The document provides guidance on how to build an effective pitch deck for presenting to investors. It emphasizes that a pitch should tell a clear and concise story that focuses on the problem being solved, the proposed solution, the market opportunity, and credentials of the founding team. The deck should include 10-13 slides with minimal text and focus on visual elements. Key sections outlined include an elevator pitch, traction metrics, market size and customer definitions, the value proposition, business model, marketing strategy, team bios, competition, and requested funding amount. Presenting the pitch requires practicing delivery to ensure a smooth flow between main points that engages and connects with the audience.

1. How to Build a
Perfect Pitch
Deck
European Innovation
Academy
July 2016www.pitchcoach.ie
Catherine Moonan

2. WHAT IS PERFECT?

3. WHAT IS PERFECT?
‘Done is better than perfect’

4. WHAT IS PERFECT?
‘Done is better than perfect’
‘Just do it’

5. WHAT IS A PITCH?
A pitch is a story which presents your idea
simply and includes a clear benefit for the
audience. It must be told in an engaging manner.
• Simple
• Interesting
• Memorable

6. Characteristics of a Poor Pitch
• Audience/Panel not considered
• No clear objective
• No structure
• Information overload
• Poor verbal and non-verbal skills
• Use of jargon
• Ineffective use of PowerPoint or other visuals
• Lack of interest

7.
Interview with Seán O’Sullivan, Founder of SOS Ventures, which has
headquarters in Cork, Ireland, and offices in
the U.S. and China.
‘Product, market, team and customer traction
are almost equally important in a pitch, but if the
team isn't strong enough, flexible enough, and
fun enough to work with for the next 7 years,
that will kill it.’

8. Interview with Bill Liao, European Venture Partner with SOS Ventures
and Co-Founder of CoderDojo.
How should you prepare for an investment Pitch?
• Make your pitch crisp and totally authentic!
• Practice it on strangers at least 100 times.
• Make sure you have a clear story.
• Fill it with memorable sound bites.
• Make sure that your story makes your potential investors feel smarter.

9. What should make up the content of a Pitch?
Purpose
Problem
Credibility
Solution
Team
Market
Financials

10. How should a Pitch be delivered?
‘By the CEO as a clear story with minimal visuals emphasizing
clear points.’

11. How important is the story?
‘How important is oxygen?
The story must be authentic, clear, credible, simple, surprising
and have a happy ending.’

12. Wayne Murphy, Start Planet Program Director
‘Most start-ups when pitching get too complicated and include far
too much information. "Pitching" really is an art. It needs to have 5
key elements .....to be simple, personal, emotional, credible and
have the ability to in some way connect with the audience. It’s the
story of your journey, a familiar one to you and it must also include
what has driven you to take this journey and portray the personal
"mission", tenacity, drive and commitment to succeed. It needs to
demonstrate passion as it needs to bring and attract people with you
on your journey. It needs to describe what the big problem is and
how you and your team are solving it. It needs to be focused on your
intended audience.’

13. Friday Agenda
• 10h00-10h10 Welcome & Day Overview
• 10h20-12h00 Pitching Carousel Round 1 (each team meets 2 investors in FRA/ 3
investors in ITA)
• Lunch
• 13h30-14h30 Pitching Carousel Round 2 (each team meets 1 investor in FRA/ 2
investors in ITA)
• Break
15h00-17h00 EIA Grand Pitching:Top 10 + Winners & Awards!
• Carousel format: 2 + 2 + 2 min (2 min pitch + 2 min questions
from investor to team + 2 min questions from team to investor)
• Grand pitching format: 2 + 4 (2 min pitch + 4 min questions from
investors)

14. Assessment Criteria
• - Opportunity (proof of problem/solution fit)
• - Traction (proof of product/market fit)
• - Scalability (proof of business model fit)
• - Team & execution
• - Presentation

15. WhatYour Pitch Deck Is For…
It is not to answer all possible questions, nor close immediate investment.
It is to open investors minds to your vision and get them excited to know
more.The story you craft in your Deck gets them engaged to start filling
in the blanks for themselves.
You want to give enough information to grab their interest, but not too
much as to overwhelm them or have your story lose clarity & focus.
Give them enough to get excited about, but leave them wanting more.
Your Deck should be able to stand on its own, without your presentation.
Compelling Decks are concise, tell a story, are visual, 10-13 slides.

