Simple Investor Pitch Deck Guide [Updated for 2020] from Tactico
The pitch deck, a piece of marketing collateral we more appropriately call an “investor deck”, is an essential fundraising tool. Without it, raising investment capital in this fiercely competitive day and age is like trying to catch a fish without a fishing rod.
First impressions really matter. Did you know investors spend on average only 3 minutes and 44 seconds reviewing a given deck?
VCs receive overwhelming numbers of unsolicited decks per year for review, and so it’s very important to stand out when you first make contact. This largely depends on your deck, which serves as the initial point of contact between you and a prospective investor.
An effective deck delivers a concise and convincing yet comprehensive message outlining who you are, what your company does and why you are worthy of further consideration. In addition to providing an intimate overview of your company, an effective deck commands a prospective investor’s attention, guiding them towards the next step of their investment process. Nailing the content, organization and presentation of your deck is therefore critical to your chances of scoring an in-person meeting (and thereby your overall success).
To put all odds on your side, we recommend following a standard structure to ensure you communicate all the information VCs require to make an informed decision. Above you will find a deck template we have created that lays out the key elements to include, and the order in which to present them. The familiar structure allows investors to quickly absorb and digest information, and find what they are looking for. By following our template, you will help VCs achieve a clear understanding of your key business elements and make an easy decision about whether your company is the right investment opportunity.
Admittedly, this template favors our investment criteria, namely Seed through Series A stage companies and a go-to-market approach, as opposed to the product itself. Nevertheless, we hope this resource will be helpful for you and we look forward to the possibility of receiving your deck in the future!
About this series
Prior to becoming venture capital investors in 2007, we sat on your side of the table as entrepreneurs, business owners and operators, collectively founding and running dozens of successful companies. While these experiences have been both extremely fulfilling and financially rewarding, raising venture capital is never an easy task. Even for veterans like ourselves, the process can be extremely cumbersome, draining your most important resources: time and energy. With this in mind, we’ve decided to launch a new multi-part blog series dedicated to founders and entrepreneurs. In this series, our managing partners and experienced investment team members share personal advice, anecdotes, industry insights and specially-created tools and resources for a successful financing journey.
What’s something you’d like to ask an elite entrepreneur or a venture capital topic you’d like to see us cover? Comment or email us directly: communications@tactico.com.
