![\"Investor](\"/images/cms/image.png\")
When starting a business, or even many years in, one of the more painstaking tasks to go through when looking for funding is to build your Investor Ready Pitch Deck.
\n\n\n\nA well-crafted pitch deck is your ‘business card’ to investors. It should showcase your company’s uniqueness and convey the story of why investors should invest in you, and not in the hundreds of other opportunities they get to see.
\n\n\n\nYour pitch deck should be easily readable, while answering 99% of the reader’s questions in a 5 to 10 minute read. It should also support you and help you shine during your in-person presentations to investors.
\n\n\n\nFollowing this guide, you will be able to produce a professionally structured, beautifully visualized pitch deck that excites investors about your business.
\n\n\n\nA pitch deck is a presentation that provides an overview of your company business plan. It is a powerful tool that helps you effectively communicate your vision, value proposition and business opportunity to potential investors, clients, partners, or employees.
\n\n\n\nAs an entrepreneur, one of the essential skills you need to master is the art of pitching your business. A well-structured and visually appealing pitch deck can significantly increase your chances of securing the support, funding, or partnership you need to take your business to the next level.
\n\n\n\nYour pitch deck is your entry point to start conversations with investors. Typically, your pitch deck is the first document that you share with potential investors when you want them to consider entrusting you with their capital. All businesses need a pitch deck when fundraising, for several reasons:
\n\n\n\nA pitch deck can be as detailed or concise as required, depending on the business’s needs at the time. Often, you may have several versions of your pitch, depending on the audience, the length of your presentation, or the stage of your conversation. We will get to several versions of your pitch a bit later.
\n\n\n\nA strong pitch should typically include the following 13 sections:
\n\n\n\nYour executive summary is vital to your pitch, providing the audience with a snapshot of what you plan to accomplish. Depending on the length of your pitch, the executive summary can range from just one paragraph to a full page.
\n\n\n\nIf you decide to go with a short, one paragraph summary, describe your company offering, the target customer, the problem you are solving and your competitive advantage. Here is an example.
\n\n\n\nModeliks is a business planning SaaS software that helps startups and SMEs to plan, fundraise and manage their business. A fully guided financial planning solution, investor ready pitch and business plan templates, and one click management reporting tools allow ANYONE to create a professional business plan and track the performance of their business, 10 times faster and 100 times cheaper.
\n\n\n\nIf you decide to go with a more comprehensive summary, then:
\n\n\n\nExplain the key problems that your target customers are facing and that your business solves. The problems demonstrate the necessity of your product or service in the market.
\n\n\n\nThe problems should be concise (one to three problems), easy for the audience to understand and big enough for the audience to care. If you can: (1) quantify the problems with numbers, (2) write them in a way that the audience can connect with the problems on a personal level and (3) show that someone important in your field has also identified these important problems.
\n\n\n\nThe ideal response from your audience should be: “Yes, these are real and big problems, and if solved, the customer will switch to using your product or service”. Here is the Modeliks example.
\n\n\n\nDescribe your solution to the problem in simple words. Your solution should be closely linked to the problems you had identified. Keep it simple for the audience to understand it and think to themselves: “Yes, this solution really solves those big problems.” If you are not getting this reaction from readers, rewrite it.
\n\n\n\nHere is the Modeliks Example.
\n\n\n\n![\"Investor](\"/images/cms/image-1.png\")
This section should provide a detailed description of the products or services the business offers. It should include features, benefits, pricing and distribution channels. Don’t be shy with explaining the uniqueness and value proposition in some detail, and qualify the reasons for your customers loving your product or service. In some cases, you already explained your product in the solution slide. If so, you can skip this slide.
\n\n\n\nBuild a visual representation of the market, and how much of your market you plan to capture.
\n\n\n\nDefine your (1) target customers and their needs and wants (2) how many customers are there in your target geography and market segment, (3) how much money they spend on similar products annually (market size) and (4) how much will the market grow in the next 5 years. The more stats and data you have from relevant and reputable sources like statistics bureaus or academic research, the better. Quote your research and give credit where credit is due!
