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14 Pitch Deck Examples That Win Where 99% Fail (+Templates)

See fundraising startup pitch deck examples that get buy-in. See company pitch decks, investor pitch decks, and product pitch presentations that sell your vision.

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Short answer

What to include in a startup pitch deck?

10 slides you should include in a startup pitch deck:

Introduction
The problem
Your solution
Market size and opportunity
Business and revenue model
Traction and validation
Marketing strategy
Team (authority, experience, and skills)
Financials
Investment and use of funds

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99% of fundraising pitch decks fail to secure funding.

You've poured your heart and soul into your startup and you’re confident that it will create waves in the market.

But here's the unsettling truth — without an outstanding pitch deck, your vision is like a ship without a sail. The hard fact is, 99% of startup pitch decks fail to secure crucial funding.

A poor pitch deck can leave you staring at someone else leaving the investor’s office with the funds you deserve, again, and again, and again…

You know that failing to secure investor funding will kill your venture before it begins. No matter how revolutionary your product or service is, without funds, scaling it beyond an idea is nearly impossible. That’s the game.

But I’m here to navigate you through these choppy waters.

I’ll show you the best startup pitch deck examples that have succeeded in securing investor funding. I’ll let you in on what they did to win, so you can steal their practices and secure your own success.

Let’s go!

Why do most pitch decks fail?

It's a hard pill to swallow, but most startup pitch decks don't make the cut. Despite the long hours, the painstaking research, and the passion poured into these presentations, still they fall short.

Why?

1) They don’t answer 9 critical questions

An effective company pitch deck is your golden ticket to answer the burning questions in every investor's mind. They're looking for solid evidence, not just sparkling promises.

9 critical questions any company pitch deck has to answer to persuade investors:

How do you know there’s a need for your solution?
What’s the competitive landscape like?
What’s your target market?
What’s your competitive advantage?
What’s your track record?
How are you planning to make money?
Is your customer base expanding?
Are existing customers satisfied with your solution?
How are you planning to spend the investors’ money?

If your deck doesn't provide clear, concise, and compelling answers to these questions, it may leave investors with more doubts than confidence.

It’s crucial to weave these answers into your story in a way that connects with investors and leaves them convinced about the potential of your startup.

To learn more about how to answer each of these questions, check out our post about the top pitch deck examples.

2) They don't present a narrative

A pitch deck sells a vision. If you already have traction and your future is secure you hardly need a pitch deck because you don’t need an investment.

Investors are on the lookout for a big idea. Something with the potential to disrupt a market and achieve the hyper-growth that their investment model relies on. They want to back a dream (a feasible vision), not another competitor in an already crowded market.

To give your dream substance and get investors excited, you have to weave it into a narrative with real-world examples, visualizations, and comparisons of how your vision takes form.

Scrollytelling is the best design approach for creating a narrative pitch deck.

3) They fail to stand out in their design

Pitch deck design isn't just about making decks look good. It's about making your information clear, engaging, and memorable.

Traditionally, pitch decks have been static, presented using slideshows. This classic approach is functional and familiar, but it won’t differentiate you from the hundreds of other pitch decks that investors sift through everyday.

But you can give investors a dynamic and immersive content experience that instantly hooks them in with our modern interactive pitch deck creator on your side.

You can see the difference between a static and an interactive pitch deck below:

Create an interactive startup pitch deck

Static PDF or PPT

Interactive Storydoc

4) They fail to track engagement and make informed iterations

One of our clients named Buzzer was an early-stage startup behind a promising sales enablement platform. They were struggling to get investors’ attention and decided to change their pitch decks to interactive Storydocs.

They made smart use of our deck analytics to track every step of investors’ interactions with their decks to see what resonated the most.

And they used what they learned to give investors what they craved and get the funding.

“I did a lot of A/B testing and optimizing, creating around a hundred versions along the way. With our investment deck, I was able to make tweaks that boosted the reading completion rate from just over 40% to almost 100%."

—Assaf Klinger, CEO of Buzzer

Pitch deck advice from venture capitalists and angel investors

The best source for concrete examples of how to write your pitch deck naturally comes from investors.

They know what they’re looking for and they’ve seen a thousand ways in which founders mess up. Here’s what some of them have to say…

1) Tell a story

Founders should craft their pitch decks as a compelling story, keeping in mind that the audience is an investor, not a customer. The investor is trying to understand the potential return on their investment and the team's capability to solve the problem.

2) Research your investors and personalize

Entrepreneurs should research the investor they're reaching out to and understand why that particular investor is a good fit for their startup. This shows the investor that the entrepreneur has done their homework.

3) Make sure your content is relevant and authentic

The first slide is crucial and should convey the purpose of the startup. It should address the "why" behind the business.
The pitch deck should also highlight why the team or founder is the right fit to solve the problem.
Incorporating authentic testimonials from early users can be impactful.
Predicting and answering potential investor questions in the pitch deck shows preparation and understanding of the industry and potential objections.
The pitch deck should be simple and easy to follow. Overloading it with content can lose the investor's interest.

4) Get feedback and iterate

Entrepreneurs should constantly seek feedback on their pitch decks and iterate based on that feedback. They should have multiple versions tailored for different audiences.

5) Look for engagement and interaction

During the pitch, it's essential to keep the conversation interactive and engaging. If the investor isn't asking questions, they might have lost interest.

Founders should anticipate potential questions from investors and address them in their pitch decks.

6) Make the ask detailed and clear

Beyond seeking financial investment, founders should also highlight other forms of support or value they seek from the investor.

Types of pitch decks and how they differ

Investor Deck

An investor deck, also known as a pitch book or pitch deck, is a marketing presentation used by various entities, including investment banks and entrepreneurs, to provide information about a business or asset.

It is designed to present the investment considerations of a business to potential investors, aiding them in making a decision to invest or buy.

Company Pitch Deck

A company pitch deck is similar to an investor deck but is gauged at providing a company overview. It normally focuses on the company’s leadership, team, culture, expertise, and accomplishments.

It highlights the company's value proposition, financial figures, customer base, growth opportunities, management strength, and other relevant details to attract potential investors or partners.

Product Pitch Presentation

A product pitch presentation is similar to an investor deck but typically focused on the details of a specific product or service. It outlines the problem the product solves, its unique features, benefits, market potential, and how it stands out from competitors.

The aim is to convince stakeholders, including investors, partners, or customers, of the product's value and potential.

Startup Pitch Deck

A startup pitch deck is a critical document prepared by startups in their early stages of fundraising. It’s the same as an investor deck but focuses on things specifically relevant to startup investors, such as showing hyper-growth potential and disruptive technology.

It aims to convince potential investors of the startup's value and potential.

Key elements include an introduction to the business idea, the problem being addressed, the proposed solution, market opportunity, product details, initial traction, team composition, competition, financial projections, and investment usage

Fundraising Deck

A fundraising deck is a type of pitch deck specifically designed to raise capital. This could be for a company, a product, or a project. The sums being raised can vary greatly and the terms and stage of the company life cycle can vary as well.

It emphasizes the startup's or company's financial needs, growth potential, return on investment, and how the funds will be used. The primary goal is to persuade potential investors to provide the necessary capital.

Best pitch deck examples that outperform the rest

While visually appealing pitch decks can be eye-catching, they alone are not sufficient to secure the funding you need.

You require a deck that's designed not just for aesthetics, but for engaging your audience and closing deals.

Let's explore some inspiring investor deck examples including startup pitch deck examples, company pitch deck example, prodduct presentation examples, and other pitch deck types.