How to create an investor pitch deck that attracts funding

In the high-stakes world of startups and investment, attention is the most expensive currency. 

Founders burn months building the product – but only get minutes to sell the vision. That's where the pitch deck comes in. Attracting investors is rarely straightforward, and sometimes, the only thing standing between “let’s talk” and “we’ll pass” is this strategic document only.

Does a perfect startup pitch deck formula exist? Let’s break down what really makes your project stand out to investors and how to craft one that gets noticed.

What is a pitch deck?

A pitch deck is a short, functional slide presentation that founders use to communicate their startup’s vision, value, and potential – typically to investors, partners, or stakeholders. 

It condenses the essence of the entrepreneurial venture into a compelling narrative, supported by visuals, data, and clarity. An investor pitch deck is a powerful tool that serves a distinct role: let your business tell a story. A story that excites and conveys – ultimately unlocking the path to the next step in your fundraising journey.

Pitch deck for investors: primary goals

In the startup ecosystem, when discussing what is the purpose of a pitch deck, it’s often said that it's not aiming to secure funding immediately but to ignite enthusiasm – leading to a second meeting, a follow-up email, or a request for details. It may hold the merit: after all, VCs and angels are inundated with offerings and need a compelling reason to engage further.

However, it's crucial to remember that the endgame is exactly capital. There’s no point in capturing attention if it doesn’t result in financial commitment. That’s why the core goal of a pitch deck is to clearly lay out why this startup deserves investment – and why the right time is now.

Fundraising has both a rational and an emotional component. The “wow” factor made by a compelling design or strong message might open the door, but it’s the substance that gets you invited in. And that’s where proof, persuasion, and figures make all the difference. 

“The primary job of a pitch deck is simple: inform and spark interest. There’s no recipe for success in deciding where to place your bet: sometimes numbers win, sometimes conception speaks louder. 

In my experience, the best investor decks are born from the synergy of experienced business analytics, curious designers, and founders who truly care.”

– Maria Kravchinskaja, CDO at SolveIt

Investor pitch deck: a few figures

When it comes to fundraising, the question isn't just whether your startup is promising: it's whether that promise can be understood fast. Mastering how to create a pitch deck for investors could be your strongest competitive edge. Let’s dive into the stats, and you’ll see this isn’t an exaggeration but a reflection of the reality every founder is up against.

More than 1,000 pitch decks are created every day.

That means your deck isn’t just one of many: you're not just competing against “meh” investor decks: you’re competing against hundreds of polished, investor-ready ones. To stand out, you need more than just good content; you need clarity, strategy, and storytelling that resonates.

89% of venture capitalists expect to receive a pitch deck. 

Not hope, but expect! It’s no longer optional, this is the price of entry. Skipping the deck or sending a messy one can quietly disqualify you before the conversation even starts. This is the first step in building a relationship with future investors, and it must be flawless.

Only 1% of pitch decks actually lead to funding. 

That stat alone puts things into perspective. So, when you’re part of that 1%, it’s not about luck. It’s about getting everything right: from the narrative to the design and the data. Your deck has to make an impact in a matter of seconds. By the way, what concerns time…

Founders have about 3 minutes and 44 seconds to make an impact.

It seems making a cup of coffee might take longer. So, when you're thinking about how to create a pitch deck that stands out, remember: you have a narrow window to make your case. Every slide, word, and visual must work hard to deliver value fast (before their coffee gets cold).

Pitch decks with visual elements are 43% more persuasive. 

Good design isn’t about aesthetics or trendy motion effects, it's about making complex ideas easy to grasp. Visuals help investors quickly understand your business model, traction, and opportunity without wading through tomes of text.

Importance of a pitch deck for investors in securing funding 

The fact is, when deciding whether to invest or not, several factors come into play: the domain, the stage of the startup, and traction on the project. With thousands of founders chasing the same pool of capital, competition isn’t just high – it’s compressed into inboxes, introduction calls, and slides. 

So, how to make a pitch deck that does more than impress? When preparing to enter this competitive arena, it's crucial to keep these critical insights in mind. 

• Your pitch deck is often the first point of contact, and in many cases, the first filter.

Before a meeting, before a conversation, investors will judge your business based on your deck alone. It’s the first line of defense, where you either stand out or blend into the noise.

