…

Some say fundraising is an art. Building a pitch deck is not, it’s almost science.

While you and every company is different, the best story flow is often the same. Be smart, unique and daring about your content with great visualisations and sharp copy. But conformist about the structure and flow.

This template is based on learnings from thousands of decks, investing in dozens of startups and helping 100s more to raise their rounds. With more than 100’000 cumulated views since 2021, we update this recipe like guide and template once a year to capture the subtle nuances of what investors are looking for today.

We recommend that you browse through the example story below first; if you are ready to get started here the template slides:

→ v4.0 J12 seed deck template slides (2024)

→ v4.1 Story example “Pitch deck pitch” (2024)

…

First, tell a simple, concise, story

Tell a story
This is why 1-pagers are the worst in my opinion. The way to check if you have a good story is by reading only your titles, or even copying them in a separate document, and testing whether they read out as a concise 30 sec elevator pitch. If they do - you’ve got a good story flow. Otherwise, back to work.
Keep it simple
Explaining even something complicated simply shows skill and authority, not the other way around. Few will decline a first meeting because your deck is too simple. But many because they don’t understand it.
Be concise
“You had my curiosity, now you have my attention.” — that’s what you need. The more in depth insights you can explain in a meeting to demonstrate that you know your stuff in detail. But by making your slides lengthy you will lose the flow, your audience, the interest, and your funding.

…

Second, use slide titles as take-aways

Slide titles = the one key argument = story flow ensured

Commit to one argument that you want to make in your story and put it in your “title”. Use anything below the title to support your argument.
Don’t mix several arguments: E.g. an argument about market fragmentation with the size of the market and the go to market strategy - that’s too much. In that case split the points in several slides:
- Slide: “The market fragmentation is ideal for a marketplace”
- Next slide: “A growing multi billion market” [technically I made two points, but they deliver the same argument]
- Next slide: “First we target businesses with less than 20 employees”

…

The story flow — 12 to 15 slides

The outline following a proven flow to tell a story in 60 seconds:

Front page
Yes- / Foreplay-slide™
Problem
Solution (hypothesis)
Team and mission
Product
Network effects
Traction
Market opportunity
Why now
Competition
Mission/vision

Secondary slides

Business Model
Go to market
Growth plan

Here’s the example story, The Pitch Deck pitch:

…

1. Front Page

The first slide is like a landing page for VCs. It should quickly put readers into the right mindset. I recommend to have your “value proposition” or mission as the main title, and if necessary add something about your product, like here “The J12 Seed Pitch Deck Template 2024” - while “Create a compelling story to raise capital from anyone” is the value proposition, what users or readers get out of the service or product.

…

2. The “Yes-slide” or “Foreplay-slide™”

Pitch Deck Template Yes Slide for Investors

What happens in the analytical head of a VC when they look at your deck? Sadly, they try to find “the flaw” in your opportunity and logic to save time and move on. That’s why I recommend you to have a “Yes-slide” or a “Foreplay-slide” in the very beginning — maybe even two. Typically, it describes a fairly obvious trend or opportunity that opens the reader's eyes to what is coming after. It eases into the deck, increases understanding, interest, and continued reading. Simply put, the foreplay to the main action.

…

3. Problem

There are two ways you can go. Try to make people feel the pain emotionally or with data. The goal is the same, be clear about what problem you solve. Be clear about how painful it is. Be clear that it IS a problem. Unless you are selling a consumer product, chances are most people haven’t personally felt this problem before. You have 7 seconds to make them feel empathy with your target group.

…

4. Solution hypothesis

Solution (hypothesis) is the abstract version or approach to the problem but not your product per se. This is the main use case that your product solves. Sometimes this is unproven and hence a hypothesis - which is important to set straight if you build a novel product. It is helpful to the reader to understand what hypothesis of the solution you are building your product on. If they agree, it will make seeing value in the product much easier.

…

5. Team (and mission)

If you can tie together your background and mission that should make for a powerful title, covering motivation and credibility to build what you are building. If you have relevant advisors/ investors it can be worthwhile adding those but distinguish clearly, otherwise it might make you look weak or insecure rather than the opposite.

…

6. Product (Demo)

How your solutions work in practice or at least a feel for it. A short demo video (or gif) might be the most efficient way to explain your product at a high level. The reader does not need to fully understand it, just understand the approach to the problem at this point.

…

7. (Data/AI) Network Effects

Seed pitch deck template on AI network effects

Explain how you can build a defensible moat over time against competitors by either getting access to proprietary data and/or build a uniquely valuable AI model that your customers will value.

Other network effects could come from marketplace dynamics or more traditional SaaS moats where selling more gives you better insights and more resources to build a better product.

…

8. Traction

Showing that you have momentum and made progress is useful for somebody that only gets a snapshot of where you are right now. Make them feel that you’ve achieved something, worked hard, and made progress. It might be hard to show pre-launch, hence a time-line of milestones could help or otherwise something that illustrates that you have and will move faster than your competitors.

…

9. Market opportunity

Starting with the overall size of the market can help to show the long term potential and to dream big. At the same time it’s important to narrow down the initial target customers so as not to seem theoretical and naive — and it must tie in with your “go-to-market” strategy and the segments you seek to address first.

…

10. Why now

This might be one of your most important arguments while often being based on somewhat subjective “beliefs” but after all the question arises “why has nobody done this before?” — make it easy for the newly arrived reader to convert them into a believer. Use visuals where possible. You can do better than this example, but even when basic it does make a point and helps the story.

…

11. Competition

What’s interesting to see here - besides your product being better of course - what factors are the ones that you deem to value important for your customer segment.

If you chose a matrix graph the choice of axes say more than you being top right… What are the key success factors to win?

If you are creating a new market / behaviour / product competition is often less direct — you can then list what other services or behaviours provide a competing purpose. (e.g. “Walking” as a competitor to taking a “bike” — although you can’t buy walking…).

…

12. Vision

If it feels too cheesy, skip it. But after all having a northstar is helpful to build a business and attract talent so you might as well think about it. A grand vision often sell better than pure financial gains.

…

That’s 12 slides.

60 seconds.

Millions of $.

…

If you think you are missing important aspects even if your deck is just a first impression, you could add for example a slides on:

Business model
Go to market
Growth plan

You will find those and more slide ideas in the full template.