The Perfect Pitch Deck Based on Data & Facts + 10 Examples
The Perfect Pitch Deck Based on Data & Facts + 10 Examples
Synthesizing Insights From the Data
👋 Hi, I’m Andre and welcome to my newsletter Data-driven VC which is all about becoming a better investor with data & AI. Every Tuesday, I publish “Insights” to digest the most relevant startup research & reports. Every Thursday, I publish “Essays” that cover hands-on insights about data-driven innovation & AI in VC, and every Sunday, I publish “Picks” to spotlight the hottest Stealth, Early, and Growth Startups. Follow along to understand how startup investing becomes more data-driven, why it matters, and what it means for you.
Brought to you by Harmonic - The Startup Discovery Engine
Harmonic identifies visionary entrepreneurs launching companies before any other provider. By analyzing backgrounds, tracking talent movements, monitoring new filings, and keeping tabs on social media updates, we discover startups 6-12 months ahead of the competition.
Cutting Through the Noise
Another day, another pitch deck guide? If you've ever tried searching for advice on building a pitch deck, you know how overwhelming it can be. With over 20 million results 🤯 on Google for "perfect pitch deck," the information on the topic is overwhelming and incredibly varied in quality and consistency.
Many of these resources even contradict each other, leaving entrepreneurs confused about which path to follow. This conflicting advice can make the already daunting task of securing funding even more challenging.
Your pitch deck is often the first and thus most important impression investors get of your startup—it’s your central door opener in the fundraising process. In fact, a staggering 89% of investors expect to see a pitch deck before they even consider a potential investment opportunity. Despite this expectation, less than 1% of startups actually secure any amount of funding (National Venture Capital Association, 2022). These statistics highlight just how crucial it is to get your pitch deck right from the start.
We've taken the time to review the literature and delve into the data to bring you a reliable, evidence-based assessment of what makes a pitch deck truly successful. Our goal is to provide you with grounded, practical guidance that you can trust and implement with confidence + share some real-world examples at the end of this post.
Note that we focused specifically on the pre-seed and seed stages. As startups progress beyond these stages, pitch decks tend to become more varied based on quantitative metrics indicative for the respective business.
The Basics: What to Expect From Your Fundraise
Time is of the essence—literally. According to DocSend (2024), the average investor spends just 2 minutes and 12 seconds reviewing a pitch deck. That means you have a razor-thin window to capture attention and make a compelling case for your startup.
But even with a stellar pitch deck, securing funding is no small feat. On average, founders need to pitch to about 40 investors over 12 weeks to close a round Shuaib (2024). It’s a process that requires persistence, but also strategic planning.
Fundraising isn’t a steady game; it has peaks and valleys. Traditional wisdom suggests some declines in investor activity during the summer months and around the Christmas holidays. While Holloway (2024) finds a lack of seasonality in VC funding based on the date of announcements, the start of the fundraise and initial buy-in from the investors is what really matters - and this should not be tested during holiday season. If you get the right level of attention and FOMO, the rest will follow.
Probably even more important than the timing of the raise is the people and firms you reach out to. It’s not a numbers game. Simply reaching out to more investors doesn’t equate to better outcomes. In fact, the correlation between the number of investors you contact and the funds you raise is surprisingly weak (DocSend, 2024).