\n\n\n\nTo start, consider your product or service. What need does it fill? Who would be most likely to use it? Once you have a good idea of your target customer, you can research their demographics (age, location, gender, etc.), lifestyle choices, and buying habits.
\n\n\n\nThere are many ways to gather this information. You can conduct surveys or interviews with people in your target market, look at data from similar businesses, or use online resources.
\n\n\n\nInvestors like to see that lots of people experience the problems that you are solving. This gives them an idea of the revenue potential for your business and the size of the opportunity.
\n\n\n\nHere is the Modeliks example.
\n\n\n\n![\"Investor](\"/images/cms/image-2.png\")
This section provides an analysis of the competitive landscape in your sector. You should identify the main competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and their market share. It should also provide insights into how the business will compete and differentiate itself.
\n\n\n\nYou should convince your audience of two things:
\n\n\n\n1) That you know your competitors as well as you know your product and customer, and
\n\n\n\n2) that your solution is different and better than theirs.
\n\n\n\nThis is best done by identifying the critical success factors for your business, or the key criteria that customers consider when making a purchasing decision, and then comparing your business to your main competitors on those factors.
\n\n\n\nAgain, visualize your position against the competition. You can achieve this through:
\n\n\n\nHere is the Modeliks example.
\n\n\n\n![\"Investor](\"/images/cms/image-3.png\")
Knowing your competition is as important as knowing your product and your customer. It’s simply impossible to convince investors that you will succeed if you don’t know your competition. Also, do not mention ‘we don’t have competition because we are unique’ – in such case, you are missing the indirect competition that in one way or the other already addresses your customer’s needs.
\n\n\n\nUse this slide to show that now is the right time to be in this business. Your idea can be great, but if the time is not right, there is a higher risk of failure. For example, a subscription business idea could have been great even 20 years ago, but there was no cloud infrastructure to support such business.
\n\n\n\nIn this slide, you want to show specific market trends that confirm the need for your product in the market. In addition to an existing need, if the trends show expected rapid market growth, then you have hit the jackpot. Market trends could include changes in consumer behavior, emerging technologies, regulatory shifts or market growth projections.
\n\n\n\nBelow is the Modeliks example. It shows that 5 years ago, very few companies were ready to use SaaS business planning software. Just 5 years later, the majority of companies are looking to switch from standard spreadsheet and word tools to SaaS business planning software. This is a shift in user behavior that confirms both the customer need and rapid growth in the market for SaaS business planning software.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"/images/cms/image-4.png\")
Use your market and competitive analysis to craft a marketing strategy that will help you reach your target market. How will you communicate with your target market? What channels and media will you use? What message will you communicate?
\n\n\n\nExplain to your investors how are you going to advertise and sell your product to your target customer.
\n\n\n\nWe recommend using one of three frameworks for describing your marketing strategy:
\n\n\n\nWhichever framework you decide to use, make sure that you include the activities you will perform to attract customers and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that you measure in order to evaluate the success of your marketing strategy.
\n\n\n\nHere is the Modeliks example.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"/images/cms/image-5.png\")
The best way to convince investors to believe in you is to show them a record of success. Use this slide to prove, beyond doubt, that your customers confirm that you have a great product that they love using.
\n\n\n\nFor existing companies, this is quite easy. Include quantitative information about the recent performance of your company showing fast growth in your revenues, number of customers, customer satisfaction scores, customer reviews, profits, repeat usage by customers, engaged and growing followers on social media, etc.
\n\n\n\nIf you are a startup that has not launched yet, creating the traction slide is much more difficult, but just as important. You don’t have past revenue or customer data, so what you can use for the traction slide are contracts or letters of interest from potential customers, quotes from potential customers, survey results, endorsements from experts in your field, results of beta testing, results of technical tests vs competition, etc. Getting any of this information is not always easy, but it is worth the effort.
