Creating a Winning Investment Pitch Deck for Fundraising Success

Writing an investment pitch deck is one of the most critical tasks a business leader can take on, as it can often make or break their chance of securing funding. An investment pitch deck is a presentation that outlines the business’s features, company model, goals, products, and customer segments, as well as an explanation on why investors should be excited about it. Crafting a well-developed pitch deck requires significant research and preparation to guarantee success in the journey to secure funding.

Investment pitch decks are incredibly important for modern-day businesses. They’re the gateway to meeting seasoned investors, venture capitalists, and banks, to turn your business visions into reality. But inputting everything together in a powerpoint shouldn’t be done without forethought, as it’s not just about creating the best presentation. It’s about gathering the most important details from your proposal to build a narrative that sums up your business’s purpose in the most efficient fashion.

With that in mind, here are a few key points to consider when constructing your investment pitch deck.

Determine the needed components of the deck

The make or break of any pitch deck is in knowing which components will answer the investors’ questions while swiftly moving along the pitch. To determine which components are necessary, answer the following questions:

• What do investors need to know before investing in your business?
• What is your company’s mission and vision?
• What are the goals and objectives of the business?
• How will you get there?

Involve a Professional

Your investment pitch should be concise and direct, yet contain a level of finesse that makes it unique. It should stand out from the competition, and include professional visualizations. To achieve this level of quality, a professional may be necessary to add their unique touch of expertise. Additionally, professionals can help your deck to include more written content, swish transitions, animations, charts, and diagrams to enhance the overall presentation.

Describe the Problem

Investors want to know what the problem your potential customers are facing, and if you have the right solution. Whether it’s a lack of available options or an inability to understand a current service, they’ll be interested in understanding the market gap your business will fill. Describe the problem in context to its industry, and give investors insight on how the current market gaps are advantageous for your business.

Describe Your Solution

The following slide(s) should give investors an understanding of your product in the context of the problem it solves. In this slide to include what makes your product different, why your offering have the potential to succeed, and how you plan to deliver on the customer’s needs.

Show Your Business Model

After investors understand the details of your solution, it is important to discuss the fundamentals of your business model. This slide should include your pricing model, distribution channels, suppliers, partners, and inner workings within the team. Additionally, the business model should include key performance indicators (KPIs), such as net profit and customer satisfaction, along with financials such as pre- and post-investment plans and investment returns.

Describe Your Team

Investors properly assess the team before they invest, so it’s important to provide insight on why your team is the right group to execute on the proposed plan. Include the leadership responsible for managing the business, marketing, and technical teams, if applicable, and provide some context on their experience in the industry, in addition to their roles in the team.

Explain the Financials

To understand and feel comfortable with the investment, investors want to be presented a strong financial and capital case. Explain the economic assumptions you’ve made, the need for capital and how it will be used, and the legal structure of the company. This should also include projected financials and cash flows, the benefit of any tax credits or incentives and when those will be received.

Quantify Assumptions

Your investment deck should contain a section on research and data to back up assumptions. This slide should include quantitative research, focus groups, surveys, industry trend or analyst reports and competitive benchmarking, along with an analysis to explain the overall business model.

Prepare for Questions

Investors may have questions during the pitch, so it is crucial to prepare answers to them. Practice the pitch to make sure it is relevant, brief, and factual. Don’t forget to include answers to the most major questions:

• What is the uniqueness of the product?
• What is the team's experience?
• What is the plan for growth?
• What are the key milestones for the next 12 months?

Answering Investment Pitch Deck questions in advance can save valuable time and energy, whilst also showing that you’ve done your research and had these questions in mind.

Writing an investment pitch deck that investors can get excited about can be a tedious task. Without the right preparation and research, the attempt can be fruitless and the chances of securing funding will be dramatically lower. To get the most out of your investment pitch deck, make sure you’re organized, concise and passionate about your business. Highlight the main features of your company, mission, purpose, the proposed solution to the current market gap, the financials, and the team behind it. Taking the time to understand the investor’s perspective is equally important. As long as the investment pitch deck is comprised of meaningful and relevant insights regarding the business, it will have a high probability of succeeding and securing funding.

Conclusion

So that’s it! Taking these steps into consideration can help you create a winning investment pitch deck that has investors hungry for more detail about your business idea. Above all, make sure to keep the investors’ interests in mind and be confident in presenting your pitch deck. After all, confident investors will equate to a more confident pitch deck and money-filled pockets! Best of luck!