The typical structure: 12 slides
Investors see hundreds of decks and often spend only a few minutes on each. A clear structure with 10–15 slides has proven itself:
- Title: name, logo, one sentence on what you do
- Problem: which problem does your target group have – specific and evidenced?
- Solution: how do you solve it, and why is it better than today?
- Product: screenshots, demo or prototype – show rather than describe
- Market: how big is the market you can realistically reach?
- Business model: who pays for what, how much and how often?
- Traction: customers, revenue, growth, pilots, waiting list
- Competition: who is already there – and what is your advantage?
- Go-to-market: how do you win customers?
- Team: why exactly you can solve this problem
- Financials: key figures and plan for the next 2–3 years
- Ask: how much capital you are raising and what you will use it for
Design: what makes a good deck
- One message per slide – the title is a sentence, not a heading like «Market»
- Large type and little text; details belong in the conversation or the appendix
- Numbers as charts rather than tables
- Consistently in your brand's corporate design
- Two versions: one to present (little text) and one to send (self-explanatory)
A well-known rule of thumb is 10/20/30: at most 10 slides, 20 minutes, at least 30-point type. Not a law, but a reminder that less is usually more.
Common mistakes
- Too much text: people who read stop listening.
- Unrealistic market sizes: «1% of a billion-dollar market» convinces nobody.
- No clear ask: investors want to know what you need and what it will achieve.
- Downplaying competition: «we have no competitors» sounds naive.
- Design without a story: beautiful slides do not rescue a weak story – but they make a strong story clear and credible.
Template, freelancer or agency?
Free templates for PowerPoint, Keynote or Canva are a good start for the first conversations. Before a funding round, professional help with storyline and design pays off:
| Service | Agency guide price (CHF) | Agency guide price (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch deck (storyline & design) | CHF 3'000 – CHF 12'200 | €3,200 – €12,800 |
| One-pager / executive summary | CHF 800 – CHF 2'300 | €800 – €2,400 |
| Editable deck master template | CHF 1'200 – CHF 3'800 | €1,300 – €4,000 |
| Pitch & presentation coaching | CHF 1'500 – CHF 4'600 | €1,600 – €4,800 |
All prices excl. VAT. Agency figures = StartupBrander guide prices for professional branding agencies (market research, September 2026). Other ranges are rough market values and depend heavily on experience and scope.
Tip: ask for an editable master template. Your team can then update figures and slides for every further round. More on the page Pitch deck design.
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