Climate and energy · Cleantech deck
Cleantech pitch decks that compete on cost.
Clean technology wins when it is cheaper or better, not only cleaner. The deck should show cost against the incumbent and the path to scale.
Fixed prices. No calls: you brief us in writing and comment in writing.
Cost
Cost per unit against the incumbent
Illustration only. Any figures are invented for this sample slide.
Who reads it
Climate and industrial investors.
Turnaround
5 business days for a design rebuild; 3 business days for an audit.
How it differs
How a cleantech deck differs from a general pitch deck
A general startup deck sells a product and a growth curve. A cleantech deck also has to sell a physical scale-up: pilot, demonstration and first commercial plant, each with its own cost and risk. Investors read it for delivered cost against the incumbent, not for emissions alone. It often has to explain more than one kind of capital, since equity funds the company while project debt or grants may fund the plant. And it must say plainly what is still unproven, because a model that assumes a flawless scale-up reads as naive.
Slide by slide
What goes in a cleantech deck
- 01
Problem
What it costs today, in money and emissions.
- 02
Technology
How it works, in one diagram.
- 03
Cost comparison
Against the incumbent, now and at scale.
- 04
Scale-up path
Pilot, demonstration and commercial plant.
- 05
Customers and offtake
Who has committed to buy.
- 06
Capital needs
Equity, project finance and grants, separated.
- 07
Policy context
Rules and incentives that matter.
- 08
Team
Technical and commercial record.
The questions behind every slide
What readers of a cleantech deck ask
Each answer names the slide or document where it belongs. If a question has no home in your deck, the reader will ask it in writing, or stop reading.
- 1
What has been proven, at what scale, and under what conditions?
The technology slide should state the current readiness stage and the largest scale run so far, with the operating conditions. Test reports belong in the technical appendix.
- 2
What still has to be proven before the first commercial unit?
A short risk slide that separates engineering work from open scientific questions answers this. Each item should name the milestone that retires it.
- 3
What breaks first if grant or policy support shrinks?
The policy slide should name the one support the model leans on most and point to the case without it. The sensitivity table in the financial model gives the detail.
- 4
Who buys the output, how much, for how long and at what price?
The offtake slide answers this, with each buyer labeled by commitment status. Signed agreements and term sheets go in the data room, not the deck.
- 5
How sensitive is unit cost to energy, feedstock and financing costs?
A sensitivity chart in the appendix shows how cost moves with each input. The main deck needs only the one or two inputs that matter most.
- 6
What will the first commercial plant cost to build and to run?
The capital plan slide should give build cost and operating cost separately, with contingency stated. The techno-economic analysis supports it.
- 7
Are feedstocks and other critical inputs secured?
One line on the scale-up slide names each critical input, its source and whether supply is contracted. Supplier letters go in the data room.
- 8
Who on the team has built and run a plant like this before?
The team slide should show engineering, construction and operations experience, not only research. Advisors with plant experience help if that gap is real.
Headline rewrites
Slide titles that say something.
A reader skims headlines first. A label tells them the topic; a sentence tells them the point. Bracketed figures are placeholders for your own numbers.
Before
Technology
After
Our process ran continuously for [X] hours at pilot scale
Before
Cost comparison
After
At commercial scale our cost per [unit] falls below the incumbent's
Before
Scale-up
After
This round funds the demonstration unit that the first commercial plant depends on
What we fix
Faults we see in cleantech deck drafts
Environmental benefit with no cost case.
Scale-up costs missing.
Policy dependence left unstated.
What you receive
Documents we produce
- Investor deck
- Technical appendix
- One-page summary
Every file is delivered editable, in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, with a PDF for sending. A cleantech deck rebuild starts at $3,500; the full Raise Set with one-pager and teaser is $10,000.
Format
Length, versions and appendix
- Length
- Commonly 12 to 15 main slides, with a technical appendix that can run longer than the deck itself.
- Send-ahead version
- PDF, with the technical appendix as a separate file so the main deck stays short for a first read and the appendix can go to a technical advisor.
- Presented version
- Lead with the cost comparison and the scale-up path. Keep process chemistry and engineering detail for questions.