16. Characteristics of a Poor Pitch Deck
• Too many slides/too much information
• Too much text on slides
• Too many product/financial details
• Belittling competitors
• False/silly assumptions you can’t back up or
don’t have data on

17. Your Pitch / Pitch Deck
is like the Trailer of a
Movie

18. Investor Pitch Deck Outline –
Ideal For A Ten Minute Pitch!
1) Elevator Pitch/Vision/Wow Statement
2) Momentum,Traction, Expertise:Your key numbers
3) Market Opportunity: Define market size & your customer base
4) Problem & Current Solutions:What need do you fill? Other
solutions
5) Product or Service:Your solution
6) Business Model: Key Revenue Streams
7) Market Approach & Strategy: How you grow your business
8) Team & Key Stakeholders (Investors, Advisors)
9) Financials
10) Competition
11) Investment:Your ‘Ask’ for funding, Basic use of funds
Optional Slides: Exit Strategy, Partnership Agreements, Product/Service Demo,
Existing Sales/Clients,Your “Special Sauce”

19. Elevator Pitch / Vision / Wow
A quick one-liner summary that combines your
vision/product and the mission of your company
Keep it short and memorable
This should be your tagline / wow statement
Try making it relatable… as in “We are X forY”
(“We are AirBNB for Event Spaces”)
(“We are the Starbucks of FrozenYogurt”)

20. Traction
Show your timeline and milestones to
date
Growth metrics are key at early stage
Highlight press, partnerships, accolades
Customer success stories and/or
testimonials

21. Market Opportunity
DefineYour Market:What business/space
you are in
Total Market Size: Dollar Size,Your Place/
Niche
Customers: Clearly define exactly who
you serve
Macro Trends & Insights

22. The Problem
Define the real problem/need you’re
solving, and for who.
Who else is already doing this,
and how are they going about it
and what are they not getting
right or doing wrong?
Current Solutions

23. Product / Service
Tell the story of your customer and
how customers use/value your
product or service
Images and visuals are better than
lots of text: show don’t tell

24. Revenue Model
Who is your primary customer & how do you
make money?
What is the pricing / model?
Revenue and # of customers to date
Show basic math on revenues and conversion
rates
Life-time value of an average Customer (How
many months, how many dollars?)

25. Marketing & Growth Strategy
Where are your customers looking today and finding
help?
Where will you get in front of them?
How will you achieve your target growth rates?
What are the most important and unique channels and
methods you will use to find and win customers?
How are you doing it differently than others in the
space?

26. Team
Highlight key team members and
their prior positions, successes,
domain expertise
Demonstrate relevant experience
Which roles are the keys to success
in your company/space?

27. Competition
Where do you exist in the larger overall Market
Space?
What are your Advantages?
How is your place in the market unique to you, and
the right one for your company growth and
customers?
Who are the competitors, why have they succeeded,
and how do you truly differentiate from them?

28. Investment
State how much Capital you are raising, and with what
general Terms: Equity, Debt, Convertible Note
What is the timing of your Capital raise?
Who are your existing & notable investors, if any?
What are your key Use of Proceeds (as % of total raise)
• Founder salaries
• Sales & Marketing
• New hires
• Technology / Product or Service development
• Capital expenses / equipment

29. Investor Pitch Deck Outline (2 minutes) –
(Chris Burry, US Market Access Centre)
1. Cover slide with "the big idea" (0 seconds - is just shown
before the team starts speaking).
2. Customer and Problem (30 seconds)
3. Solution with a focus on why the solution is different /
compelling (30 seconds)
4. Market (20 seconds)
5.Team (20 seconds)
6.Ask (20 seconds)

30. WHERE TO START?

31. AUDIENCE

32. • Who are they?
• What’s in it for them? Why should
they care?
• How can you emotionally connect
with them?
AUDIENCE / PANEL

33. CONTENT

34. • Wow opening
• Three to Five main points with a logical flow
and a smooth transition in between (E.g.
Problem, Solution, Market,Team, Financials/Ask)
• Summarize, bring your story full circle, thank
you and call to action
CREATE A STORY

35. Managing Slides
• Less is More Regarding the Number of Slides and Amount of Text
on Slides
• Font 24 is the Minimum (Font 30 is ideal)
• A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words
• Don’t read off Slides
• The Pitch Deck is not the Presentation.You are!

37. How to Build a
Perfect Pitch Deck
European Innovation
Academy
July 2016
www.pitchcoach.ie
Catherine Moonan