\n\n\n\nThe roadmap shows the most important milestones your company has achieved in the past and the planned major milestones going forward. Use the roadmap to show how efficient your company has been in delivering major milestones and the direction you are going towards in the future.
\n\n\n\nThe team slide is one of the 3 most important slides in your pitch deck, especially for startup businesses. Investors invest in the team first and then in the idea. Even if investors believe that you have a billion-dollar idea, you still must convince them that you and your team have the right skills and experience to make the business successful. Here is your chance to showcase your relevant experience and success. For each core team member, you should mention the relevant companies and positions they have held and the number of years of relevant experience. Make sure your core team covers the key areas of business: management, technical skills and marketing and sales capabilities and have a unique edge to compete in the space.
\n\n\n\nDescribe your ask for funding on a single slide. It’s crucial to clearly communicate the following messages:
\n\n\n\nHere is an example.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"/images/cms/image-6.png\")
Your financial plan is a key component of your story. Investors want to see that you are ambitious and that you plan to make them a lot of money with their investment. Startups are risky investments, so investors expect high returns. The earlier the stage of the company, the higher expected returns. At the same time, if your financial plans are clearly unrealistic, you will turn off some investors. So, find a balance between ambitious and possible financial numbers.
\n\n\n\nInclude Revenue, Revenue growth, EBITDA or Net Income, EBITDA margin or Net Income margin and Free Cash Flow as key financial numbers. You can also include some operational numbers like the number of clients. More detailed financial information like Profit and Loss Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement would go in the appendix.
\n\n\n\nIf your business has been operational for some time, include the same data for the previous 1 to 3 years.
\n\n\n\nUse charts, where you can, to show the key financial information. Tables are boring, if there are too many of them.
\n\n\n\nHere is an example.
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"/images/cms/image-7.png\")
This section includes additional information that supports the pitch and your story, such as market research, legal documents, and resumes of key personnel, detailed financial information.
\n\n\n\nHere are some Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind as you develop your kick-ass pitch deck:
\n\n\n\nIn your journey to raising funds, you will likely require several versions of your pitch deck, depending on the stage of the conversation with, or what level of detail you want to share with a specific investor.
\n\n\n\nThis sounds like a complicated thing to do, but do not worry – you will be able to re-purpose the work you have done with the sections and slides above into neat packages that meet any audience’s expectations.
\n\n\n\nWe suggest the following versions of your deck:
\n\n\n\nThe above list is by no means exhaustive, you can twist and tweak this as you require. Make sure to build your pitch upfront with all required sections, to make the task of creating new versions a walk in the park!
\n\n\n\nCreating a great pitch deck is a crucial step for any entrepreneur seeking funding for their business. It requires a careful balance between creativity, clarity, and substance. A well-crafted pitch deck can be a powerful tool to present your business, showcase your competitive edge, and inspire potential investors.
\n\n\n\nHowever, it’s important to remember that a pitch deck is only one part of the funding process. Investors are also interested in the entrepreneur behind the business, their track record, and their vision for the future. Therefore, entrepreneurs should not neglect other critical aspects such as building relationships with investors, developing a solid business plan, and cultivating a strong team. In summary, while a pitch deck is important, it’s only one piece of the puzzle.
\n\n\n\nTo start your journey of building your impactful pitch deck, sign up for Modeliks’ Free Trial today!
