Your pitch deck is often the first touch point with potential partners and investors. So it’s crucial to get it right. The challenge: A strong Investor Pitch Deck requires a combination of marketing, product, and financial information. But what does that mean? And how can Fintalent’s Investor Pitch Deck consultants help you get there? Let’s take a look.
What is an Investor Pitch Deck?
Your Investor Pitch Deck is a presentation document that provides investors with basic information about your business, the problems you’re solving, and how you plan to solve them.
The most common application for Pitch Decks is to – well – pitch! The first thing that most investors will ask you for is a pitch deck.
The issue with creating a strong pitch deck is that it needs to be straight to the point, but offer enough depth. So what does a strong Investor Pitch Deck need to include?
What does an Investor Pitch Deck need to include?
An Investor Pitch Deck contains, in different shapes or orders, these 7 components.
1) Market / Problem space analysis
Which market are you playing in? What category are you pursuing? Are you tackling an existing market (“Red ocean”) or trying to create a new one (“Blue ocean”)? This is the most fundamental question for investors, as it defines the potential upside and scale of an investment. Because, like Marc Andreessen would say – Product/Market Fit doesn’t only mean that your product fits into a market, it also means that the market is a good market – one that’s big enough for your ambitions.
2) What problem you’re solving
In any given market there are a number of problems to solve. But as a startup, you have to choose one problem to focus on. Focus is everything. So you’ll need to define the problem you’re solving very clearly in your Investor Pitch Deck.
3) Target group analysis
If you know which problem you’re solving, you also understand who you’re solving it for. It’s crucial to not only understand the market size, but also understand the drivers of your target group. This will later define your marketing strategy, and is a key part of a strong value proposition.
4) Why you’re different / Value proposition
The Value Proposition is essentially just a statement: We solve X by doing Y for Z. But this statement can be difficult to come by. The key in today’s market is to be different, and that’s what you should communicate in your pitch deck, alongside the competitive environment. There are other players out there doing a thing that could replace your business. So how are you different? An example from our side: Fintalent is different because we’re the only talent marketplace that’s exclusively focused on M&A professionals.
5) Traction
Enough storytelling, let’s get to the hard facts. Even if you’re pre-revenue, your investors will want to see some numbers on your traction. This can be signups, pre-orders, LOI’s… If you’re pitching an investor at any stage, you should be beyond just having a fictional idea somewhere on a white board.
6) Financials & Forecast
This is where things can get tricky in an Investor Pitch Deck: It’s incredibly difficult to make an accurate Financial Forecast in an early-stage company. That’s why this so-called equity story is a crucial mix of financial understanding and storytelling. Elements of market analysis should be combined with realistic growth scenarios based on the amount you’re raising. This is usually where our clients need the most help from our Investor Pitch Deck consultants.
7) Team
Especially early-stage investors mostly invest in strong teams. So show your credentials and why your team is a match made in heaven.
What should you avoid in your Investor Pitch Deck?
Investor Pitch Decks are a strange hybrid of storytelling and financial information. Your mix should be very balanced, so avoid at all costs:
- To only focus on metrics and forget about the story
- To get lost in technical details (nobody cares and most investors don’t even understand them)
- To leave out crucial financial information
Ready to go?
Fintalent’s Investor Pitch Deck consultants are ready to get your Pitch Deck up to speed! Get in touch today.
