Hire the Top 3% of Freelance Pitch Deck Consultants
Toptal is a marketplace for top pitch deck consultants, experts, and specialists. Top companies and startups hire freelance pitch deck consultants from Toptal for their mission critical projects.
Christine is a Stanford MBA with 12+ years of experience who previously led a tech startup's capital raising and investor-relations function. She has experience in finance, private equity, venture capital investment banking, and business strategy at companies such as Uber, Crestview Partners, and Deutsche Bank.
With 13 years of experience in the field, Nikhil is an expert in finance, strategy, and transformation. He has advised companies of varying sizes in raising capital, articulating business models and investment theses to investors, and creating financial efficiency. Nikhil's expertise includes financial services, strategic and operational finance, investment banking, fund management, capital raising advisory, deal-making and execution, and CFO advisory for technology-based startups.
Dan is a seasoned advisor and consultant. He spent 10+ years in the strategy practices of Booz Allen Hamilton and BearingPoint, serving Fortune 1000 clients. Dan has held founding roles at five startups, including CEO, COO, and product and strategy leadership. He is the founder and president of Business Advisory Network, which advises leadership teams on strategic and operational topics. Dan authored and monetized several software patents and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Fabian is a Stanford MBA with 10+ years of experience in business strategy, business development, and leadership. He led two healthtech startups and closed deals with leading pharma companies, built a business development unit at AeroFarms that partnered with Fortune 500 companies, such as Cargill, AB InBev, and Roche; saved Intel $400 million in its run rate through an out-of-the-box solution; and raised money from prominent VCs.
Stan worked on nine-to-ten figure M&A and IPO deals in New York and Toronto as an investment banker, turned around a public company as the CFO and COO, and invested venture capital funds into startups, helping them enter new markets in Southeast Asia. He has a bachelor of commerce, an MBA from the University of Toronto, and an accounting designation. Stan is currently investing in and building startups mainly in the fintech sector and joined Toptal to work on interesting projects worldwide.
Transform your ideas into reality with Gina Lepore, your strategic partner in strategy development. From revitalizing ventures to rescuing projects, Gina's expertise turns visions into achievements. With a track record of success, she crafts actionable plans and implements solutions for tangible results. Ready to make your plans a reality? Whether you're looking to revitalize your current ventures, rescue struggling projects, or transform culture, Gina is the powerhouse you need in your corner.
Sameer has led a $100 million franchise partnership. He is a blockchain expert, having worked with crypto startups from social media apps to NFT platforms and P2E games. His experience includes fundraising, tokenomics, whitepapers business strategy, asset sales, corporate finance, and M&A. Sameer has worked with billionaires, private equity firms, and family offices, providing unique insights into investor mindsets. Sameer joined Toptal to add value to a variety of businesses creatively.
Jay is a 25-year investment professional experienced in private debt, private equity, seed capital raising, originations, underwriting, portfolio management, and restructuring. As the regional head of middle-market finance at Merrill Lynch and president of Centre Lane Investment Corp., he has invested approximately $1 billion in middle-market companies. Jay consults on corporate finance advisory issues while leading an angel-funded medical device business as a co-founder and CEO.
Dhruv has worked on successful finance and consulting projects worth over $1 billion, focusing on tech, energy, and life science companies across the US, Asia, and Africa. He currently serves as a fractional CFO for multiple startups, is a partner at AND Business Consulting, and has more than 15 years of experience in FP&A, fundraising, startup consulting, M&A, and project finance. With an MBA in finance, Dhruv enjoys the exposure and sheer variety of assignments that come with freelancing.
A growth strategy expert with tier 1 companies, Niloufer led the transformation of a $300 million pet business that was acquired for two times EBITDA. Her areas of expertise are strategic planning, innovation, customer strategy, and eCommerce transformation. She is an award-winning architect of iconic brands across North America, Europe, and Asia; J.M. Smucker, Reckitt, Philips, Kraft-Heinz, McCain, GSK, Tetra Pak, and Mars. Nilo joined Toptal to help organizations unlock and accelerate growth.