\n","slug":"how-to-create-an-investor-ready-pitch-deck-the-ultimate-guide","date":"2023-06-28T08:28:00","categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybToxMg==","name":"Pitch Decks"}]},"mainCategory":{"mainCategory":["pitch-decks"],"videoHeader":null},"tags":{"nodes":[]},"featuredImage":{"node":{"id":"cG9zdDoxNDcz","sourceUrl":"/images/cms/Modeliks-sliki-1920px-x-1280px-05.jpg","altText":"investor-ready pitch deck"}},"seo":{"metaDesc":"Investor Ready Pitch Deck - When starting a business, or even many years in, one of the more painstaking tasks to go through when looking ..."},"modified":"2024-03-20T12:22:25","related":[{"id":"cG9zdDoxMDMzMQ==","title":"Enloop Alternatives","content":"\nEnloop has been a go-to business planning software for many entrepreneurs, offering an automated way to create business plans with a focus on performance scoring. However, it might not meet the specific needs of every business. Fortunately, there are other Enloop alternatives that provide a broader range of features suited for different industries and business types.
\n\n\n\nBusiness planning software is essential for turning ideas into actionable plans in hours. These tools help streamline the process of creating polished, investor-ready plans, automate financial forecasting, and provide insights for tracking performance and making confident decisions. Whether you’re a startup or an established business, using business planning software ensures your plans are well-aligned with market standards.
\n\n\n\nWhile Enloop offers basic performance scoring and automated planning, it does come with some limitations:
\n\n\n\nBottom line: If you’re looking for a tool with stronger financial planning, advanced tracking features, and industry-specific financial models, then it’s time to explore Enloop alternatives.
\n\n\n\nHere are the top alternatives to Enloop and why they might be better choice:
\n\n\n\nBelow is a detailed assessment of each Enloop alternative. I used the following criteria for evaluating of each alternative: ease of use, quality of business plan output, financial planning capabilities, performance tracking features, integrations, investor reporting capabilities and pricing. Detailed explanation of each criteria is shown in the table below.
\n\n\n\n![\"Business](\"/images/cms/Business_Planning_Software_Comparison.png\")
Positives:
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\n\n\n\nWhile Enloop remains a popular option for business planning, its limitations in financial planning, performance tracking, and customization make it less suitable for businesses that need more advanced features. Modeliks stands out with its AI-driven approach, financial planning depth, and investor reporting features. Upmetrics, Bizplan, and Cuttles offer solutions that are affordable and user-friendly, while IdeaBuddy excels at quickly validating business ideas.
\n\n\n\nThe best choice for your business depends on your specific needs, budget, and planning goals. Exploring these alternatives will help you find the right tool to build a more effective and tailored business plan.
\n","slug":"enloopalternatives","date":"2025-02-27T12:33:09","categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybToxMQ==","name":"Business Plans"},{"id":"dGVybToxNA==","name":"Financial Forecast"},{"id":"dGVybToxMg==","name":"Pitch Decks"},{"id":"dGVybToxMw==","name":"Reports & Dashboards"}]},"mainCategory":{"mainCategory":["business-plans"],"videoHeader":null},"tags":{"nodes":[{"name":"ai"},{"name":"ai business planning"},{"name":"business planning"},{"name":"enloop"},{"name":"Enloop Alternatives"},{"name":"financial forecasting"},{"name":"financial modeling"},{"name":"financial reporting"},{"name":"investor report"},{"name":"modeliks"}]},"featuredImage":{"node":{"id":"cG9zdDoxMDMzMg==","sourceUrl":"/images/cms/getty-images-biSzvFsO1WA-unsplash.jpg","altText":"Enloop Alternatives"}},"seo":{"metaDesc":"Which are the top Enloop business planning software alternatives? Learn more about each of their features that make them different."},"modified":"2025-02-27T12:33:14","related":null},{"id":"cG9zdDoxMDI5OA==","title":"IdeaBuddy Alternatives","content":"\nWhat are the IdeaBuddy alternatives? Why would you look for one?
\n\n\n\nIdeaBuddy is a well-known business planning tool that focuses on idea development and business modelling. Its simple, structured approach makes it appealing for startups and entrepreneurs looking to validate and refine their ideas. However, it may not be the best fit for everyone, especially for those who need deeper financial modelling, performance tracking, or investor-focused business planning.
