The 10 Slides Every Early-Stage Pitch Deck Should Cover

The 10 Slides Every Early-Stage Pitch Deck Should Include

A practical framework for founders raising from angels, family offices and early-stage funds.

Note: This article is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not investment, legal or tax advice.

A strong pitch deck is not about being “flashy”; it is about making it easy for a serious investor to understand, evaluate and remember your start-up.

At Capital Circle, when we review decks, we are looking for three things:

1. Clarity – can we understand what you do in under 60 seconds?

2. Logic – does the story hold together from problem to execution?

3. Readiness – are you ready for the level of scrutiny your round implies?

The slide order below is a simple, professional structure that works across sectors and stages. You can adapt it, but avoid skipping the fundamentals.

Slide 1 – Title & One-Line Summary

This is your “cover” and first impression.

Include:

• Company name and logo

• One-line description (plain English, not jargon)

• Your name, role and contact details

Good example style:

“Software for mid-market manufacturers to track production in real time.”

Avoid clever taglines without substance. The investor should know what you are from this one line.

Slide 2 – Problem

Describe the pain clearly and concretely.

Answer:

• Who has the problem?

• What exactly is difficult/expensive/slow today?

• How do they handle it now (status quo / workaround)?

Use:

• 2–3 short bullets, or

• one simple story / example

Avoid generic statements like “The education sector is broken”. Be specific.

Slide 3 – Solution & Product

Now show how you address that problem.

Cover:

• What you have built (or are building)

• How it works at a high level

• Why it is better than the current way of doing things

Use screenshots or simple visuals if relevant. The goal is to connect the dots:

“Because the problem looks like this, our product does that.”

Slide 4 – Market & Customer

Explain who you are serving and how big the opportunity is.

Include:

• Clear target customer segment(s)

• Simple market sizing (TAM / SAM / SOM if appropriate)

• Any relevant trends that support timing (regulation, behaviour, technology)

Be honest and conservative rather than using inflated numbers. Investors care more about a credible market than a theoretical trillion-dollar space.

Slide 5 – Business Model

How do you intend to make money?

Cover:

• Pricing model (subscription, transaction fee, commission, one-time, etc.)

• Typical customer contract / order size

• Basic unit economics (if you have early data)

Avoid showing an over-detailed P&L here; keep it to how revenue happens and why it is sustainable.

Slide 6 – Traction & Validation

Demonstrate that there is real pull behind the idea.

Depending on your stage, this could include:

• Users, customers, pilots or LOIs

• Revenue to date and recent growth

• Engagement metrics or retention

• Partnerships, awards or proof points

If you are pre-traction, focus on:

• Product milestones

• Qualitative validation (customer interviews, POCs)

• Any meaningful early commitments

Investors are looking for evidence that something beyond the founders’ conviction supports the idea.

Slide 7 – Go-To-Market & Growth Plan

Explain how you plan to reach and win customers.

Include:

• Primary acquisition channels (direct sales, partnerships, online, distributors, etc.)

• Sales cycle expectations (especially in B2B)

• Short-term growth priorities (next 12–18 months)

Avoid long buzzword lists (SEO, PPC, social media, influencers…) without a clear sense of what will actually move the needle for your specific customer.

Slide 8 – Competition & Differentiation

Show that you understand the landscape.

Cover:

• Key alternatives (direct competitors + status quo)

• How you are different – in product, distribution, economics or experience

• Any early moat components (tech, data, relationships, regulation, switching cost)

A simple 2x2 matrix or feature/benefit table works well. Do not claim “no competition” – that signals lack of research rather than uniqueness.

Slide 9 – Team

Investors are backing people, not slides.

Include:

• Core founding team (photos optional but helpful)

• 1–2 lines of relevant experience for each person

• Any key advisers or senior hires committed

Emphasise why this team is a good fit for this specific problem and market, not just impressive CVs.

Slide 10 – Plan, Use of Funds & The Ask

Be explicit about what you are raising and why.

Cover:

• How much you are raising in this round

• Very high-level valuation thinking (if appropriate for the conversation)

• Use of funds (e.g. product, sales, hiring, compliance)

• Key milestones you aim to reach with this capital (12–24 months)

Example style:

“Raising ₹3–4 crore to reach 150 paying customers, annualised revenue of ₹2.5 crore and a repeatable outbound sales motion over the next 18 months.”

Investors want to see that your ask, plan and milestones are coherent.

Optional – Appendix & Data Room

Instead of overloading the main deck, keep extra detail in:

• An appendix (extra product screenshots, more metrics), and

• A data room (financial model, cap table, legal docs, detailed cohorts, etc.)

Share these once there is serious interest, not in the first e-mail.

Final Checklist Before You Send Your Deck

Before you share your deck with any investor, ask:

• Does someone outside my sector understand what we do by Slide 3?

• Is there one clear story from problem → solution → market → traction → ask?

• Have we avoided jargon where simple language would work?

• Are numbers consistent across slides (market size, revenue, ask, etc.)?

• Is the deck under 15–18 slides including appendix?

A professional deck will not close your round on its own – but it will:

• open doors,

• earn you serious conversations, and

• signal that you respect the investor’s time and attention.