Funds and capital · Fund I deck
Fund I pitch decks for first-time managers.
A first fund is raised on the managers' prior record and a strategy limited partners believe only you can run. The deck must make both specific.
Fixed prices. No calls: you brief us in writing and comment in writing.
Record
Prior investments with your role marked
Illustration only. Any figures are invented for this sample slide.
Who reads it
Limited partners who back emerging managers.
Turnaround
5 business days for a design rebuild; 3 business days for an audit.
How it differs
How a fund I deck differs from a general pitch deck
A startup founder pitches a company. A Fund I manager pitches themselves as the decision maker for the life of the fund. There is no fund-level history, so the deck rests on attributed prior deals, a narrow strategy and evidence of access. Limited partners also check what a startup investor rarely asks about: the manager's own commitment, key person terms, the administrator and auditor, and whether the operation can stand up to an institutional due diligence questionnaire.
Slide by slide
What goes in a fund I deck
- 01
Strategy
Stage, sector, geography and check size.
- 02
Edge
Why you see deals others do not.
- 03
Attributable record
Prior investments with your role in each.
- 04
Portfolio construction
Number of companies, reserves and follow-on policy.
- 05
Sample deals
Two or three that show the strategy.
- 06
Team
Who decides and how long you have worked together.
- 07
Terms
Size, fees and carry as set by counsel.
- 08
Timeline
First close and final close.
The questions behind every slide
What readers of a fund I 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
How much are the partners committing, and is it cash or waived fees?
State the GP commitment and its form on the terms slide.
- 2
Do you have an anchor investor?
The timeline slide should state first-close commitments to date, naming only those who have agreed to be named.
- 3
Are any investments already warehoused, and at what price will they move into the fund?
Show them on the sample deals slide with the transfer price basis, as your fund documents set it.
- 4
Who are the administrator, auditor and fund counsel?
Name engaged firms on a short operations slide.
- 5
What happens if one partner leaves?
Summarize the key person provision on the terms slide.
- 6
Is every partner full time on this fund?
State each partner's time commitment and any other roles on the team slide.
- 7
Why is this fund size right for the strategy?
The portfolio construction slide should show the math: number of positions, check size and reserves adding up to the fund.
- 8
Can we speak with founders and co-investors from your prior deals?
Offer a reference list in the appendix, with permission from each person on it.
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
Our Edge
After
We saw [X] of our last [X] deals before other funds, through [channel]
Before
Track Record
After
I led [X] of the [X] investments shown, and each role is marked
Before
Fund Size
After
A $[X]M fund makes [X] investments of $[X]M, with [X]% held for follow-ons
What we fix
Faults we see in fund I deck drafts
A record with no stated role.
A strategy too broad to judge.
No first-close target.
What you receive
Documents we produce
- Limited partner deck
- One-page summary
- Track record appendix
Every file is delivered editable, in PowerPoint, Google Slides or Keynote, with a PDF for sending. A fund I deck rebuild starts at $3,500; the full Raise Set with one-pager and teaser is $10,000.
Format
Length, versions and appendix
- Length
- The main deck commonly runs about 15 to 25 slides. A teaser of a few pages often goes first, and the attributed track record sits in its own appendix.
- Send-ahead version
- Teaser for first contact, full deck on request, and a data room for questionnaire answers and fund documents, all as your counsel's marketing rules allow.
- Presented version
- Strategy, then the evidence of access, then the attributed record. Terms briefly, at the end.
What belongs in the appendix
- Deal-by-deal attribution table
- Reference list
- Portfolio construction model
- Team biographies
- Draft due diligence questionnaire answers
- Sample investor report
Before you send it
Fund I deck checklist
- Your role is marked on every prior deal.
- You have permission to show each prior-firm figure.
- Every performance figure carries an as-of date and a gross or net label.
- The GP commitment and its form are stated.
- Key persons are named consistently with the fund documents.
- Service providers are named only once engaged.
- First-close target and date appear on the timeline slide.
- Your counsel has reviewed the deck before it goes out.
Glossary
Terms used in a fund I deck
- Emerging manager
- A fund manager raising one of its first few funds, without a long fund-level history.
- Anchor LP
- An early, often larger investor whose commitment helps the fund reach its first close.
- GP commitment
- The manager's own money committed to the fund beside the limited partners.
- Management fee waiver
- An arrangement where the manager gives up part of its fee and has it counted toward its commitment.
- Warehoused investment
- A deal made before the fund's first close, often with manager capital, later moved into the fund.
- First close
- The first date on which the fund accepts commitments and can begin investing.
Your written brief
What to send us for a fund I deck
No call needed. Send what you have; missing items are listed in our written reply, and nothing is invented to fill a gap.
- 01Prior deals with role, dates, amounts and permission status
- 02Draft limited partnership agreement or term sheet
- 03Portfolio construction model
- 04Current pipeline and any warehoused deals
- 05Engaged service providers
- 06Team biographies and time commitments
- 07Reference list
- 08Disclaimer text from your counsel
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.
How do we show deals from a previous firm?+
Clearly attributed with your role, and only what you are permitted to share.
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.
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Pitch deck design for emerging fund managers raising from limited partners: strategy, track record, team and terms presented cleanly. From $3,500.
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.