\n\n\n\nIf you’re looking for an alternative to IdeaBuddy that better suits your needs, several business planning tools offer unique advantages tailored to different use cases.
\n\n\n\nWhile IdeaBuddy is a solid option for brainstorming and structuring business ideas, it does have some limitations:
\n\n\n\nHere are the top alternatives to IdeaBuddy and why they might be better choice:
\n\n\n\nBelow is a detailed assessment of each IdeaBuddy alternative. I used the following criteria for evaluating of each alternative: ease of use, quality of business plan output, financial planning capabilities, performance tracking features, integrations, investor reporting capabilities and pricing. Detailed explanation of each criteria is shown in the table below.
\n\n\n\nPositives:
\n\n\n\nNegatives:
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\n\n\n\nIdeaBuddy is a great tool for quickly structuring and validating business ideas, but if you need advanced financial modelling, investor-focused features, or performance tracking, exploring alternatives is a smart move. Modeliks stands out with its AI-driven approach, financial planning depth, and investor reporting features, while Upmetrics, Bizplan, and LivePlan cater to different needs such as AI-assisted planning, crowdfunding, and traditional business plans. Cuttles and Enloop are great for startups and simple automation.
\n\n\n\nThe best choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and how in-depth you want your business planning process to be. Choose wisely and ensure your business plan aligns with your long-term goals.
\n","slug":"ideabuddy-alternatives","date":"2025-02-25T13:45:18","categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybToxMQ==","name":"Business Plans"},{"id":"dGVybToxNA==","name":"Financial Forecast"},{"id":"dGVybToxMg==","name":"Pitch Decks"},{"id":"dGVybToxMw==","name":"Reports & Dashboards"}]},"mainCategory":{"mainCategory":["business-plans"],"videoHeader":null},"tags":{"nodes":[{"name":"ai"},{"name":"ai business planning"},{"name":"business planning"},{"name":"cuttles"},{"name":"cuttles alternatives"},{"name":"financial forecasting"},{"name":"financial modeling"},{"name":"financial reporting"},{"name":"investor report"},{"name":"modeliks"}]},"featuredImage":{"node":{"id":"cG9zdDoxMDMwMQ==","sourceUrl":"/images/cms/grin-svv6RSEIu3Y-unsplash.jpg","altText":"IdeaBuddy business plan software alternatives"}},"seo":{"metaDesc":"Which are the top IdeaBuddy business planning solution alternatives? Learn more about each of their features that make them different."},"modified":"2025-02-25T13:45:21","related":null},{"id":"cG9zdDoxMDI1OQ==","title":"Cuttles Alternatives","content":"\nCuttles has gained recognition as a startup-friendly business planning tool with a modern interface and guided planning process. However, it may not be the perfect fit for every entrepreneur. Fortunately, there are several Cuttles alternatives that offer different features and functionalities, catering to businesses with more advanced needs.
\n\n\n\nBusiness planning software enables entrepreneurs to create structured, investor-ready plans, automate financial forecasting, and track business performance. While Cuttles focuses on ease of use and startup-centric features, some businesses require more robust financial planning, investor reporting, or industry-specific financial models.
\n\n\n\nWhile Cuttles is a great option for startups, it has certain limitations:
\n\n\n\nHere are the top alternatives to Cuttles and why they might be better choice:
\n\n\n\nBelow is a detailed assessment of each Cuttles alternative. I used the following criteria for evaluating of each alternative: ease of use, quality of business plan output, financial planning capabilities, performance tracking features, integrations, investor reporting capabilities and pricing. Detailed explanation of each criteria is shown in the table below.
\n\n\n\nBest for: AI-powered business planning and strong financial modelling.
\n\n\n\nPositives:
\n\n\n\nNegatives:
\n\n\n\nBest for: AI-enhanced business plan writing and market research.
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\n\n\n\nBest for: Entrepreneurs raising funds through crowdfunding.
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\n\n\n\nBest for: Traditional business plan creation with financial forecasting.
