This free eBook goes over the 10 slides every startup pitch deck has to include, based on what we learned from analyzing 500+ pitch decks, including those from Airbnb, Uber and Spotify.
Everything you need to raise funding for your startup, including 3,500+ investors, 7 tools, 18 templates and 3 learning resources.
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OpenFin clearly articulates the industry's deep-seated issues of stagnant application infrastructure and fragmented user experiences on Wall Street. This strategy works because it frames the problem not as a minor inconvenience but as a major barrier to innovation, creating a sense of urgency for investors. By focusing on systemic challenges, they position their solution as a fundamental necessity rather than a simple add-on.
Our Tip: Ground your problem in industry-wide, systemic pain points to make your solution feel inevitable and essential to investors.
The pitch deck presents OpenFin not just as a product but as an “operating system” with a curated app ecosystem, which is powerful framing that implies a large, defensible platform. They directly connect features like workflow automation to the previously established pain points of inefficiency, demonstrating a clear solution-problem fit. Notice that their value proposition is anchored in achieving “critical mass,” which cleverly transforms existing traction into a core product benefit and a competitive moat.
Our Tip: Frame your solution as a platform or ecosystem, not just a point solution, to communicate a larger vision and a more defensible market position.
OpenFin wisely leads with its “significant industry adoption” as the primary form of validation, which is exactly what investors look for in a Series C pitch. This strategy effectively shifts the conversation from market potential to proven success, dramatically de-risking the investment opportunity. Highlighting “rapid growth among existing clients” also serves as powerful validation that the product delivers ongoing value and has strong upsell potential.
Our Tip: For later-stage rounds, lead with customer adoption and growth metrics as your most compelling evidence of a scalable and validated business model.
The deck highlights a seasoned executive team with strategic roles like CEO Europe, signaling to investors a clear and credible plan for global expansion. By listing notable investors like Bain Capital and J.P. Morgan on the team slide, OpenFin uses their financial backing as powerful third-party validation. This approach builds immense credibility and tells a story that sophisticated, professional investors have already vetted the opportunity and are committed to its success.
Our Tip: Use your team slide to showcase not just founders but also key strategic hires and prominent investors to serve as powerful social proof.
OpenFin masterfully frames every aspect of their business, from the systemic industry problem to their solution as an “operating system.” This narrative strategy makes their success feel inevitable, transforming their pitch from a simple request for capital into a story of market dominance. To apply this, build a cohesive story that positions your company as the logical and necessary winner in your market.
For their Series C, OpenFin’s main goal is to eliminate investor doubt by layering different forms of validation. They combine impressive customer adoption metrics with the credibility of top-tier investors like J.P. Morgan and strategic hires to signal unstoppable momentum. Use this multi-pronged approach in your own deck by showcasing market, customer, and expert validation to make your opportunity feel like a safe bet.