As an entrepreneur and active venture capital/private equity investor, Aaron enjoys freelancing to leverage broad business expertise (MBA–Kellogg), law (JD—Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law), and science and engineering (Ph.D.—the University of Texas at Austin) to help companies raise capital, scale operations, and develop marketing and corporate strategy.
Pitch Deck Consultants help companies create effective presentations that answer key investor questions and successfully raise capital. This guide to hiring a Pitch Deck Consultant outlines qualities to look for in a candidate, best search practices, and interview questions and answers to help you identify the top candidates for your company.
... allows corporations to quickly assemble teams that have the right skills for specific projects.
Despite accelerating demand for coders, Toptal prides itself on almost Ivy League-level vetting.
Our clients
Creating an app for the game
Leading a digital transformation
Building a cross-platform app to be used worldwide
Drilling into real-time data creates an industry game changer
Testimonials
Martin so far is a complete Rockstar.
His first bit of work produced a tool for us to model and forecast our financials and is far and away worth every penny we paid and more.
Just thought I’d share that with you.
Pete Pellizzari
CEO
Erik has been an extremely valuable member of our team who has tremendous breath of experience with start ups in our lifecycle phase. What makes his contribution unique and highly effective is not only his excellent financial modeling skills and knowledge, but also the emotional intelligence with which he manages each relationship at Vault, understands our team dynamics, and helps us tackle start up challenges effectively. It is rare to find a part-time consultant who makes you feel like he/she is genuinely invested in the success of your company.
Romy Parzick
COO
Toptal has been an incredible key partner for Sidekick. As an early-stage start-up, we’ve leveraged both design and financial talent. The experience has been incredible, with those professionals bringing creativity, expertise, and advice to ensure Sidekick succeeds. My Toptal financial expert helped steer Sidekick’s business model, which resulted in an initial ROI of 650x! My experience with Toptal has given me great confidence in the future.
Doug MacKay
Founder / CEO
Chris was great to work with and was always available on my schedule. His communication skills and personality were a 10/10. His outputs on the project were top notch and allowed us to develop more efficient forecasting and initiative prioritization frameworks. I would definitely use Chris again.
Chris Pozek
CEO
What really sets Toptal apart is the caliber of finance talent available in their network. I had a very specific and pressing need, and Toptal quickly matched me with the perfect person for the job. The expert produced a thoughtful and robust financial analysis that has ultimately allowed us to forecast and prioritize initiatives much more efficiently.
Chris Pozek
CEO
How to Hire Pitch Deck Consultants Through Toptal
1
Talk to One of Our Industry Experts
A Toptal director of finance will work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics.
2
Work With Hand-Selected Talent
Within days, we'll introduce you to the right pitch deck consultant for your project. Average time to match is under 24 hours.
3
The Right Fit, Guaranteed
Work with your new pitch deck consultant for a trial period (pay only if satisfied), ensuring they're the right fit before starting the engagement.
Find Experts With Related Skills
Access a vast pool of skilled finance experts in our talent network and hire the top 3% within just 48 hours.
Typically, you can hire a pitch deck consultant with Toptal in about 48 hours. For larger teams of talent or Managed Delivery, timelines may vary. Our talent matchers are highly skilled in the same fields they’re matching in—they’re not recruiters or HR reps. They’ll work with you to understand your goals, technical needs, and team dynamics, and match you with ideal candidates from our vetted global talent network.
Once you select your pitch deck consultant, you’ll have a no-risk trial period to ensure they’re the perfect fit. Our matching process has a 98% trial-to-hire rate, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best fit every time.
How do I hire a pitch deck consultant?
To hire the right pitch deck consultant, it’s important to evaluate a candidate’s experience, technical skills, and communication skills. You’ll also want to consider the fit with your particular industry, company, and project. Toptal’s rigorous screening process ensures that every member of our network has excellent experience and skills, and our team will match you with the perfect pitch deck consultants for your project.
How are Toptal pitch deck consultants different?
At Toptal, we thoroughly screen our pitch deck consultants to ensure we only match you with the highest caliber of talent. Of the more than 200,000 people who apply to join the Toptal network each year, fewer than 3% make the cut.
In addition to screening for industry-leading expertise, we also assess candidates’ language and interpersonal skills to ensure that you have a smooth working relationship.
