Research Guides: Entrepreneurship: Pitch Deck Resources

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Examples, templates, & tools

The early pitch decks of 29 startups before they became billion-dollar companies
Article from CB Insights featuring the early pitch decks of 29 unicorn companies including: Airbnb, LinkedIn, Uber, and YouTube.
All the public startup pitch decks in one place
Article from Medium’s “Startup Grind” featuring pitch decks from companies such as: BuzzFeed, Dwolla, Foursquare, Intercom, LinkedIn, and Square.

The Ultimate Pitch Deck to Raise Money for Startups
Article from Forbes featuring a free, downloadable Microsoft PowerPoint investor pitch deck template, along with tips, advice, and example pitch decks.
The Only 10 Slides You Need in Your Pitch
From Guy Kawasaki, this article explains his version of the 10/20/30 rule and includes an infographic outlining his 10-slide strategy.
Business Plan Presentation Template
Free, downloadable Microsoft PowerPoint template from SCORE to help you create a presentation for your business plan.

Canva
A simplified graphic-design tool website great for non-designers as well as professionals. Uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access to professional layouts, photographs, vector images, graphics, and fonts. Tools can be used for both web and print media design and graphics.

Check out Canva’s pitch deck presentation templates!

Piktochart
A web-based infographic application that allows inexperienced users to easily create infographics and visuals using themed templates. Choose from a large library of photos and icons, or upload your own, and tell impactful data-driven stories with fully customizable interactive charts and maps.

Check out Piktochart’s templates for pitch decks!

Prezi
A visual storytelling software alternative to traditional slide-based presentation formats. Prezi presentations feature a map-like overview that lets users pan between topics, zoom in on details, and pull back to reveal context.
Google Slides
With Google Slides, you can access, create, and edit your presentations wherever you are, from your phone, tablet, or computer. Choose from a variety of presentation themes, hundreds of fonts, embedded video, animations, and more.
Microsoft PowerPoint
A slideshow presentation program that is part of the Microsoft Office suite of tools. PowerPoint makes it easy to create, collaborate, and present your ideas in dynamic, visually compelling ways.

Currently enrolled UCI students are eligible to receive a free copy of Microsoft Office 365!

Apple Keynote
A presentation software application developed as a part of Apple’s iWork productivity suite. Choose from over 30 eye‑catching themes that instantly give your presentation a professional look, or create your own master slides, background images, and page‑by‑page customization.

Practice & record at the Multimedia Resources Center (MRC)

Presentation Studio
One Button Studio

Want to practice your pitch? Be pitch perfect with the help of the MRC’s Presentation Studio!

Presentation Studio at the Multimedia Resources Center (MRC).

The Presentation Studio in the Multimedia Resource Center (MRC) at the Science Library is available to UCI students, faculty, and staff and features state-of-the-art equipment including:

27 inch iMac loaded with the latest business productivity and multimedia presentation software from Adobe and Logitech
Bluetooth® Logitech® keyboard and Trackpad for Mac®
Additional HDMI cables and audio attachment for using personal laptops
Large Sony® HD Presentation LCD Panel Display
Kensington® Presenter Pro Remote™
Microsoft Mac Office 2011 and Keynote
Wireless Logitech® ceiling mounted Webcam
Speaker’s Laptop Lectern

Need to record a pitch video? It's easy with the MRC’s One Button Studio!

One Button Studio controls. The One Button Studio in the Multimedia Resource Center (MRC) at the Science Library is available to UCI students, faculty, and staff and features a simplified video recording system that requires no technical knowledge or previous video production experience.

Here's how it works:

Simply insert a USB drive and push a button to begin recording a video.
The One Button Studio automates lighting, microphone, and camera settings, then compresses and renders the completed video into a .mp4 file that is saved onto the USB drive.
The system resets itself when the drive is unplugged, ready for the next person.
The finished product is a polished video recording that requires little time and effort to produce.

Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall
Every person has a gap in their business they want to fill, and the bridge for that gap is a good story. Professional storyteller Kindra Hall shows business leaders the four unique stories they already have at their disposal, to more effectively captivate and convert audiences. She offers specific, actionable steps readers can take to find, craft, and leverage the stories they already have and aren't telling, teaching them that the moment they take control of their stories, they take control of their businesses and their lives.[Print]
Get Backed: Craft Your Story, Build the Perfect Pitch Deck, Launch the Venture of Your Dreams by Evan Baehr; Evan Loomis
Here, two veterans of the startup world will show you how to create a compelling pitch deck and how to plan and execute a fundraising road show that will win financial support for your business. This process will also help you think more clearly about your vision, your company, and your relationships. [Print]
The 12 Magic Slides: Secrets for Raising Growth Capital by Paul M. Getty
he Twelve Magic Slides presents a proven method for attracting funds from angel investors, venture capital firms, private equity firms, and institutional investors. It will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to ask for—and receive—the capital you need to launch or grow a business. [eBook]
HBR (Harvard Business Review) Guide to Persuasive Presentations by Nancy Duarte
Terrified of speaking in front of a group? Or simply looking to polish your skills? No matter where you are on the spectrum, this guide will give you the confidence and the tools you need to get results. Learn how to win over tough crows, organize a coherent narrative, create powerful messages and visuals, connect with and engage your audience, show people why your ideas matter to them, and strike the right tone, in any situation. [Print]
Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte
Presentation software is one of the few tools that requires professionals to think visually on an almost daily basis. But unlike verbal skills, effective visual expression is not easy, natural, or actively taught in schools or business training programs. slide:ology fills that void. This book is full of practical approaches to visual story development that can be applied by anyone. The book combines conceptual thinking and inspirational design, with insightful case studies from the world's leading brands. [Print & eBook]
Crackle and Fizz by Caroline Van Den Brul
This is a book for scientists and other experts who need to explain the significance and potential of their work to colleagues, committees, funding bodies or the general public. It details how to harness story-telling principles to make complex or technical content easier to communicate and fulfilling for audiences. Eight narrative ingredients, Audience, Change and Affect, Lure, World, Character, Big Hook, Plot and Structure, are illustrated with examples and exercises to demonstrate how to build a presentation, how to pitch for funds or resources, how to make a persuasive argument, or simply how to explain ideas so they crackle and fizz for the audience. [eBook]

Kauffman Founders School: How to pitch and persuade
Entrepreneurs are pitching all the time. There are lots of ways to do it better. Framing your powerful presentation as an invitation to collaborate can help you convince others. [6:21]

TED Talk: How to pitch to a VC
Thinking startup? David S. Rose's rapid-fire TED U talk on pitching to a venture capitalist tells you the 10 things you need to know about yourself -- and prove to a VC -- before you fire up your slideshow. [14:26]

Y Combinator: How to pitch to investors
In this short video, Y Combinator's Michael Seibel covers the elements of a 30 second pitch, a 2 minute pitch, when to fundraise, and how to setup investor meetings. [13:32]