That’s why context matters: a startup in a high-growth domain may naturally spark more excitement, simply because investors already recognize the market potential. But even in a hot sector, your project is not the only one in their inbox, so your investor pitch deck must clearly communicate the unique value and opportunity your niche represents.

• Investors don’t have the luxury of time to go through long reports or presentations.

Investors’ time is precious and in limited supply. A great pitch deck allows delivering critical information in a format that’s easy to digest at a glance.

They shouldn't figure out where you stand or what you need – that clarity has to come through instantly. That’s why understanding your stage is critical: it directly shapes what your presentation should emphasize. Whether it’s market insight at pre-seed or scalability at Series A, your startup pitch deck needs to reflect exactly where you are, without ambiguity.

• A polished investor pitch reflects your startup’s level of preparation and maturity.

A well-organized presentation signals that you have the expertise and resources to back it up. It shows that you value investors’ time and are ready to execute on your vision. 

No one wants to invest in a project with a team that's just waiting for things to magically happen. Whether it's your first prototype or wireframe examples, landing page with early customers, or a clear roadmap on how to build an MVP – it's crucial for VCs and angels that founders take proactive steps, gain traction, and clearly know how they will use the money.

Pitch deck structure: key components of an impressive presentation

Every piece of information in your investor pitch deck, whether visual, textual, or otherwise, should convince the investor that your startup will grow by X times if given N dollars right now. Nothing in this asset should be there just for decoration or because “it can’t hurt.” 

A great pitch deck for investors is concise, meaningful, and laser-focused – every slide earns its place. We won’t focus here on basic slides like the cover or contact information: let's dive into the core ones that can truly make or break your fundraising success.

"Typically, a successful pitch deck structure consists of 10-15 slides. The best practice is to create a couple of versions of your presentation – a concise summary, highlighting only the key points for live presentations, and another more detailed for follow-up discussions or documentary review. 

This approach allows you to engage investors effectively at different stages of interaction.” 

– Maria Kravchinskaja, CDO at SolveIt 

Problem statement: identifying the market gap

No problem – no startup. The statement should be done in a way that anyone, even those unfamiliar with the industry and hearing about the product for the first time, can easily interpret the point and, moreover, pay for solving it.

Expert tip: The discovery phase can serve as a solid foundation for gathering real user insights and clearly defining the market gap you're solving.

Competitive analysis: discovering competitors and your advantages

Finding a true “blue ocean” in 2025 is rare: almost every industry is crowded. Use a comparative table or a Gartner Magic Quadrant for clarity. Highlight 3-4 killer advantages that directly show why your solution outperforms the competition.

Expert tip: Better yet, explain how your competitors make money and how you’ll do it differently (or better). If possible, reference how much funding they’ve raised. 

Solution: presenting your product or service

Prepare use cases to make it clear that the product actually solves the problem better than anything else and how it does so in simple steps, even outside the context that any person would understand. Screens, videos, UX flows, or prototypes are also powerful here. 

Expert tip: Leverage MVP development services for startups to transform your core idea into a tangible product that investors can see, test, and truly believe in.

Market opportunity: defining the target market and size

Each investor dreams of a unicorn. Why? Because only a large market can generate the kind of capital that can return – and only a growing one allows you to scale without having to fight existing players for every inch of market share.

Expert tip: Use a bottom-up estimate (refers to calculating market potential based on actual data and smaller, more specific metrics) and respect the reliability of stats sources.

Business model: explaining revenue generation

What's your pricing? How do you earn? What does your unit economics look like? A pitch deck for investors is aiming to demonstrate a clear link between your investment ask and the expected return, so use facts and math for that.  

Expert tip: Focus on key metrics like LTV (Customer Lifetime Value) to CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) proportion, contribution margin, and retention rate, as these provide investors with a clear review of your business's financial health.

“It’s an unspoken rule that investors typically consider 3 for LTV/CAC ratio as the minimum acceptable number – it’s a good benchmark to aim for.”

– Natalia Ivleva, Lead BA at SolveIt

Go-to-market strategy: marketing and sales approach

How will you attract users or customers? Go beyond “social media”: what’s the sequence, how will you distribute the product, and why? Who are your early adopters? Show that you’re not just hoping for organic growth, but you understand how it is built.

Expert tip: Don’t just list channels – map the user journey. Show how each step of your marketing or sales funnel converts awareness into action. 

