• Provide a checklist of slide subjects that are commonly included in pitch decks, with references for the optimized content and flow

Data Availability

• There is an abundance of available information in the public domain regarding the slide subjects commonly included in startup fund-raising pitch decks for investors.

Commonly Included Slide Subjects in Pitch Decks

• According to Forbes, these are the slide subjects that have to be included in a startup fund-raising pitch deck: "Company Overview , Mission/Vision of the Company , The Team , The Problem , The Solution , The Market Opportunity , The Product , The Customers , The Technology , The Competition , Traction , Business Model , The Marketing Plan , Financials , The Ask."
• Startup founders and venture capitalists usually have different versions of what is considered to be a successful startup fund-raising pitch deck. However, there are common elements. These elements include the "Problem , Solution , Product , Market Size , Business Model , Underlying Magic , Competition , Better/Different , Marketing Plan , Team Slide , Traction/Milestones."
• According to Bplans, startup fund-raising pitch decks must have these slide subjects: "Vision and Value Proposition, The Problem, Target Market and Opportunity, The Solution, Revenue Model or Business Model, Traction and Validation/Roadmap, Marketing and Sales Strategy, Team, Financials, Competition, Investment and Use of Funds."

Examples of the Best Startup Fund-Raising Pitch Decks

• One of the best startup fund-raising pitch decks is AirBnB's pitch deck. The elements included in AirBnB's fund-raising pitch deck are the following: "Cover or Title slide , Problem , Solution , Market Validation , Market Size , Product , Business Model, Market Adoption , Competition , Competitive Advantages , Team Slide , Press , Users Testimonials , Financial Model."
• Another example is the Guy Kawasaki pitch deck. Guy Kawasaki's Garage Capital was able to raise "$315 million dollars in venture capital." Kawasaki famously "coined the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint." That means the presentation needs 10 slides that are delivered in 20 minutes, with all font size greater than 30. Guy Kawasaki's pitch deck includes the Title page, Problem/Opportunity, Value Proposition, Underlying Magic, Business Model, Market Plan, Competitive Analysis, Management Team, Financial Projections, and Key Metrics, Current Status, Accomplishments to Date, Timeline, and Use of Funds. This deck ends with a Thank You page.

Summary of Early Findings

• We have provided some examples of commonly included slide subjects in startup fund-raising pitch decks, as well as examples of the best pitch decks. We have also included a link to AirBnB's pitch deck. Our initial hour of research has found several examples of successful startup's fund-raising pitch decks. We didn't have time to include most of it, but we can do so with additional hours of research.
• The geographic focus was not provided, so we assumed a global focus, which means the startups are not specific to any geographic location though most are located in the US. If a more targeted geographic focus is needed, such as a US focus, this would have to be communicated to us in the reply.