When you hire with Toptal, you’ll always work with world-class, custom-matched pitch deck consultants ready to help you achieve your goals.
Can you hire pitch deck consultants on an hourly basis or for project-based tasks?
You can hire pitch deck consultants on an hourly, part-time, or full-time basis. Toptal can also manage the entire project from end-to-end with our Managed Delivery offering. Whether you hire an expert for a full- or part-time position, you’ll have the control and flexibility to scale your team up or down as your needs evolve. Our pitch deck consultants can fully integrate into your existing team for a seamless working experience.
What is the no-risk trial period for Toptal pitch deck consultants?
We make sure that each engagement between you and your pitch deck consultant begins with a trial period of up to two weeks. This means that you have time to confirm the engagement will be successful. If you’re completely satisfied with the results, we’ll bill you for the time and continue the engagement for as long as you’d like. If you’re not completely satisfied, you won’t be billed. From there, we can either part ways, or we can provide you with another expert who may be a better fit and with whom we will begin a second, no-risk trial.
Erik is a co-founder of a global venture capital fund that has invested in 50 startups (raising more than $500 million) and has realized six exits. He serves as Toptal’s Chief Economist.
In a Challenging Fundraising Environment, Founders Need Good Pitch Deck Consultants
With private equity and venture capital fundraising plunging to six-year lows in 2024, today’s tight fundraising environment calls for a pitch deck that distinguishes your company from the competition. For many, that means hiring a quality pitch deck consultant.
As the foundation of your fundraising efforts, a pitch deck must captivate potential investors and persuade them to invest in your business idea. Typically consisting of 10 to 20 slides, an effective pitch deck clearly presents your company’s story and vision, while quickly and concisely addressing common investor questions. It conveys a wide range of information such as market opportunity, competitive environment, growth potential, and financial projections.
Creating a successful pitch deck involves overcoming multiple challenges. Investors are pressed for time, so every word and image counts. Venture capitalists (VCs) spend only about three minutes and twenty seconds reading a pitch deck for seed rounds and may dismiss the opportunity in even less time.
Different types of investors use their own language and have specific questions that pitch decks must answer. Therefore, in addition to sharing technical details like key performance indicators (KPIs) and this funding round’s impact on growth, a compelling pitch deck will convey your company’s story in a way that resonates with the investor and positions you well for future negotiations—an outcome the right pitch deck consultant can help you achieve.
Many consultants are available, but there may be only a few who have the right expertise to create the optimal investor pitch deck for your use case. A consultant’s suitability for your company will depend on the scale and depth of their experience.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to identify the best pitch deck consultant for your needs. While this hiring guide focuses on finding top pitch deck consultants for venture capital firms and private equity (PE) investors, the key principles covered also apply to pitching investors in other areas of finance.
What attributes distinguish quality Pitch Deck Consultants from others?
A strong pitch deck consultant possesses excellent strategic planning, quantitative, and storytelling skills. They can identify the most impactful pitch deck elements, develop answers to key questions and convey them effectively, and understand the deck’s larger strategic and immediate tactical context. The value of a consultant’s pitch deck services derives not simply from their competence in creating the physical slide deck for investors, but from their ability to provide a presentation that successfully raises capital.
As you evaluate candidates, consider experience in terms of both scale (number of years worked, amount of capital deployed or raised, and number of deals closed) and depth (degree of involvement in bringing deals to a successful conclusion).
To show depth of experience, candidates should demonstrate a direct contribution to their clients’ success, preferably across diverse market situations, as private equity and venture capital can follow strong market cycles. For example, candidates may have been directly involved in securing investment as, or in support of, the founder of a fundraising company. Alternatively, they may have been the capital-allocation decision-maker on the VC side. A consultant with this firsthand experience can help you clinch the deal because they intimately understand the audience’s point of view.
When evaluating a candidate’s experience, there are no specific minimums around scale and depth to look for. However, the consultant should show a clear record of success.
