Swoop Pitch Deck Template

Preparing your Pitch Deck

As a business owner venturing into the world of funding there are a number of processes and ‘must-do’s’ that you’ll undoubtedly face along the way. Up there with the most important of these inevitabilities is the pitch deck, and the sooner you master it, the better.

What is a pitch deck?

To put it simply, it’s a short presentation used to provide your potential investors with a brief overview of your business plan. It can be used in a number of situations, whether that’s during face-to-face or online meetings with said investors, or in your initial contact with them via email. However it’s used, the effectiveness of your pitch deck will have a big impact on the success of the opening stages of communication with investors, making it vital that you get it right.

The Core Ingredients

Over the years we’ve seen thousands of businesses come and go, and with each of them a different pitch deck – some good and some not so good; and whilst these companies were by no means short of a great idea or two, in the end it was their ability to pitch these ideas successfully that really held them back. We’ve created this handy cheat sheet that’ll give you the core ingredients needed for your pitch. Whether you’re after a loan, grant, equity or debt finance, following the steps below and tailoring them to your business will ensure you’re giving yourself the best possible shot at securing the finance your great idea deserves!

It is important to remember that pitch decks are often seen at a fleeting glance or skimmed through quickly, so you need to make sure you are concise and present the information in as clear as way as possible. And most importantly, please state what your business is within the first two slides; it is remarkable how many businesses fail to do this!

Here is a list of the core 15 ingredients we’d expect to see addressed in a pitch deck:

Company Info (N) – Name of the company, mission statement, logo, contact details of promoters
What is the business (M) – Explain in no more than two sentences what the business does
Problem (M) – What problem does your business solve for your customers
Solution (M) – How does your business solve that problem
Unfair Advantages (N) – What advantages do you, your team or your product have that your competitors can’t easily replicate
Demo (S) – If it your product is demo-able, include a video/animation of it in this section
Why Now (N) – Why should investors invest right now and why is the opportunity so pertinent right now
Market (S) – What is the size of the total addressable market you are competing in
Competition (M) – What are the other businesses that operate in your sector/space and how does your business compare to those
Go To Market (N) – What is your go to market approach in terms of sales and marketing
Business Model (M) – How do you make money
Product (S) – How does your website/platform/service operate
Forecast (S) – What are your financial projections for the next 3-5 years. Include your financials from last year as a comparison if you are post revenue.
Team/Management (M) – Who are the people behind the team and who are your advisors
Investment Status – What is your current roadmap, how much investment are you seeking and what is your valuation