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\n\n\n\nBest for: Visualizing business ideas before creating a full plan.
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\n\n\n\nBest for: Automating business plan scoring.
\n\n\n\nPros:
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\n\n\n\nWhile Cuttles is a solid option for startups looking for a simple and structured business planning tool, its limitations in financial planning, investor reporting, and tracking features may not suit all users.
\n\n\n\nAlternatives like Modeliks stand out for their AI-driven planning, robust financial forecasting, and investor reporting features, while Upmetrics, LivePlan, and Enloop offer more affordable and simpler solutions. For startups, Cuttles and IdeaBuddy provide creative, user-friendly tools.
\n\n\n\nThe best choice depends on your business needs, budget, and planning goals. Exploring these Cuttles alternatives ensures you find the right tool to bring your vision to life.
\n","slug":"cuttles-alternatives","date":"2025-02-24T10:01:49","categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybToxMQ==","name":"Business Plans"},{"id":"dGVybToxNA==","name":"Financial Forecast"},{"id":"dGVybToxMg==","name":"Pitch Decks"},{"id":"dGVybToxMw==","name":"Reports & Dashboards"}]},"mainCategory":{"mainCategory":["business-plans"],"videoHeader":null},"tags":{"nodes":[{"name":"ai"},{"name":"ai business planning"},{"name":"business planning"},{"name":"cuttles"},{"name":"cuttles alternatives"},{"name":"financial forecasting"},{"name":"financial modeling"},{"name":"financial reporting"},{"name":"investor report"},{"name":"modeliks"}]},"featuredImage":{"node":{"id":"cG9zdDoxMDI2MA==","sourceUrl":"/images/cms/charlesdeluvio-Lks7vei-eAg-unsplash.jpg","altText":"Cuttles business plan software alternatives"}},"seo":{"metaDesc":"Which are the top Cuttles business planning software alternatives? Learn more about each of their features that make them different."},"modified":"2025-02-24T10:01:52","related":null}]}2:["$","$L8",null,{"post":"$9"}] 7:[["$","meta","0",{"name":"viewport","content":"width=device-width, initial-scale=1"}],["$","meta","1",{"charSet":"utf-8"}],["$","title","2",{"children":"Modeliks | How to Create an Investor Ready Pitch Deck: The Ultimate Guide"}],["$","meta","3",{"name":"description","content":"Investor Ready Pitch Deck - When starting a business, or even many years in, one of the more painstaking tasks to go through when looking ..."}],["$","link","4",{"rel":"canonical","href":"https://www.modeliks.com/resources/pitch-decks/how-to-create-an-investor-ready-pitch-deck-the-ultimate-guide"}],["$","meta","5",{"property":"og:title","content":"Modeliks | How to Create an Investor Ready Pitch Deck: The Ultimate Guide"}],["$","meta","6",{"property":"og:description","content":"Investor Ready Pitch Deck - When starting a business, or even many years in, one of the more painstaking tasks to go through when looking ..."}],["$","meta","7",{"property":"og:url","content":"https://www.modeliks.com/resources/pitch-decks/how-to-create-an-investor-ready-pitch-deck-the-ultimate-guide"}],["$","meta","8",{"property":"og:site_name","content":"Modeliks"}],["$","meta","9",{"property":"og:locale","content":"en_US"}],["$","meta","10",{"property":"og:type","content":"article"}],["$","meta","11",{"name":"twitter:card","content":"summary"}],["$","meta","12",{"name":"twitter:title","content":"Modeliks | How to Create an Investor Ready Pitch Deck: The Ultimate Guide"}],["$","meta","13",{"name":"twitter:description","content":"Investor Ready Pitch Deck - When starting a business, or even many years in, one of the more painstaking tasks to go through when looking ..."}],["$","link","14",{"rel":"icon","href":"/favicon.ico","type":"image/x-icon","sizes":"16x16"}]] 1:null