The PERFECT FUNDING PITCH DECK
During my two years in MRGV, I saw thousands of Game Companies Pitch Decks, Pitch mails, Pitch audio-messages, Pitch notes, and even beach pitches.
I realized that there is no framework for that.
So, I’ve created a PERFECT FUNDING PITCH DECK for a game company and welcome you to use it when pitching at least to us. But, I’m pretty sure it would be useful for any startup and investor. This template includes ALL THE INFORMATION potential Investors need to see, the exact order It needs to be, and, most importantly, does not include anything that should not be in a Pitch Deck.
You could find the deck here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xoFUWgW9msRkaWZZZVThccnE_35Gt1ltkn2HfyuJRt8
Disclaimer: All the info, persons and numbers, in this deck are fictional.
Cover slide. I had doubts about whether there should be a cover slide, but I’ve decided that it should be there for two reasons:
- To imprint your Company’s Name and Logo into the Investor’s mind.
- To state the theme of the pitch and its actual redaction.
Founders Slide. Founders are the main asset of the company at its early stage. It is vital to understand what kind of background they have and their role in the company.
So it is a great idea to introduce key decision makers right away.
Nice Photo, bullet-point experience, link to the LinkedIn profile if the reader wants to know more about the founder.
It is also to state your mission and focus as a company, so investors would quickly grasp the idea about your values and strategy.
Team Slide. The team is the second valuable asset in your company.
It is essential to show how many people you have, how quickly you burn money, how balanced and experienced your team is, and your plan for growth.
Please avoid sentences like “we have 600 years of experience combined”.
Experience does not combine.
Track record slide. If you have previous successes as a team or were engaged in hit games development as individuals, it would be great to show off.
A track record is not mandatory and does not guarantee success. But the experience in developing and operating successful games has an impact on skills and, most importantly, on your mindset.
If you have no successful titles — show failed ones. If you’ve learned from it — It is also exceptionally valuable.
Game Slide. It is showtime! Make sure to condense your game concept in a short informative message.
The pitch should include:
1) The core concept: midcore PvP game with a fishing mechanic for mobile
2) Target audience: broad audience — Male and Female 16–45+
3) Market positioning and ratio of the concept: the unique combination of the popular fishing mechanic and modern deep meta
4) Player story: fishing gameplay with QTE actions. Fish type, size, and trophy depend on your equipment and consumable bites. The player who gets more trophies in the match wins and gets gold, rating, and chests with equipment cards. Equipment could be upgraded in the metagame.
5) Monetization principle: By spending hard currency, the player could speed up chests unlocking and purchase resources.
6) Screenshots / fake screens/concept art to give information on how it would look like.
That’s it! Investors have a picture and the idea of what you are about to create and how it is going to work.
Now you need to explain the reason WHY it is going to work.
Competitors analysis slide. I know that not every investor likes that instrument. But for me, it helps to understand better the idea and experience that the company wants to translate to players. You could use different matrices like realistic \ fast-paced, skill-based \ customizable, etc.
The second important part here is the Top Competitors chart. That shows how red is the oceans and what is the size of the pie. Is there a niche and something that was able to score on that field.
That could help you to justify your idea and show the potential.
If there are no direct competitors and you are creating something completely different — try to find comparative objects from other industries — education, medicine, telecom, toys.
Please do not include Game industry analytics or games market growth charts. Investors that you are interested in have access to the best analytics sources and are well aware of the current market state.
Roadmap and KPI’s slide. Critical slide that shows you current traction. The more real data you could provide here is better. It is also essential to reveal your KPIs in dynamics to highlight their improvements.
Do not try to bluff or lie here. Because later, you could be asked to provide access to your analytic platform and confirm your numbers.
If you have only the part of the data — show what you’ve got so far and when you expect to get more details of the game’s performance.
The roadmap shows your current stage and the following steps. Make sure to provide realistic dates and scope and be ready to adjust it.
Investment opportunity slide.
This is your request time. Investors should clearly understand your business proposal.
Four major parts here:
- When and where the company was founded, where are your offices located?
- CapTable — what is the structure of ownership?
- What are you looking for, and on what terms? How would that money be spent?
- What is the timing of the deal? What is your goal?
Financial slide. This slide could vary depending on your stage.
If you have a revenue stream, established accounting, and business modeling, it would be great to forecast how your business would perform after the investment. And ultimately, how investors would benefit from investing in your company.
If you are on the early, pre-revenue stage, you can show only a cost forecast to justify the amount of money you are raising.
Outro slide.
Your contacts are what matters here.
That’s it! With this 10-slides framework, you can create a clean and informative Pitch Deck for your Games Company. Understanding what is essential for investors and what we assess at the first contact will drastically improve your chances of getting funded.
