Updated Feb 10, 2024

When looking for an investment, or perhaps being involved in a merger or acquisition of some sort, it’s important to know not only the tools involved, but the terms as well. Throughout the course of the process, there will be expressions bandied about, such as deal room, letter of intent (LOI), covenants and others. One of the most common (and ultimately, important) things you should know about is the pitch deck.

What Is a Pitch Deck?

A pitch deck is a document that is commonly used in mergers and acquistions (M&As) transactions. It is a sales document, typically drafted by the investor (usually an investment bank), and it outlines the main attributes of the firm. This document is then used by the company’s sales force to sell its products and/or services. The term “pitch deck” comes from two slang terms — “pitch” is industry jargon for sales, while “deck” comes from the early days of personal computing, where a PowerPoint document was referred to as a “slide deck,” which actually has its origin in overhead slide projectors.

The purpose of a pitch deck is to give potential investors a window inside your business, with the goal of informing them of how things operate within. It tells the main points about your firm — products, services and an overview of your business plan and financial projections, but it’s not a deep dive into all areas of the company. In short, a pitch deck is not the end-all, be-all document when your firm is looking for an investment or is aiming to be acquired — it’s simply one cog in the big process, as there is much more work ahead of you if you proceed with the funding and/or M&A.

What to Include in Your PowerPoint Template

You may be asking yourself “How should I create a pitch deck?” First rule — a good M&A pitch deck example for any company is short and sweet. It doesn’t have to venture into the minutiae of your company, products, and services — it merely has to give a quick overview into who you are, what you do, where you fit in and where you plan on going. Any investor pitch deck should include the following information in a Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation.

Slide 1: Introduction

  • Title: Executive Summary
  • Content: Briefly introduce who you are and the purpose of the pitch deck. An executive summary is to be included here so people understand the story as a whole before each slide breaks things down.
  • Imagery: Your company logo

Slide 2: Your Team

  • Title: Our Team
  • Content: Showcase your leaders and team members with their roles and expertise and all your company contact information.
  • Imagery: Include individual photos of key team members

Slide 3: Problem

  • Content: Clearly state the problem your product or service addresses.
  • Imagery: Visuals depicting the problem or pain points your customers face. Graphs or charts can be effective here.

Slide 4: Solution

  • Title: [Company Name] Solution
  • Content: Explain how your product or service solves the stated problem.
  • Imagery: Diagrams that represent your solution. Could be a flowchart or before-and-after scenarios.

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Slide 5: Business Model

  • Title: Our Business Model
  • Content: Describe how your company makes money and plans to prosper.
  • Imagery: A business model canvas or an infographic that clearly outlines how your business operates and generates revenue. Cycle graphs with arrows pointing your way through the process is also helpful.

Slide 6: What Differentiates You

  • Title: What Sets Us Apart
  • Content: Highlight what makes your company, products, and services unique.
  • Imagery: Comparative graphs or tables, or images that highlight your unique features or benefits.

Slide 7: Products and Services

  • Title: Our Products & Services
  • Content: Detail the products and services you offer.
  • Imagery: Photos or illustrations of your products or services, or use case scenarios showing how they are used.

Slide 8: Market

  • Title: Target Market
  • Content: Describe your target market, its size, and demographics.
  • Imagery: Demographic charts, market size graphs, or maps showing the geographic spread of your market.

Slide 9: Competition

  • Title: Our Competition
  • Content: Discuss your competitors and why your offerings are more attractive.
  • Imagery: Competitive analysis charts or matrices, showing how your company compares to competitors on various factors.

Slide 10: Investing

  • Title: Investment Opportunities
  • Content: Present your current budgets and the size of investment you’re seeking.
  • Imagery: Financial charts, growth graphs, or future projections to show potential for return on investment.

Things To Consider

The most important thing to remember is that a successful pitch deck should be an accurate representation of your company.

  • Keeping the M&A pitch deck template consistent and using your company’s proper logo, font and colors is important.
  • It should tell a story, but not get bogged down with minor details that aren’t important in the big picture.
  • Using bullet points on the slides is better than inundating the reader with text.

Remember, your pitch deck presentation is an overview of your company, not a document including every detail about it.

How Can CapLinked Help This Process?

Any investment, M&A or other transaction that involves a pitch deck presentation absolutely requires a secure, online location where the companies involved can store and share (with the appropriate credentials) the required documentation. This online location, commonly known as a virtual data room (VDR), contains the tools and features necessary for a successful transaction.

These tools include high-level admin controls, document and version management, multiple layers of security and customer support available 24/7. The user-friendly interface and the ability to update and edit files from virtually anywhere around the globe helps the most time-intensive part of an M&A proceed more quickly.

CapLinked, an industry leader in the space, can help streamline and save time and effort when it comes to mergers and acquisitions of all types. To learn about CapLinked’s advanced management features, document collaboration controls, customizable permissions and more, contact CapLinked today to start your free trial.

Chris Capelle is a technology expert, writer and instructor. For over 25 years, he has worked in the publishing, advertising and consumer products industries.

 

Sources:

  1. MasterClass. Guide to Pitch Decks: 10 Elements to Include in a Pitch Deck. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pitch-deck-guide