Complementary Skills for Pitch Deck Consultants
A pitch deck must answer quantitative and qualitative questions about your company, including information that may appear contradictory. For example, you may have to convince a VC that you are ultra-focused in your initial market beachhead while pursuing a large-scale, long-term vision, or that your product is game-changing but with clear historical corollaries. This information must be conveyed coherently and in a quickly digestible manner. That’s why the best pitch deck consultants typically have diverse skills, including in the following areas:
Business strategy – The pitch deck must show investors that their capital will receive a stronger return from your company than from the competition. A consultant with expertise in business strategy can clearly articulate how your company will achieve this growth.
Market research – Details about your target group of customers, such as market size, growth rate, degree of fragmentation, and behavior, will help investors understand what company success looks like. A consultant with market research expertise can bring insights about market trends and competitive landscapes. They will know how to find relevant data points and highlight them, which is crucial for an informed and persuasive pitch deck.
Financial analysis – Your company’s stage and the type of funding pursued will determine the financial analysis your pitch deck requires. A consultant with this expertise can create accurate financial models and projections—a critical component in presenting viable, data-backed financial information to prospective investors. The consultant can also clearly explain this analysis to you so you can confidently discuss numbers with investors.
Data analysis and visualization – A pitch deck consultant should have significant experience with data visualization. The ability to translate patterns, trends, and outliers into a visual context can make for a compelling presentation.
Artificial intelligence – Generative AI can be a powerful tool for creating pitch decks. One such tool is Sendsteps.ai, which can help you produce pitch decks quickly and features audience engagement tools like live polling and interactive Q&A sessions. Beautiful.ai is another example of a tool that focuses on creating visually attractive presentations. Although not necessary, a working knowledge of AI applications is a nice-to-have skill.
How can you identify the ideal Pitch Deck Consultant for you?
To identify your ideal pitch deck consultant, you should know the type of funding round you’re pursuing, such as venture capital or private equity—something your business model and company stage will inform. For example, if you are an early-stage SaaS startup that hasn’t yet raised capital, you are probably undertaking a VC seed round.
Your company may be a candidate for several types of funding such as PE, VC, debt financing, or other specialized investor financing across a range of industries. If you’re still debating among these paths, you may wish to first speak with your board or advisors. Hiring a financial or fundraising consultant may also help you determine the right funding.
A pitch deck expert with experience in the type of funding you’re seeking can help you tailor your pitch to investors’ unique needs, including navigating idiosyncrasies you might not have anticipated. An early-stage VC deck will likely be viewed on a large screen at an accelerator demo day, or even on the smaller screen of a venture capitalist’s phone. Pitch decks must stand out in both situations—a nuance that a consultant with VC experience will know.
Appropriate pitch deck consultants will also have direct dealmaking experience with the type of funding you seek, either as an investor or an individual raising capital. While many professionals can create persuasive presentations to close financial or business deals, they may not have been directly involved in facilitating the final transaction.
As your pitch deck is your primary storytelling device, your ideal consultant must grasp your company’s story and vision for what this new funding round can achieve. They should also be willing to challenge your key assumptions and recognize potential weaknesses. Every high-potential venture comes with risks and challenges, which prospective investors will identify and query. A consultant’s frank discussion of these issues with you demonstrates a strong understanding of your company and a desire to see you succeed.
Given investor scrutiny and the high stakes of securing investment with favorable terms, it’s wise to hire a consultant with an extensive breadth and depth of relevant experience to lead your pitch deck efforts. A consultant with less experience may save you money, but they may lack the expertise to prepare a solid pitch deck that sets you up for success. If budget is a concern, more junior talent can assist in areas like market research and initial drafts of exhibits.
Finally, assess your own strengths and weaknesses in telling your company’s story, and seek an expert who can fill in the gaps. You may feel confident conveying the more concrete elements of the technology and financials, but require help defining softer features, such as the mission and value proposition. This self-assessment will help you identify the consultant who best complements your skill set.
How to Write a Pitch Deck Consultant Job Description for Your Project
Clearly articulating your needs improves the chances that suitable candidates will apply. Your job description must convey these specific details:
Target area of investment (e.g., VC, PE, debt financing)
Company history
Industry/sector
Business model
Approximate timelines
Goals
Desired experience (in terms of years and fundraising type)
A clear job description will set clear expectations and help candidates self-select based on their experience.
