Here at Greenbackers, we can review between 10-20 pitch decks a week, that’s a LOT over the course of a year. But we see far too many fail to, in our view, really make a compelling case to invest. So we developed a guide for what you need to really need include to stand out from the rest of the pack.
According to INC Magazine research, statistically, only 1% of ALL pitch decks secure venture capital funding. That’s a worry. Part of this equation, of course, is indentifying and approaching the right funds (Greenbackers helps there), but even when you’ve found them, expect that your pitch deck will get less than three minutes of their attention. Because, like us, they look at hundreds. In that small window, there are 3 things that will likely land your deck in the trash (alongside the 99% of the other pitch decks that fail to get to an investment committee for consideration) much less funded.
- You have an idea, not a business? Well, sorry, investors do not invest in ideas, however great. They invest in businesses. Show that you have one.
- Your financials are half-baked? Investors generally seek to get an annual return of around 30 to 40 percent for early-stage startups. If you can’t show that, then at least show how and when you will get there.
- Your team isn’t fully invested? A major indicator, statistically, of the likelihood of a startup’s success or not is whether its team has reached the point of no return. In other words, VCs may seek to gauge how invested a team is by whether or not they themselves have invested in the idea so far as to get to the point of no return.
Here are a number of ‘must-have’ elements you should have on your slides that are more likely to make investors say ‘yes’.
- Define your company’s purpose with clarity.
- Address the problem with insight.
- Present your solution as a beacon of hope.
- Time it right; why now, not later?
- Map out the market; show your understanding and potential.
- Outshine competitors by highlighting your edge.
- THEN Detail your product like the masterpiece it is.
- Explain your business model; make it compelling and clear, how you’ll make £€$¥
- Showcase your team; the architects of your vision, key partnerships and advisory board (if you have one.
- Your ask (£€$¥), use of funds and + what else would help you from an investor.
Over and above that, here is a slide by slide guide to put into format.
Creating a successful investment pitch deck for a cleantech company involves effectively communicating your company’s value proposition, market opportunity, technology, and financial potential. Below is a structured outline for a cleantech investment pitch deck, focusing on best practices. I’ll also guide you on what to include in each slide.
Slide 1: Cover Slide
- Company Name & Logo
- Tagline (one sentence that captures the essence of your business)
- Date of Presentation
- Presenter’s Name and Title
Slide 2: Problem Statement
- The Problem: Clearly articulate the environmental or energy-related issue your company is addressing.
- Market Size/Opportunity: Provide data on the scale of the problem (e.g., carbon emissions, waste generation, energy inefficiencies).
- Current Solutions and Gaps: Mention current alternatives in the market and their limitations.
Slide 3: Solution
- Your Product/Technology: Explain how your cleantech product or service addresses the problem.
- Focus on innovation and unique features.
- Key Benefits: Explain how your solution is better than existing solutions.
- Energy savings, reduced emissions, cost-effectiveness, scalability.
- Visuals: Use diagrams or images to help explain the product.
Slide 4: Technology Overview
- How it Works: Provide a simple, high-level explanation of your technology.
- Patents or IP: If applicable, mention any proprietary technology, patents, or intellectual property.
- Differentiators: What sets your technology apart from competitors?
Slide 5: Market Opportunity
- Market Size: Show the total addressable market (TAM), serviceable available market (SAM), and target market (TM) for your solution.
- Growth Trends: Demonstrate the growth potential of the cleantech sector or relevant industry.
- Regulatory Drivers: Highlight any favorable regulations or government incentives promoting cleantech solutions.
- Target Customers: Describe the customers who will benefit from your product (e.g., corporations, municipalities, consumers).
Slide 6: Business Model
- Revenue Streams: Explain how your company will generate revenue (e.g., product sales, licensing, subscriptions, performance-based contracts).
- Pricing Strategy: Provide a basic overview of how your products or services are priced.
- Sales Channels: Detail the channels through which you will sell your product (direct sales, partnerships, online, etc.).
Slide 7: Go-To-Market Strategy
- Market Entry: Explain how you will initially enter the market (pilot projects, partnerships, direct sales).
- Customer Acquisition Strategy: Outline how you will attract customers, including marketing, sales strategies, and partnerships.
- Timeline: Provide a rough timeline of your go-to-market activities.
Slide 8: Traction & Milestones
- Progress to Date: Highlight any achievements or milestones your company has reached so far (e.g., product development, customer acquisition, partnerships, revenue).
- Pilot Projects: If applicable, show early-stage customer success stories or pilot projects.
- Growth Metrics: Provide data points that demonstrate growth potential (e.g., sales, partnerships, product adoption).
Slide 9: Competition Analysis
- Competitive Landscape: Provide an overview of key competitors in your market and their strengths/weaknesses.
- Your Advantage: Demonstrate your company’s competitive edge (e.g., cost, technology, scalability, speed to market).
- Differentiation Chart: Use a comparison chart (e.g., a 2×2 matrix) to visually show where your solution stands compared to competitors.
Slide 10: Financial Projections
- Revenue Forecast: Provide a 3-5 year projection of revenues, broken down by product line, customer segments, or region.
- Key Assumptions: List the assumptions behind your projections (e.g., market penetration, sales conversion rates).
- Profitability: Show when you expect to break even and become profitable.
- Capital Requirements: Indicate how much funding you are seeking and what milestones it will enable.
Slide 11: Use of Funds
- Funding Ask: Clearly state how much capital you are raising.
- Breakdown of Fund Usage: Detail how the funds will be used (e.g., product development, marketing, hiring, scaling operations).
- Milestone Alignment: Align fund usage with key company milestones to show how the investment will drive growth.
Slide 12: The Team
- Founders & Key Team Members: Include brief bios with relevant experience and expertise.
- Advisors or Partners: Mention any notable advisors, investors, or strategic partners.
- Team Strengths: Highlight your team’s unique strengths in the cleantech, business, or technical sectors.
Slide 13: Impact
- Environmental Impact: Quantify the environmental or societal benefits of your product (e.g., tons of CO2 saved, energy efficiency improvements).
- Sustainability Goals: Show how your company aligns with global sustainability goals (e.g., the UN Sustainable Development Goals).
- Long-Term Vision: Share your company’s vision for the future of cleantech and how you plan to scale impact.
Slide 14: Closing & Call to Action
- Recap: Summarize the investment opportunity (problem, solution, market, financial upside).
- Call to Action: Encourage investors to take the next step (e.g., schedule a follow-up meeting, review due diligence materials). Tell them why the timing is NOW!
- Contact Information: Provide your email, phone number, and other contact details for further inquiries.
Design Tips:
- Minimalist & Professional: Keep slides clean, with a focus on visuals, charts, and bullet points. Avoid text-heavy slides.
- Consistent Branding: Use your company’s colors, fonts, and logo throughout the deck for consistency.
- Visuals: Use high-quality images, infographics, and diagrams to support your key points.
- Data Visualization: Use graphs, charts, and tables to make complex data more digestible.
- Can’t do it yourself? Get in touch we can recommend design agencies with good experience in the cleantech/climate tech sector.
By following this structure, you’ll provide investors with a clear and compelling understanding of your cleantech business, its potential, and the opportunity for returns. Once you have the structure laid out, you can start creating the presentation in PowerPoint, using the guidelines for each slide.
This isn’t just about numbers or graphs. It’s about creating a narrative that makes investors feel at home with your vision.
Every slide, every figure, and every graph should tell a part of your story. From understanding the problem to presenting a game-changing solution.
Start with the ‘why’. End with the ‘how’. And here is the graphic from Sequioa to help you get there.