Traction: showcasing achievements and metrics

This is the investor pitch deck's slide where you prove movement. When someone asks about your traction, you should highlight the tangible results you've achieved. This can be measured through various meaningful metrics: revenue, number of orders/customers, social proof, etc.

Expert tip: If you’ve already tested any hypotheses (ads, waitlists, partnerships, published MVP example), share the numbers that confirm users’ willingness to pay.

Financial projections: overview of financial forecasts

Show revenue, costs, and unit economics over the next 3–5 years. Your financial overview should include not only the expected app development cost but also the investment needed for marketing, design, and business operations.

Expert tip: Avoid top-down projections like “If we capture just 1% of the market…” – they signal a lack of strategy. Instead, build a bottom-up forecast based on real-world variables. 

Funding ask: clarifying the amount needed and its uses

What is a pitch deck with no investment ask? This slide is your chance to clearly state how much capital you’re raising and exactly how it will be used. Clearly present exactly where the money goes – or they’ll assume you don’t know either.

Expert tip: Tie each dollar to a clear goal. Break it into categories: product, marketing, hiring, etc. Show how it helps you hit the next milestone.

Team: highlighting key team members and expertise

Investors hand money directly to founders, not to a project or a market. All core competencies must be covered within the team – or within a strategy for any gaps to fill. Every team member should have relevant experience that directly supports their role.

Expert tip: If you're outsourcing UI/UX design services, app development process, or advanced tech like AI/ML, briefly explain why – to gain expertise, reduce costs, etc.

How to make a pitch deck for investors: 5-step full guide

We've covered what a pitch deck is and what information it should include. Now let's talk about the process itself. What are the key steps?

Step 1. Define your message and target audience

• Clarify your core promise. What is the single most important idea you want investors to remember? Your deck should be built around this central narrative.

• Know your audience. Who are you pitching to – angels, VCs, accelerators? What do they care about: scalability, team, speed to market? Tailor your message accordingly.

Step 2. Craft a compelling narrative

• Tell a story. Investors remember narratives better than lists. Frame the journey: problem → tension → solution → upside. Connect emotionally first, validate with facts second.

• Keep language simple. Avoid technical jargon, and always remember that no one has to be aware of your startup's context, so keep it clear. 

• Show the future. End the narrative with a clear “where this goes next,” so investors can picture the scale of their return.

Step 3. Structure the deck 

• Outline before you design. Sketch the classic flow that fits your narrative, and then decide what must live on each slide.

• Keep it lean. Up to fifteen slides, one core idea per slide. If a detail doesn’t push the story forward, move it to an appendix.

• Make data visual. Charts beat paragraphs, screenshots beat descriptions. Leverage content hierarchy, live product mock‑ups, and contrast-colored charts.

Step 4. Refine with real feedback

• Pressure-test early. Send the rough deck to three profiles: a customer (clarity), a domain expert (accuracy), and a friendly investor (deal logic). Ask for the review and advice. 

• Listen for hesitation. Pay attention not just to what reviewers say, but where they pause, re-read, or seem confused – those are weak points.

• Iterate fast. Two or three feedback cycles usually expose 90% of issues. Don’t obsess over polish until the story passes the sniff test.

Step 5. Design the deck

• Choose an investor‑minded design partner. They stress‑test every slide, align visuals with strategy, and keep you in control of the narrative, not the template.

• Keep everything under one roof. When your deck is created by the same team that built your brand identity, prototype, etc., it becomes a natural extension of your product.

• Treat design as a strategic asset. Your app design cost becomes an investment in a growth story, delivering more ROI than building unvalidated MVP features.

“If your resources are limited and you're considering cutting back – including the pitch deck as a design artifact – it's worth reconsidering your budget priorities. A solid discovery phase and an investor pitch deck built on that data are often your smartest investment.

A vendor offering end-to-end services assigns a single, integrated team – meaning you won’t pay twice for scattered inputs. They’ll leverage discovery insights and align them with product strategy, turning your pitch deck into a cohesive, investment-ready story.”

– Natalia Ivleva, Lead BA at SolveIt

Final words

Creating a pitch deck that captures investors’ attention is both an art and a science. With years of hands-on experience and deep expertise in UX/UI design, app development, and business consulting, we support startups in developing clear, impactful decks that showcase their unique story and growth prospects.

Let’s build a pitch deck for investors that reflects your goals and helps investors understand your potential.