Pitch Deck Diagnostic

How to prepare for your submission

This stage evaluates how your pitch deck will be experienced by an investor on first review.

You are not being asked what your business is.
You are being asked what your deck clearly shows.

Every question in the submission maps directly to how investors scan and judge a pitch deck.

Before accessing the form, you should review your deck against each section below.

Access to this submission is only provided after your Lions Den outcome.

How the submission works

You will:

  • confirm your company identity (Company ID, name, email)

  • answer structured questions about what your deck actually shows

  • upload your current pitch deck

Your answers must match your deck exactly.

If your answers and your deck do not align, our AI diagnostic and human reviewer will not be able to provide a reliable output and your submission may be rejected.

What your deck must clearly show

This is not theoretical. These are the exact sections you will be scored on.

1. Problem Definition

Your deck must show:

  • a clearly defined problem

  • a clearly defined target customer

  • what customers currently do instead

  • how urgent the problem is

  • the real cost of the problem

If any of these are unclear, this section will score poorly.

2. Solution Clarity

Your deck must show:

  • what your product does in one sentence

  • a solution that is immediately understandable

  • a clear value proposition

  • why it is better than current alternatives

  • how quickly a customer experiences value

If someone cannot understand your product instantly, this section breaks.

3. Market Communication

Your deck must include:

  • a defined TAM, SAM, and SOM

  • a clear explanation of how those numbers are calculated

  • realistic and believable assumptions

You will be required to explain your calculation logic, not just provide large numbers.

4. Product Reality

Your deck must demonstrate:

  • what stage your product is in

  • clear product visuals (screenshots, flows, demo)

  • that the product appears usable

  • alignment between the product and the problem

  • how the product fits into a real workflow

If the product looks conceptual, this will be exposed.

5. Business Model and Revenue Logic

Your deck must clearly show:

  • how you make money

  • who the paying customer is

  • your pricing model

  • whether revenue is recurring or not

  • why customers are willing to pay

You will be required to summarise your revenue model in one sentence.

6. Traction and Evidence

Your deck must present:

  • a clear description of traction

  • revenue (or zero if none)

  • growth rate

  • number of customers

  • proof points (usage, contracts, pilots, etc.)

Investors are not looking for projections here. They are looking for evidence.

7. Go-to-Market Strategy

Your deck must show:

  • how you acquire customers

  • your primary acquisition channel

  • your go-to-market motion

  • how customers move from awareness to conversion

  • how you plan to scale acquisition

If your growth plan is vague, this will be reflected immediately.

8. Competition and Positioning

Your deck must include:

  • your top competitors

  • acknowledgement of alternatives

  • how you are positioned relative to them

  • a clear competitive advantage

If you appear to have no competition, this section will fail.

9. Defensibility

Your deck must explain:

  • what protects your business over time

  • why competitors cannot easily replicate it

  • whether your advantage is real or superficial

Examples include:

  • technology

  • data

  • distribution

  • network effects

  • operational complexity

Weak or unclear defensibility reduces investor confidence.

10. Team Credibility

Your deck must show:

  • who the founders are

  • relevant experience

  • whether there is a technical founder

  • prior startup experience

  • clear founder–market fit

This is not about listing roles. It is about credibility.

11. Fundraising Narrative

Your deck must clearly state:

  • how much capital you are raising

  • what the funding is intended to achieve

  • minimum and ideal raise amounts

  • how capital will be used

  • what milestones will be reached

If the raise is unclear or unjustified, this section breaks.

12. Deck Structure and Completeness

Your deck must include the expected core slides:

  • problem

  • solution

  • product

  • market

  • business model

  • traction

  • competition

  • go-to-market

  • team

  • financials

  • fundraising ask

It must also:

  • follow a logical order

  • have a clear purpose

  • match a standard investor flow

13. Design and Communication Quality

Your deck will be assessed on:

  • visual professionalism

  • use of visuals vs text

  • clarity and readability

  • consistency of design

  • whether each slide communicates a single idea

A strong business with a weak deck still performs poorly here.

What to do before accessing the form

Before you begin the submission:

  • review your deck against every section above

  • remove anything unclear or unsupported

  • ensure your slides match what you would answer in the form

  • make sure your deck reflects your current reality, not future plans

This submission is effectively showing you the scoring logic in advance.

Where this sits in your journey

You will only access this submission after:

  • completing Lions Den

  • receiving your outcome

  • receiving your submission links

At that point, your deck is evaluated and converted into a structured report.

Next step

Return to your onboarding flow and proceed once your Lions Den outcome has been received.

Onboarding Flow