What belongs in the appendix
- Process flow diagram
- Pilot and test data with conditions
- Techno-economic analysis summary
- Sensitivity table on key inputs
- Offtake and partnership status list
- Patent list
Before you send it
Cleantech deck checklist
- Readiness stage stated for the core technology
- Largest scale demonstrated, with run hours or cycles
- Unit cost today and at commercial scale on one slide
- Base case shown without incentives
- Every offtake labeled signed, term sheet or interest
- Build cost and operating cost shown separately
- Contingency stated for the first commercial plant
- The few risks that could stop construction named
Glossary
Terms used in a cleantech deck
- Technology readiness level (TRL)
- A scale that describes how mature a technology is, from an idea on paper to a system proven in commercial use.
- First-of-a-kind (FOAK)
- The first commercial plant or unit built with a new technology. It usually carries the most cost and schedule risk.
- Techno-economic analysis (TEA)
- A model that links the engineering design to cost, showing what each part of the process costs at a given scale.
- Offtake agreement
- A contract in which a buyer agrees to purchase a set amount of a product over a period, often at an agreed price or formula.
- Green premium
- The extra cost a buyer pays for a cleaner option compared with the conventional one.
- Learning rate
- How much unit cost falls each time total production doubles, used to project cost at scale.
Your written brief
What to send us for a cleantech deck
No call needed. Send what you have; missing items are listed in our written reply, and nothing is invented to fill a gap.
- 01Current deck or draft
- 02Process diagram or schematic from your engineers
- 03Pilot and test results with operating conditions
- 04Techno-economic analysis or cost model
- 05List of offtake and partner discussions with status
- 06Capital plan by stage and by source
- 07Policy and incentive assumptions used in the model
- 08Team bios showing plant or scale-up experience
Packages
Four packages, fixed prices.
Deck Audit
$1,500
3 business days
A written verdict on the deck you have, before you send it to anyone.
- Slide-by-slide notes inside your file
- The fixes that matter most, in order
- Story, numbers and design, each assessed
- The investor questions your deck leaves open
One deck, up to 20 slides. No redesign included.
Choose Deck AuditInvestor Finish
$3,500
5 business days
Your draft, rebuilt to investor standard. Design only.
- Up to 15 slides rebuilt
- Charts redrawn from your data
- Your brand applied throughout
- One written revision round
- Editable PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote
Design only: your wording and slide order stay as they are.
Choose Investor FinishFinish + Story
$6,500
8 business days
We restructure the argument, rewrite the headlines, then rebuild the deck.
- Up to 20 slides
- Narrative restructured from your draft and notes
- Headlines rewritten as full-sentence points
- Send-ahead PDF version
- Two written revision rounds
We work from your facts. No market research or financial modeling.
Choose Finish + StoryRaise Set
$10,000
12 business days
Everything a raise needs, in one matching set.
- Up to 30 slides plus appendix
- Investor one-pager
- Short teaser version for cold outreach
- Three written revision rounds
- All source files
No investor introductions, fundraising or legal advice.
Choose Raise SetNot included in any package: Calls or meetings · Market research · Financial modeling or valuation · Investor introductions · Fundraising, legal or securities advice. Extra slides and extra revision rounds are quoted in writing before we start them.
Questions, answered.
Should incentives be in the model?+
Show the case with and without them, clearly labeled.
How much does a pitch deck cost here?+
A written Deck Audit is $1,500. Investor Finish, a design rebuild of up to 15 slides, is $3,500. Finish + Story, with the argument restructured, is $6,500. Raise Set, up to 30 slides with a one-pager and teaser, is $10,000.
How long does it take?+
Three business days for an audit, five for Investor Finish, eight for Finish + Story and twelve for Raise Set, counted from payment and a complete brief.
Is there a call?+
No. No package includes a call or meeting. You brief us in writing and comment in writing.
What do I need to send?+
Your draft deck in any editable format, or notes if you chose a package with writing, plus a few lines on who will read it and what you are asking for.
How do I pay?+
By card, through a secure payment link we send once scope and delivery date are confirmed in writing.
More decks in Climate and energy
All 5 Climate and energy decksOther categories
Pitch deck design for climate and energy companies: cost against incumbents, scale-up, offtake and capital needs, presented for investors.
Further reading
Sources we read when writing this page. General information only; not legal, tax or investment advice.
Have a draft? Send it today.
Choose a package, link your deck and write a few lines about who it is for. You get scope, a delivery date and a payment link in writing.