Ideally, you should begin the hiring process before starting your fundraising efforts. It’s helpful, but not necessary, to prepare preliminary materials, such as your financial model, business plan, team bios, and market research, prior to hiring. Your work with the consultant will be exploratory at first, as you both decide what information may be required, such as further market research or financial forecasts. As the pitch deck is a collaborative exercise, it is wise to start the hiring process at least a month, but preferably two or three months, before you begin formal investor outreach.
What are the most important Pitch Deck Consultant interview questions?
Here are some essential questions to ask during the interview:
Tell me about times you’ve helped build pitch decks for companies seeking similar types of funding at similar stages to mine. What were the fundraising results, and what did you learn from those experiences?
This question gives you the chance to assess a candidate’s experience with analogous companies, which are not necessarily your direct peers, but are businesses pursuing similar funding rounds from the same types of investors. For instance, a consultant who has provided pitch deck services to other early-stage software-driven startups for their seed or Series A round could be a good candidate for your new algebra app, even if you’re their first edtech client.
Consider how well the candidate expresses these companies’ stories and evaluate their degree of involvement in the final results. You can also ask for success rates and pitch deck examples from the consultant’s previous work. To follow up, you can ask how their experience relates to your business model to ensure you are comfortable with the fit.
What key strengths and weaknesses do you see in our company’s trajectory and narrative?
This question highlights the consultant’s thinking process and initial assessment of your company’s situation. Assess their ability to state your company’s narrative and strengths succinctly and persuasively. Look for their willingness to note potential weaknesses, so you can work together to address them before presenting to investors. Do they bring new insights and ideas you hadn’t thought of? A consultant with a firm grasp of your company’s position can make for a strong candidate.
What do you see as our working dynamic throughout the process?
This question is important to understand the consultant’s working process and for your own planning. While the consultant should take ownership of key aspects of the pitch deck, this core fundraising document requires your direct participation.
Work styles will vary, but the consultant will most likely propose a cooperative and iterative approach in which you agree on what you will each focus on. (For example, you might assemble your team bios while the consultant conducts competitor research.) Set a cadence to regroup, review the work together, and agree on next steps.
Your individual preferences, the amount of information available, and the nature of the anticipated funding round will dictate the overall process. However, the pitch deck consultant will generally follow this workflow:
Step 1: Understand the company.
Review materials that speak to the company’s value proposition, competitive advantages, and future plans. These might include the business plan, financial model, market research, competitive landscape, and team bios.
Step 2: Share feedback with you.
Discuss what they view as critical elements of the fundraising narrative.
Identify key weaknesses to address.
Request further information that would be useful.
Step 3: Work with you to assign responsibilities.
Determine what portion of the deck the consultant will draft.
Decide what further information you will provide them (e.g., team bios, financial information).
Step 4: Reconvene and iterate until complete.
Meet regularly to review, thus ensuring the deck is moving in the right direction.
Budget permitting, conduct practice runs in which you present to the consultant acting as the investor. Feedback and questions from this exercise can optimize the finished pitch deck for success.
To what extent are you comfortable being involved in finalizing the design?
While many pitch deck experts are proficient with pitch deck software like PowerPoint, Keynote, and Canva, and can streamline elements of the text and images to give the final deck a polished appearance, great pitch deck consultants do not need professional design skills, as they focus on content. If design isn’t part of a candidate’s skill set, they should be willing to recommend hiring a pitch deck designer.
Hiring a presentation designer to create a professional pitch deck can be a wise investment if your budget allows and your pitch deck consultant isn’t a design expert.
Why do companies hire Pitch Deck Consultants?
Companies hire pitch deck consultants to help them tell their story and impress potential investors. The consultant essentially becomes a team member and works with you to create an engaging pitch deck that brings together all of your fundraising messaging in a way that distinguishes you from other companies seeking capital.
Investing in the right person will increase your odds of success in securing investment and put you in a strong negotiating position when you finalize the deal. Learning how to distill the many elements that make your company unique and how to position it for future success will also make you a stronger business leader.
Featured Toptal Pitch Deck Consulting Publications