The Anatomy of a Perfect Pre-Seed Pitch Deck
A guide for founders on what we look for in an early-stage pitch, from the cover slide to the ask. Learn how to tell a clear, compelling story.
At the pre-seed stage, your pitch deck is your most important asset. It’s more than a presentation; it's your story. It’s the vessel that carries your vision, your conviction, and your understanding of the market to a potential investor. At Luma Ventures, we review hundreds of decks, and the best ones all do one thing exceptionally well: they tell a clear, compelling, and concise story. Here’s a breakdown of the essential slides and what we look for in each.
Guiding Principles: Keep it to 10-12 slides. Be visual. Be data-informed, even if the data is qualitative. Every word should earn its place.
The Essential 10 Slides
1. The Cover
What it is: Your company name, logo, and a one-sentence tagline.
What we look for: A clear, concise, and memorable statement that encapsulates your mission. Think of it as your company's "Twitter bio." Avoid jargon. For example, "Modern banking for Africa's SMEs" is better than "A paradigm-shifting, AI-powered neobanking platform."
2. The Problem
What it is: A slide that clearly articulates the pain point you are solving.
What we look for: Make it personal and relatable. Who is the customer? What is their current workflow? Why is it broken, inefficient, or expensive? The more clearly you define the pain, the more obvious the need for your solution becomes.
3. The Solution
What it is: A clear and simple explanation of your product or service.
What we look for: How do you solve the problem you just described? Use simple language. A screenshot, a product mockup, or a simple diagram is worth a thousand words here. Show, don't just tell. Avoid a laundry list of features; focus on the core value proposition.
4. Why Now?
What it is: The market trends or shifts that make your solution not just possible, but necessary, right now.
What we look for: What has changed? Is it a technological shift (e.g., smartphone penetration), a regulatory change (e.g., new open banking laws), or a behavioral shift (e.g., increased consumer acceptance of digital payments)? This slide demonstrates that you are not just building a nice-to-have, but an inevitable part of the future.
5. Market Size (TAM, SAM, SOM)
What it is: An estimation of the total revenue opportunity.
What we look for: A bottoms-up analysis is always more credible than a top-down one. Instead of saying "African FinTech is a $150B market," show us: (Number of target customers) x (Average revenue per customer) = Your addressable market. This shows you've done your homework.
6. The Product / How it Works
What it is: A deeper dive into your product's functionality.
What we look for: Again, be visual. Use a simple 3-step diagram or a short demo video link. Focus on the user's journey and the "magic moment" where they experience the core value of your product. This is your chance to show off the elegance and thoughtfulness of your solution.
7. Traction / Early Validation
What it is: Proof that you are on the right track. At pre-seed, this may not be revenue.
What we look for: This could be user growth, waitlist sign-ups, pilot customers, letters of intent, or even deep customer interview insights. Show a clear graph, even if the numbers are small. An upward-sloping curve is a powerful visual. Show, don't just tell, that you have momentum.
8. Business Model
What it is: How you make money.
What we look for: Be specific. Is it a subscription model? Transaction fee? A marketplace take-rate? Show your pricing. We want to see that you have a clear and plausible path to revenue, even if it's not implemented yet.
9. The Team
What it is: An introduction to the founding team.
What we look for: At pre-seed, we are betting on you. Why are you the right people to solve this problem? Highlight relevant experience, domain expertise, and past successes. Show logos of previous employers or universities. Most importantly, convey your passion and unique insight into the problem.
10. The Ask
What it is: How much you are raising and what you will do with it.
What we look for: Be clear. "We are raising a $100k pre-seed round to achieve the following three milestones over the next 12 months: 1) Hire two engineers, 2) Reach 1,000 active users, 3) Secure our first three paying customers." This shows you are disciplined and milestone-driven.
Your deck should be so clear that an investor can understand the core of your business in 2 minutes without you in the room.
Conclusion
A great pre-seed deck is a narrative. It tells a story of a painful problem, an elegant solution, and a passionate team poised to capture a massive opportunity. By focusing on clarity, simplicity, and storytelling, you can create a deck that not only gets you a meeting but gets an investor excited to partner with you on your journey.