VC Pitch Deck Examples: What you need to know before pitching

Venture capital is an unpredictable and competitive world. In it, a pitch deck is more than just a presentation—it's the key to opening doors to investment and growth. A well-crafted pitch deck is a multipurpose tool; it secures future meetings with potential investors as a first approach through email, and when pitching in person, it conveys your startup's vision, market opportunity, and growth potential, making it a powerful tool to attract investment opportunities.

The most famous VC firms are notorious among startup founders for two reasons: the extent of the difference securing funds from one of them represents for a startup's growth, and the difficulty of achieving such a feat. It is because of this earned reputation that some investment firms have created their own pitch deck templates, to serve as a reference and measuring bar for their venture firm's standards when receiving pitches.

In this article, we'll dive into what makes a pitch deck for a venture capital firm truly stand out, exploring specific examples that showcase strategies, trends, and key elements that can make or break your pitch.

What are the parts of a VC Pitch Deck?

There are as many schools of thought about the structure of an investor pitch deck as there are VC firms in the world, so it's unreasonable to strive for an infallible recipe — your deck's length and composition will vary depending on factors such as your business model and the market strategy you'll follow. However, the comparison between the pitch deck templates used by some of the top VC firms in the world reveals that there are some slides that are a must for any successful pitch deck:

• Problem
• Solution/Value Proposition
• Business Model
• Competition
• Founding Team
• Fundraising

If you start removing slides that aren't as important as the rest from a pitch deck until you end up with only five of them, these are the ones that would remain. Coincidentally, this matches very well with the structure our team of professional pitch deck writers use on their day-to-day:

While it works as a general outline for your structure, a slide deck that's only 5 slides long could be seriously lacking in critical information. Other slides we recommend you include are a traction slide with some key metrics that prove your company is growing and on the right path, the target market size (often called total addressable market in this context), and some specific information about your business model and revenue growth plan for the near future.

Over the years, some of the most iconic pitch decks following a similar structure have not only secured funding but have also set new standards in how startups present themselves to the world, blazing through a growth trajectory that allowed them to realize —or even surpass— their target market's potential.

Here are some famous VC Firm's pitch deck templates:

Pitch Deck Templates by VC Firms and Accelerators

500 Global

Formerly known as 500 Startups, they are a combined accelerator program and venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology startups. They specifically target companies with internet-based distribution models. Their focus is on companies that have launched products, shown validation and traction, and have simple revenue models. Some success stories from their portfolio include Solana, Talkdesk, Reddit, and Slidebean.

This template, created from their official guide "Pitch Perfect: How to Make a Standout Pitch Deck for 500 Startups," will help increase your chances of success by outlining key elements to include and strategies for making a professional, engaging pitch.

Slides Included:

Your Logo & Elevator Pitch, Problem, Solution, How It Works, Traction, Business Model, Competition, Market Opportunity, Progress to Date, Team.

Sequoia Capital

With a rich legacy that spans decades, this firm is renowned for its ability to pinpoint transformative startup ideas and execute successful investments in them. Their expertise encompasses tech startups and various other industries, including technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors.

With companies such as Google, Apple, Whatsapp, Airbnb, and Youtube in their portfolio, it's no wonder that startups seeking funds from Sequoia Capital face an extremely competitive selection process that demands a compelling narrative to stand out among the competition. This template is partly based on the Sequoia Capital guide to writing a Business Plan.

Slides Included:

Problem, Solution, Why Now?, Market Size, Competition, Product, Business Model, Team, Board/Advisors, Financial Model, Fundraising.

Y Combinator

Y Combinator has changed the game of early-stage funding by pioneering the accelerator model. Twice a year, the firm selects a batch of startups to participate in its intensive program, where they receive seed funding, mentorship, and access to a vast network of investors and industry experts.

Notable alumni include companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe, which have collectively transformed entire industries. Y Combinator's success rate and ability to identify and nurture unicorn-level startups have made it a cornerstone of Silicon Valley’s innovation scene.

This guide is a remake of YC's guide to building seed round pitch decks.

Slides Included:

Cover, The Problem, The Solution, Traction, Revenue, Secret Sauce, Business Model, Market Size, Team, Fundraising.

NextView Ventures

NextView Ventures has carved out a niche by focusing on early-stage companies that are building solutions for ordinary consumers and businesses. The firm’s investment thesis centers around the idea of the "Everyday Economy," backing startups that offer products and services that enhance people's daily lives in meaningful ways.

This pitch deck template is a combination of their Investment Proposal template and their Template for Startup Pitch Decks.

Slides Included:

Executive Summary, The Problem, The Solution, Go-To-Market, Market Size, Traction, Roadmap, FAQs Appendix.

Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki is a well-known figure in venture capital, technology, and marketing. Kawasaki played a pivotal role in marketing the Macintosh in 1984 and advised Google's Motorola division, coined the term "evangelist" in marketing, and has held major strategic positions at Apple, Mercedes-Benz, Canva, and more.

This pitch deck template is based on his 10-slides approach.

Slides Included:

Title, Problem/Opportunity, Value Proposition, Underlying Magic, Business Model, Go-To-Market Plan, Competitive Analysis, Management Team, Financial Projections and Key Metrics, Milestones/Roadmap and Use of Funds.

Ratan Tata

As the former chairman of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata played a pivotal role in transforming the conglomerate into a global powerhouse. Under his leadership from 1991 to 2012, the Tata Group expanded its footprint across various industries, including steel, automotive, telecommunications, and hospitality, with notable acquisitions like Jaguar, Land Rover, and Corus Steel. At the same time as he expanded his industrialist empire, he dedicated a good part of his resources to investing personally in local startups, revitalizing the ecosystem in the East Hemisphere.

This deck is comprised of 16 slides where he shares basic definitions, the pitch structure he recommends, and useful tips.

Slides Included:

Problem, Solution, Unique Selling Proposition, Competition & Barrier to Entry, Revenue Model, Target Market, Product/Service, Milestones, Funding So Far, The Team.

Peter Thiel

A founder, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist who's legendary on all three fronts, Peter Thiel used his experience as an early investor of Facebook, SpaceX, Airbnb, and Stripe to break down what constitutes a good pitch deck to him. This was back in 2012, so the overall style is out of fashion in favor of less text-heavy slides, but the example is still valuable to this day.

Slides Included:

Cover, Problem and Solution, Team, The Product & Unit Economics, The Target Market, Market Opportunity and Competition, Barriers to Entry & Exit/Sales Plan, Funding History & Use of Proceeds, Future Prospects & Vision, Contact, Financial Model.

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