So you have developed a mobile app and want to obtain funding for it from angel investors or venture capital firms? A key step in this process is to prepare an effective “pitch deck” that showcases your company, your app, and your management team for prospective investors.
There are a lot of “do’s” and “don’ts” when putting together an investor pitch decks. Be sure to read the comprehensive article How to Create a Great Investor Pitch Deck for Startups Seeking Financing.
In this article, I walk you through the 17 key PowerPoint slides for a winning presentation on Recuperate.com, a hypothetical mobile app company. Obviously, you will need to tailor the deck to your particular company and app, but it’s a good starting point for preparing a investor pitch deck that gets results. (The full sample investor pitch deck is downloadable here.)
1. The Cover Page
The cover page of the pitch deck should be simple—all it needs is the company name, logo, and the title “Executive Summary.” Make sure you add the following at the bottom: “Confidential and Proprietary. Copyright © by [Name of Company]. All Rights Reserved.” And don’t put a date on the cover, as it will look outdated fairly quickly. Here is the cover page for Recuperate.com:
2. The “Company Overview” Slide
After the cover page, it’s useful to summarize your business, the experience of the management team, and any early traction established. This should be done in the Company Overview slide of the investor pitch deck, such as follows:
3. The “Mission/Vision” Slide
In this slide, you want a short summary of both the vision and mission of the company. This shouldn’t be longer than 2-4 sentences. For example:
4. The “Market Opportunity” Slide
The Market Opportunity slide of the deck should show investors that your mobile app addresses a big market opportunity, such as:
5. The “Problem” Slide
You should articulate the problem or need that your mobile app is solving, such as:
6. The “Solution” Slide
The Solution slide of your investor pitch deck should set forth your proposed solution and why it’s better than competitor solutions, such as:
7. The “Product” Slide
The Product slide of the pitch deck should describe your mobile app and why it’s unique. Images, visuals, and videos can be important here. And plan to have a demonstration for investors in person. Here is the slide for Recuperate.com:
8. The “Team” Slide
You want to highlight the experience and background of the key management team in this slide, to reassure investors that you have a dedicated team with the expertise to grow the company significantly. For example:
9. The “Customers and Partnerships” Slide
This is the slide of the investor pitch deck where you highlight early customers or prominent partners, such as:
10. The “Traction” Slide
In this slide of the investor pitch deck, you want to describe any early traction of the company, such as the number of app downloads, press and accolades, and testimonials, such as:
11. The “Business Model” Slide
This slide of the pitch decks outlines how you plan to make money, the pricing model, the long-term value of a customer, and the like, such as:
12. The “Technology” Slide
You want this slide to describe your company’s technology (both existing and proposed) and highlight any proprietary rights such as patents. Here is the slide for Recuperate.com:
13. The “Competition” Slide
Under the Competition slide you should show an understanding of the competitive landscape and your differentiating advantage, such as:
14. The “Marketing Plan” Slide
The Marketing Plan slide of the pitch deck should cover your plan to market the app, customer acquisition costs, PR plans, and social media and viral marketing efforts. For example:
15. The “Financials” Slide
The Financials slide will give the investors an understanding of the company’s current and projected financial picture, such as:
16. The “Ask” Slide
The Ask slide of the investor pitch deck will set forth the amount of financing you are seeking to raise, how long that financing will last, and the key milestones you expect to achieve with that financing. For example:
17. Final Slide
The last slide can be a “thank you” page with testimonials, such as:
For related advice, see:
- 28 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Pitching to Investors
- 17 Key Lessons for Entrepreneurs Starting a Business
- Sample Investor Pitch Deck [downloadable template]
Conclusion
Be sure your pitch deck is professional looking, visually interesting, and thorough. A great investor pitch deck can be invaluable in helping your mobile app startup obtain the angel or VC financing it needs in order to launch and grow.
Copyright © by Richard D. Harroch. All Rights Reserved.
Richard D. Harroch is a Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a large venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on investing in Internet and digital media companies, and he was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, Fox Business, and AllBusiness.com. Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. He was also a corporate partner at the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, with experience in startups, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, and venture capital. Richard can be reached through LinkedIn.
