Startup Guide: Pitch Deck Tips for Seed-Stage Web3 Startups

Creating a compelling blockchain pitch deck is essential for Web3 founders and entrepreneurs looking to secure funding. At CV VC, we’ve reviewed hundreds of pitch decks and identified common pitfalls that founders can avoid. This article will help you craft a pitch deck that grabs the attention of investors and showcases the potential of your Web3 startup.

Part 1: Essential Slides for Your Blockchain Pitch Deck

1. Title Slide

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Your title slide is your startup’s first impression. Ensure it’s memorable and professional.

What to Include:

• Startup name and logo
• A catchy tagline or concise value proposition

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2. Problem Slide

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Highlight the pain point or market gap your blockchain project addresses. Demonstrate the need for your solution.

What to Include:

• A clear, concise description of the problem
• Real-world examples or statistics to emphasize its significance
• Explanation of existing solutions and their shortcomings

Tip: Use data to validate the significance of the problem.

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3. Solution Slide

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It is extremely important to showcase your unique approach to solving the problem outlined in slide 2. Showcase your unique approach and demonstrate to your audience how your idea addresses the specific problem.

What to Include:

• A one-sentence description of your solution
• Key features and benefits
• Visual aids like mockups or diagrams

Tip: Focus on simplicity and impact and avoid overloading this slide with technical jargon.

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4. Product Slide

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This is your opportunity to build confidence in your tech stack, product innovation, and unique value proposition.

What to Include:

• High-level architecture
• Unique technical features
• Benefits for users

Tip: Highlight user benefits over technical jargon.

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5. Why Now Slide

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Convince investors that this is the perfect time to launch your Web3 project.

What to Include:

• Key stats or trends (e.g. evidence of increasing adoption)
• Key milestones in underlying tech (e.g. transaction fees have decreased dramatically, latency and cost for cryptographic proofs have come down)
• Recent regulatory or societal shifts supporting your solution

Tip: Use a simple chart or timeline to visualize the trend as it provides a clearer overview for your audience.

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6. Traction Slide

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A good pitch deck proves that your concept works and has already gained momentum. Early indicators of success can boost investor confidence, so make sure you provide evidence of your progress.

What to Include:

• Key milestones achieved (e.g., users acquired, partnerships signed, wallets created, or transactions completed)
• Partnerships with key players (e.g., protocols or institutions)
• Revenue or user growth charts
• Testimonials or case studies
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Tip: If you're pre-revenue, focus on growth indicators like signups, partnerships, key hirings, pilots, or beta testers.

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7a. Business Model Slide

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Explain how your company will generate revenue and scale.

What to Include:

• Revenue streams (e.g., subscriptions, licensing, commissions)
• Pricing strategy (often not yet defined at the pre-seed level)
• Key metrics like Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), if available

Tip: The business model must give an indication of how scalable the company is.

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7b. Tokenomics Slide (if applicable)

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If your project uses tokens, detail their utility and ecosystem value.

What to Include:

• Token utility (e.g., governance, staking, transaction fees, incentives)
• Long-term value creation through token adoption or platform utility
• Monetization strategy and deflationary/inflationary mechanics
• Distribution model (e.g., allocations for team, investors, community incentives). This is often added as an appendix slide

Tip: Show how the token creates a sustainable ecosystem and a network flywheel.

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8. Market Size Slide

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Show the scalability of your business by outlining the potential market.

What to Include:

• Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) estimates
• Market trends and growth rates
• Supporting data from credible sources

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9. Competition Slide

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Demonstrate your understanding of the competitive landscape.

What to Include:

• A matrix comparing competitors’ features and target markets
• Your unique selling points

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10. Roadmap Slide

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Outline your vision and growth milestones, helping investors to see how your business is planning its growth.

What to Include:

• Short-term goals (e.g., product launch)
• Long-term vision (e.g., ecosystem expansion)
• Key dates and funding-dependent milestones

Tip: The long-term vision/narrative is important as VCs are looking for investments that can disrupt markets and are therefore scalable enough to return their fund.

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11. Team Slide

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Highlight the expertise and experience of your founding team.

What to Include:

• Founders’ bios
• Key team members and advisors
• Highlight relevant domain expertise and networks

Tip: At a Seed stage, VCs mainly look for outstanding teams with a good Founder-Market Fit. Explain why your founding team is uniquely positioned to solve this problem over an equally qualified team.

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12. Ask Slide

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End with a clear and confident funding request.

What to Include:

• The amount you’re raising and how you’ll use it (e.g. product development, hiring, marketing)
• Milestones you’ll achieve with the funds (can already be included in the roadmap slide)
• Key previous investors or supporters (if applicable)

Tip: Create urgency by linking your ask to milestones. Milestones are more important than the exact breakdown of expenditures. The amount you raise does not necessarily have to be specified, but the round (e.g. Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A) does.

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13. Closing Slide

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Leave a lasting impression. This is your chance to clearly state what you need and why.

What to Include:

• Tagline or mission
• Clear contact information

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Part 2: Tips & Tricks for an Investor-Ready Deck

Design Tips

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• Consistency: Use a clean, professional design
• Clarity: Avoid text-heavy slides; rely on visuals
• Readability: Ensure slides are easy to read from a distance

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General Tips

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• Keep your deck under 15 slides
• Tailor your pitch deck to your audience
• Rehearse your pitch multiple times

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Pitfalls to Avoid:

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• Overloading slides with information
• Making slides too complicated, which obscures your audience’s ability to focus on the important facts
• Focusing too much on the problem instead of the solution
• Using unverified market assumptions
• Not having a compelling problem with real market need
• Lack of pitching practice. Make sure you rehearse again and again

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Final Checklist

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• Is your slide deck under 15 slides? And does it include all the slides mentioned earlier in this guide?
• Are all slides easy to understand with minimal text and clear visuals?
• Is your narrative engaging and your ask clear?
• Does it follow a logical flow (problem → solution → opportunity → ask)?
• Is your deck tailored to your audience?
• Have you rehearsed your pitch multiple times? And can you deliver it in 10–15 minutes?
• Do you have backup materials ready for a potential Q&A (e.g., product demos and technical details)?

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Conclusion

Good luck creating a pitch deck that secures funding for your Web3 startup! If you’re looking for hands-on support, join the CV Labs Accelerator. Our program provides:

• Expert mentorship and connections to top-tier investors
• Comprehensive support for scaling in the Web3 ecosystem
• Access to funding and follow-on rounds

Take the first step toward success. Apply to the CV Labs Accelerator today!