Fundraising Pitch Deck – Series A

Expert Tips

What is a Series A funding?

Think of a Series A funding round as the next step for nourishing your seedling of a startup idea. It marks your startup’s transition from an initial concept to a viable business. In order to attract the right people to invest in your business, it’s key that you articulate your vision so that you rise above the competition. A killer pitch deck continues to be one of the most effective and easily shareable ways to do just that.

This doesn’t mean you have to stick with a tired version of the same kind of presentation format. Use this opportunity instead to package your business points in Tome with polish, precision and contemporary elegance.

What is the difference between seed and a Series A pitch deck?

The difference between seed and Series A pitch decks lies primarily in their focus, audience, and the maturity of the startup.

The components of a strong pitch deck in the seed round pitch deck? You have a clear sense of the problem or challenge that your startup seeks to address and solve. Whether your solution revolves around a tangible product or exists in a concept stage, a seed pitch deck is focused on the big picture. In this early phase, define and break down the inspiration that led you towards the path of seeking funding. You’re not expected yet to show results, milestones or product roadmaps.

Pitch decks for a Series A fundraising is where investors anticipate seeing solid metrics, growth trajectory or areas for growth opportunity if applicable, and specific budget spends with direct impact. The Series B round takes an even further step where you’ll be expected to prove even bigger wins to current and potential investors that show your company is ready to scale and mature beyond the development stage.

Series A startups are laser-focused on funding that gets them visibility and awareness in order to establish market share. With Tome’s Series A Pitch Deck template, the suggested outline within takes a narrative shape. You’re telling the story of your startup with the problem you’re looking to solve serving as the main character arc. Lay out the middle, any challenges and objectives that your startup plans to overcome and be detailed where you can.

Some tips to consider when building your Series A deck:

• Clearly state the problem and have a mission statement or tagline ready.
• Be brief but not so brief that investors lose interest if they don’t have all salient information at hand in your pitch deck.
• Rely on images, design, and typography that sing and don’t shout. Check out some tips from Tome’s designers for inspiration.
• Don’t skimp on sharing details of your target audience or customer base, even if you don’t have any yet. You will soon, this is the point.
• Go big, or go home. Investors want to see a confident, clear picture of how your company will face headwinds and tackle potential obstacles in the road to scalability… and Series B funding!

What should be included in a Series A pitch deck?

A Series A capital raise pitch deck should be comprehensive and data-driven. Our template includes all the necessary ingredients for a comprehensive outline. You have the ability to fully edit and customize as you go but these are strong thought-starters for any Series A founder to consider.

1. Company Overview. Branding is important. The first few pages of the Series A Pitch Deck template gives you an elegant, visually expansive canvas to put your best foot forward.
2. Problem statement. Define the problem that only your company can solve. This sets the context for the value proposition.
3. Solution. Describe your product or service and how it effectively solves the identified problem. Include any unique features or proprietary technology. Be clear with your mission, objective or vision. Potential investors don’t have time to wade through inconsistencies or define your goal for you.
4. Market Opportunity. Flow into the market opportunity that exists or should exist. This should be eye-opening for an investor and get them revved to support your work.
5. Product-Market Fit. Although this is early in the funding process, if you have testimonials or even logos from customers or associates, don’t hesitate to share those. Any evidence that includes user feedback, case studies, or growth metrics is a good indicator of market demand.
6. Business Model. Describe how your company makes money. This leads to the opportunity to more clearly define your customer acquisition strategy, roadmap, financial plans and any targets you want to achieve.
7. Competitive Landscape. Identify your competitors’ attributes and your company’s competitive advantage. Explain how your solution is different and better.
8. Team. If your startup is large enough where you can introduce your team, lean into that. Highlight the experience and skills that put them at an advantage of leading the company to success.
9. Go-To-Market Strategy. Outline your GTM strategy, and how you plan to scale these efforts. Highlight any partnerships or channels that will be instrumental in your growth.
10. Financials. Present detailed financial projections including your remaining cash at hand, income statements, burn and cash flow forecasts, and a break-even analysis for the next 12-24 months.
11. Use of Funds. Specify how you plan to use the Series A funding and how it will unlock your next chapter. Break down the allocation across product development, marketing, sales, staffing, and other operational expenses.

There are a variety of AI tools and presentation features in Tome that can be leveraged to stand out from a sea of standard presentations. Think of applying tools like Record narration along with a mix of video embed tiles where you can literally voice-over your team, strategy and more.

During the Series A funding phase, it’s important to express how you plan to grow and scale to investors. Since you’ve passed the seed round, you’ve proven that growth is possible. Have those financial metrics handy and use integrations for embed tiles available in this template such as Miro and Mode, or consider using Tome’s charts tile.

