thus explaining why competition is not very tough.
12. Youtube
Core takeaways:
This is Youtube’s pitch deck to Sequoia Capital (one of the most established VC investors).
The company goal was to be the primary outlet for video content, and it succeeded in doing just that. Obviously, Youtubes' goal to dominate the niche was strongly supported by traction. This deck is a great example of how a focus on one "North Star" feature can lead you to $1.6 billion acquisition by Google.
13. Manpacks
Core takeaways:
1. An outstanding fun design that helps to explain the project.
2. Social proof. Testimonials show that the problem exists and the solution is great.
3. An investor can be a customer and vice versa.
14. Foursquare
Core takeaway:
Use screenshots to show how App is working and how users gaining value from it. A picture worth a thousand words.
15. Dwolla
Core takeaways:
1. One of the best ways to show that a startup solves existing problems is to put a story or a person who faced it. Dwolla tells a story of how the founder who created the solution not to pay $50,000 a year in credit card fees ever again.
2. When disrupting the existent market be ready to show secret sauce and uniqueness (what can be shown without signing the NDA).
16. Zenpayroll (Gusto)
Core takeaways:
This isn’t a simple startup deck. It is a holy grail, a template you can use and replicate easily by filling in the blanks. The company raised $6 million with this deck.
17. Wealthsimple
Core takeaways:
1. The deck is simple and short.
2. The description gives full knowledge of what startup is and of what they do.
3. It is important to find a gap in a large market and it really great when the gap is also huge.
4. The additional slides have useful tips regarding fundraising on seed stage.
18. Canvas
Core takeaways:
1. Analogies and visualization help to understand your business the fastest.
2. Show how and who you are helping.
3. Create a new market or solve an old problem in the existing market in a new way. Canvas doesn’t create a new market but it resolves old problems on the huge market by creating new solutions.
19. SteadyBudget
Core takeaways:
1. If you have traction - use it.
2. Show how the problem is solved now and why you have a better solution.
3. Use screenshots to demonstrate functionality and visualize your statements.
20. Fittr
Core takeaways:
What's under the hood matters. The attempt to replace fitness trainers with the App is not unique. But Fittr says that they have a special feature inside to make workouts plans better and better by using unique AI technology and social motivation that will keep users on track.
21. Swipes
Core takeaways:
Social proof. References in well-known authoritative media can be a good way to back up a story.
Pitch Deck can either open investor's doors for you or shut them down from the first slide. If you want to increase your chances of getting funded - let our team poor our experience and knowledge in creating more than 120 pitch decks into your company investors presentation.
