Pitch Deck 101
An entrepreneur's guide to pitch decks
Pitch Deck Examples: The Best Pitch Decks
Let's admit it, most of the entrepreneurs are not designers. And developing a pitch deck is probably a very difficult task for many.
However, if you fit perfectly to the definition of an entrepreneur and are one of those who take inspiration before starting anything, these pitch deck examples would definitely benefit you.
We've researched over 100s of startup pitch decks and have shortlisted the best 10 that fits perfectly to the pitch deck templates propagated by -
Uber Pitch Deck
Uber is an on-demand cab aggregator that works on a partnership model and lets users book cabs with a few taps on its mobile application.
This simple yet detailed pitch deck presentation by Uber explained its initial market disruption model to the investors when such a market didn't actually exist.
This pre-seed stage pitch deck was developed in 2008 when the company had no traction, so most of the slides are used to elaborate more on the market opportunity, what can be tapped and how Uber plans to disrupt the market.
This forms a good pitch deck example for anyone who plans to develop a pre-seed stage pitch deck for their startup.
Money Raised: $200K Seed, 2009.
Key Takeaway
Even though the pitch deck isn't that aesthetically appealing, its every slide focuses on clearing the doubts that the investor might have (since it was a new market back then). The potential outcomes slide is very honest and well-thought out which is quite impressive as well.
Airbnb Pitch Deck
Airbnb is an online marketplace connecting people who want to rent out their space with people who are looking for accommodation in that area.
Often referred to as a perfect pitch deck, Airbnb's pitch deck was true to the guidelines where it kept the presentation to be short (just 12 slides), yet included everything an investor looks for in an investor pitch deck.
The deck is a perfect example of a lean pitch deck presentation.
Money Raised: $600K Seed, 2009.
Key Takeaway
The best thing about Airbnb's startup pitch deck is the simplicity it is built on. The founders narrowed down almost every slide into infographics, images, numbers, or very small sentences. This made the deck a lot more readable.
Buffer Pitch Deck
Buffer is a social media scheduling tool to help users plan their social media posts in advance.
This is an angel pitch deck prepared at the time when the startup had enough traction and data to impress the investors and showcase where they stand and where they are planning to reach.
Just like Airbnb's deck, this pitch deck also follows the guidelines and includes just 13 slides with the initial slides elaborating more on the opportunity, the middle slides telling where the company stand and how it differs, and the last slides focusing on the real data.
Money Raised: $400K Angel, 2011.
Key Takeaway
The startup tried to get into a market that wasn't exactly new. It already had players, which would have made many investors leave. However, to emphasize on its point that there is still scope to disrupt the way as they are, Buffer built its product first, collected data to back up its claim, and then reached out to investors with a proven record.
If you note, almost all the slides of this pitch deck are backed by real-world data which is a great way to persuade any investor to invest in your startup.
Castle Pitch Deck
Castle is a concierge service for rental property owners. The platform handles everything a rental owner needs to rent out his/her property.
This startup deck is a great example of how simple a pitch deck can be. The company explained what it is and how it works without using any technical jargon. It showcased the benefits, traction, and everything else in simple, visual slides.
This might seem easy but, in reality, takes a lot of effort.
Money Raised: $270k Angel, 2015
Key Takeaway
It's not just the design that's appealing in this pitch deck, it's also the information that's presented. It's complete, easily digestible, and leaves no questions or doubts. There are very less such investor pitch decks that seem complete with such less words and slides.
TeaLet Pitch Deck
TeaLet is an online farmer’s market for tea, connecting farmers directly to manufacturers and retailers. The company provides optimized online marketing, international logistics, and low costs payments via cryptocurrency.
TeaLet developed this pitch deck in 2012 to raise seed money to grow and scale to international markets. This is a perfect example of a niche-oriented pitch deck where you elaborate about the current problem, the opportunity that you capitalise on, and the value that you'll add to the system to build your equity.
Money Raised: $240k Seed, 2012
Key Takeaway
TeaLet's pitch deck is a perfectly branded deck showcasing how the brand looks and works in just a 16 slides presentation. It is highly consistent on colors, visuals, fonts, and the communication tonality.
CoinBase Pitch Deck
Coinbase is among the first digital currency exchanges. It actually brought this concept to the market. And since it was a pioneer, it even had to explain the concept and potential of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies to the investors.
The pitch deck is a perfect example of how you can introduce something new within a pitch deck without inflating it with slides.
Money Raised: $600k Seed, 2012
Key Takeaway
Coinbase's pitch deck, even though dealing with one of the most complex theories - cryptocurrencies, is a no brainer. The founders have used minimal words, yet answered almost all the questions an investor might have, in just 11 slides.
Contently Pitch Deck
Contently is a content marketing platform that pioneered this concept back in 2010. The company believes in creating results-driven content by providing their clients with smart technology, vetted creative talent, and proven expertise.
This is a pitch deck to raise Series B funding from venture capitalists. It uses a branded visual approach with data-backed slides highlighting the company's vision and growth trajectory.
Money Raised: $9m Series B, 2014
Key Takeaway
The company played well on utilizing the space. Instead of using headings like 'Problem' and 'Solution', it used the space to make a self-explanatory point to give a story-like feel.
Yalochat Pitch Deck
Yalochat is an AI platform that helps companies interact with their customers in conversational commerce over chats on platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.
This pitch deck was developed in 2019 to raise Series A funding. What makes this deck stand out is the use of minimal text. Everything, the company wanted to highlight was highlighted using prominent words and visuals.
Money Raised: $8m Series A, 2019
Key Takeaway
This is a perfect example of a Series A pitch deck which follows almost every design instruction out there. There is just one argument per slide, the presentation reflects the brand identity and promise, and there is consistency throughout. Moreover, the deck in itself is complete with no one required to explain you what any particular slide is about.
Quora Pitch Deck
Quora is a social-media oriented Q&A platform with questions and answers by millions of users.
The pitch deck is created for its Series A funding was a masterpiece. It followed the usual guidelines, yet moulded them to suit its needs and stand out. The deck starts with an intriguing hint to what the platform is all about and is followed by a well strategised storyline to back-up the platform's concept.
Money Raised: $11m Series A, 2010
Key Takeaway
You can use Quora's pitch deck as a reference to develop your own demo day deck. Start with an intriguing elevator pitch followed by a story that includes everything from problem, solution, offering, to why people love what you do and how you can do it better.
Get On Board Pitch Deck
Get On Board is a global job platform for digital professionals that connects startups with best talent around the world.
The company is backed by 500 startups and hence, focused a lot on its pitch deck for its seed round in 2020. The deck is bold, informative, and data backed.
Money Raised: $600k Seed, 2020
Key Takeaway
The best part about this deck is the use of social validation to back the claim that the customers love to use the platform. The company smartly showcased everything a tech company should have - good partners, remote work, better performance, and a great ROI for investors.
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