The short answer
A 12-slide pre-seed or seed deck: title, problem, solution, traction, why now, market, business model, go-to-market, competition, team, the raise and close. Write one headline sentence per slide that states the point, move traction forward if you have it, size the market bottom-up, and keep appendix slides ready for diligence.
- Write each slide headline as a sentence that states the point.
- Move traction to slide two or three if it's your strongest argument.
- Size the market bottom-up: reachable customers times annual price.
- The raise slide needs amount, instrument, committed money and milestones.
- Build a send-ahead version and a presentation version from the same outline.
How to use this outline
This is a slide-by-slide outline for a pre-seed or seed pitch deck of about 12 slides. Copy the headings into your slide software, write one headline sentence per slide that states the point (not a label like "Market"), and add only the evidence that supports that sentence. An investor should be able to understand your company by reading the headlines alone.
Build two versions from the same outline: a send-ahead deck that reads on its own on a phone, and a presentation deck with less text that you talk over. When you're done, check it against the pre-seed pitch deck checklist.
The slide-by-slide outline
| # | Slide | Headline to write | What goes on it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title | "[Company]: [what you do] for [whom]" | Logo, one-line description, city, founder name, contact, month and year |
| 2 | Problem | "[Customer] loses [time/money] because [cause]" | Who has the pain, how often, what it costs; one quote or data point from customer interviews |
| 3 | Solution | "[Product] [does what] so [customer] [gets outcome]" | A product screenshot or photo; the before and after in plain words |
| 4 | Traction | "[Strongest number], growing [x]% a month" | Chart of the key metric over time; logos or customer types; retention |
| 5 | Why now | "[Change in the world] makes this possible now" | A regulatory, technology, cost or behavior shift with a source |
| 6 | Market | "[x] reachable customers paying $[y] a year" | Bottom-up sizing; first market, then expansion |
| 7 | Business model | "We charge [how], averaging $[x] per [unit]" | Pricing, gross margin, early unit economics |
| 8 | Go-to-market | "We win customers through [channel]" | The channel that works today, its cost, and the next channel you'll test |
| 9 | Competition | "Customers use [alternatives] today; we win on [edge]" | Honest comparison table or 2x2 with real alternatives, including doing nothing |
| 10 | Team | "Built by people who [relevant experience]" | Founders, key hires, advisors who matter; one number per person |
| 11 | The raise | "Raising $[x] to reach [milestone] by [date]" | Amount, instrument, committed money, use of funds, milestones |
| 12 | Close | "[Company]: [vision in one sentence]" | Contact details and a one-line ask |
Notes on the slides that matter most
Problem
Make it concrete enough that a non-expert feels it. "Independent pharmacies spend about 10 hours a week reconciling insurance rejections by hand" lands; "healthcare is inefficient" does not. Hypothetical example. If you've done customer interviews, use their words.
Traction
If you have traction, move this slide to position two or three. Show a trend over months, define the metric, and avoid cumulative charts that hide flat months. At pre-seed, traction can be pilots, letters of intent or usage. See traction investors expect at each stage.
Market
Size it bottom-up: the number of customers you can actually reach, times what they'd pay per year. Then add one line on adjacent markets. Investors outside the big hubs are especially skeptical of top-down "1% of a $50 billion market" math. See TAM, SAM and SOM.
Team
Explain why this team wins this market. Years in the industry, customers you already know, things you've built and shipped. Founders who come from outside tech often have the strongest version of this slide; translate your experience into numbers.
The raise
State the amount, the instrument, and terms if set. Show committed money and the milestones the round funds, ideally the metrics you'll need for your next raise. Use the use of funds slide template.
Appendix slides to keep ready
- Detailed financial model summary and assumptions
- Customer case studies or pilot results
- Product roadmap for the next 18 months
- Cohort retention charts
- Regulatory or technical milestones (healthcare, deep tech, climate)
- Cap table summary, fully diluted (cap table basics)
Design rules
- One idea per slide; the headline states it.
- Large type that reads on a phone; no paragraphs on the send-ahead version longer than three lines.
- Real screenshots and photos over stock images.
- Consistent number formats and dates on every chart.
- Export as a PDF and share a view-only link that lets you see opens.
Next steps
Pair the deck with a one-pager for screening and a forwardable intro blurb for introductions. Then build your list of investors who fit your stage and sector.
Frequently asked questions
How many slides should a pre-seed deck have?
Around 10–15. This outline uses 12 core slides plus appendix slides kept ready for questions.
What order should the slides go in?
Problem, solution and traction early. If traction is strong, put it on slide two or three.
Should I include financial projections?
Include a short summary in the appendix with key assumptions. At pre-seed, investors weigh evidence and milestones more than long-range projections.
Do I need different decks for sending and presenting?
It helps. The send-ahead deck must read on its own; the presentation deck can have less text because you're talking over it.