It might be tempting to throw as much info, data, metrics and milestones at investors in a single presentation so as not to miss anything that may impress, but lean into sharing only the most relevant pieces of information. As your path towards funding continues, there will be ample opportunities to get even more granular.

How do you pitch for a Series A funding?

Regardless of where you’re at in the funding stage, the onus is on you to consistently make clear to investors why they should invest in your company, and what differentiates your vision from the rest. Part of this means laying out long-term objectives and goals that are flexible enough to evolve depending on what changes may transpire down the road.

Once your objectives are on solid ground, lean into the problem/solution component. Consider taking on the persona of your target audience or customer base and tell the story of the central problem from their perspective. This empathetic approach establishes the challenge from the onset—consider it your startup story’s opening hook. Telling it from the viewpoint of your potential customer base can also make it clear to investors that there is an urgent need for a solution that only your company can help meet.

Here are a few tips to help you identify and understand trends in venture capital (VC) funding. Consider these when designing your Series A Pitch Deck:

• Research the VC’s focus: Understand their investment’s thesis and mission statement. Take cues from where they align their areas of expertise. Identify where your startup fits into their portfolio.
• Study portfolio companies: Analyze the fund’s current and past investments. Highlight similarities and differences between your company vision and if you have customers that you work with already, remember to rely on any testimonials they provide.
• Consider mitigating risk: Anticipate and address potential concerns that your investors may have. Demonstrate a robust understanding of any risks associated with your business. Outline strategies accordingly and don’t be afraid to be transparent.

For any of these tips, clarity and relevance are important when customizing your pitch.

How long should a Series A deck be?

In our fully editable and customizable pitch deck template, you have 20 pages to work in all your content. For shorter pitches, you may want to consider reducing the length of this template and follow the 10/20/30 presentation rule: 10 slides, 20 minutes to present, no font smaller than 30 points.

Think of your Series A Pitch Deck as if it’s a story with a beginning, middle and clear resolution. You want to captivate and engage your audience, not bore them or confuse them. People are likely always more interested in hearing a story and are also more likely to remember them.

Always keep top of mind—what do you want your audience to remember about your business?

Whether you’re sharing your pitch in person or virtually, the prep is the same. Practice. Rehearse. Run it through friends, family, or by your dog. Have the key points memorized, don’t read off a script if you’re pitching virtually and remember to relax. Confidence comes through repetition if you’re not a natural public speaker.

When you have passion for what you’re pitching, practice always helps to ensure that you and your team feel solid before getting your big ideas out of your minds and onto the investor stage.

What makes a Series A pitch deck stand out?

A Series A funding round is a pivotal moment in your startup's journey, where a compelling pitch deck can significantly impact the success of raising capital. Unlike the broader scope of seed funding, Series A focuses on specific growth strategies and scalability, showcasing concrete metrics and a clear path to profitability.

To ensure your Series A pitch deck stands out:

1. Showcase data-driven insights. Unlike the seed stage, Series A investors are interested in hard data. Highlight user growth, revenue, market traction, and other key metrics that demonstrate your startup's potential for scale and profitability.
2. Articulate a clear growth strategy. Clearly outline how you plan to use the funding to fuel growth. This includes market expansion plans, product development strategies, and scaling operations.
3. Emphasize the Problem-Solution Fit. While the seed stage focuses on the potential, Series A is about proving the problem-solution fit. Detail how your product or service uniquely solves a significant market problem.
4. Leverage compelling narratives and design. Utilize the power of storytelling to connect with investors on a deeper level. A well-designed deck can help weave your narrative with elegance and clarity.
5. Highlight competitive advantages. Clearly articulate your competitive edge. How does your startup stand out in the market? What makes your solution superior to others?
6. Include robust financial projections. Provide detailed financial projections and a clear understanding of your business model. This demonstrates to investors that you have a solid grasp of your startup's economic drivers.
7. Focus on team strengths. Your team's expertise and experience can be a significant factor in securing Series A funding. Highlight key team members, their roles, and how their skills contribute to the startup's success.
8. Integrate multimedia elements. Use multimedia elements like video embeds or interactive tiles in your presentation. These elements can add dynamism to your pitch, making it more engaging.
9. Optimize length and clarity. While you have more room to elaborate in a Series A deck, it’s crucial to maintain clarity and conciseness. Focus on the most impactful information that will resonate with Series A investors.
10. Prepare for different presentation scenarios. Whether presenting in person or virtually, ensure that your pitch is rehearsed and confidently delivered. Practice with various audiences to refine your delivery.
    

A standout Series A pitch deck is one that effectively combines data-driven insights, a clear growth strategy, compelling storytelling, and a professional presentation. It should not only capture the current success of the startup but also convincingly project its future potential.

Use this template