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June 21, 2025

After designing 500+ pitch decks, here’s how to craft a strong cover slide

A cover slide is the first slide of a pitch deck. But is yours strong enough to grab investor attention instantly?

Do you have an important presentation coming up?

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TL;DR

Your pitch deck’s title slide sets the stage for the entire presentation. If it doesn’t immediately engage investors, they may lose interest before they even reach your core message. A strong cover slide establishes trust and credibility. Let’s explore how to do it right.

Amélie Laurent

Product Manager, Sisyphus

A cover slide does more than just introduce your pitch deck – it sets the stage for everything that comes next. It creates a lasting impression of your brand, establishing trust and credibility right from the start.

Investors spend an average of just 7 seconds on your pitch deck title slide before deciding whether to continue.

At M’idea Hub, a leading presentation design agency and one of the trusted pitch deck design companies, we’ve designed 500+ high-stakes pitch decks including pitch deck healthcare presentations for startups raising millions. One truth has remained constant: a weak cover slide can make investors lose interest before they even reach slide two.

In this blog, we’ll explore various styles and categories of cover slides, providing options that align with your brand’s personality. Plus, we’ll share some actionable tips you can implement immediately to elevate your next pitch deck.

Why your cover slide can make or break your pitch?

You walk into a room full of investors. They glance at your deck’s first slide. In just seconds, they subconsciously decide whether your startup looks fundable, trustworthy, and prepared. Your cover slide isn't just a placeholder—it’s your first chance to gain credibility. It should instantly set the right tone – Professional, confident, and engaging

When done right, a polished cover slide sets the tone and turns your pitch deck into an engaging and convincing story that keeps your audience hooked from start to finish.

Establish clarity – Clearly state what your startup does in a compelling way
Showcase branding – Visually align with your startup’s identity
Spark curiosity – Make investors want to turn the page

4 winning cover slide styles for investor pitch decks

‍Not all cover slides are created equal. The right design style depends on your brand, industry, and investor audience.

‍1. Text focused and branded

‍Text-focused and branded cover slides are powerful because they deliver a clear and direct message from the start. Whether showcasing a significant change your brand is making in the world or highlighting a key product benefit, this style is clean and straightforward.

It often features the presentation title in large fonts and small details like the subtitle, date, and deck type (Pitch Deck, Series A, B, C, etc.). This approach enhances understanding, reinforces your brand, and ensures that the core message sticks powerfully and memorably.

This pitch deck design showcases a compelling cover slide for a startup pitch deck, featuring the title 'Empowering Innovations Through Advanced Technology Solutions' by TechNova. It exemplifies the type of professional pitch deck design services offered by a specialized pitch deck agency to create a strong first impression for investors.

This impactful cover slide features a strong pitch deck design for an infrastructure consulting firm, showcasing the title 'The World's Trusted Infrastructure Consulting Firm.' It represents a professional example of startup pitch deck design, effectively demonstrating the caliber of pitch deck design services offered by a dedicated pitch deck agency.

This dynamic cover slide, with its modern pitch deck design, introduces a presentation on financial and investment management by Equinox. It exemplifies the kind of visually engaging startup pitch deck design that a professional pitch deck agency delivers through its pitch deck design services.

This refined cover slide for NexusCapita's fund deck demonstrates a sophisticated pitch deck design for financial services and investment banking ventures. It's an example of best pitch deck design that a skilled pitch deck agency provides through its expert pitch deck design services.

2. Image-Based

‍A full-screen image title slide uses a striking, high-quality image that relates to the topic of the presentation, creating a strong visual impact. You can use an image on the right side, accompanied by branding elements. This method subtly conveys your brand’s identity and product focus while maintaining visual appeal.

You can also integrate your logo or brand element with an image to create a cohesive visual encapsulating your brand’s essence and focus. You can also include a title on the left side so viewers can easily get the context from both the image and the title.

This visually engaging cover slide presents a startup pitch deck for CypherX, focused on 'Decoding the Future of Tech,' framed by dynamic green graphics. It highlights a modern pitch deck design that a skilled pitch deck agency would create to deliver impactful pitch deck design services.

This inviting cover slide features a strong pitch deck design for Equinox's Series B startup pitch deck, highlighting personalized financial tracking. It demonstrates the quality of pitch deck design services provided by a skilled pitch deck agency to create compelling visuals and clear messaging for investors.

This impressive cover slide features a global shipping vessel, illustrating a compelling pitch deck design for Oceanic's corporate overview focused on freight transport. It showcases professional pitch deck design services from a leading pitch deck agency, creating a strong visual for any startup pitch deck in logistics.

This striking investor pitch deck cover slide features a woman's face with biotechnology graphics, conveying 'Transforming Beauty with Next-Generation Biotechnology.' It demonstrates a compelling pitch deck design for a startup pitch deck, showcasing the professional pitch deck design services of a specialized pitch deck agency.

This compassionate cover slide showcases a pitch deck design for MedCare's Series B startup pitch deck, focusing on personalized healthcare. It exemplifies effective pitch deck design services from a professional pitch deck agency, creating a relatable and impactful first impression.

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Read Why it takes a multidisciplinary team to build pitch decks that raise millions — and discover how a collaborative team approach can transform your healthcare pitch deck into a story investors believe in.

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3. Illustration Based

‍Illustrations are great for breaking down complex ideas, making your content easier to grasp and more engaging. Custom illustrations can be created to match the brand’s look and feel, providing a visual context that speaks to your brand’s position and products. These visuals can subtly showcase your product or service, setting the stage right from the start.

Sometimes, even metaphorical illustrations can resonate with the brand’s identity. This visual touch helps your audience remember the presentation better and strengthens your core message, making it more powerful and memorable.

This contemporary cover slide for DataNest features a clear pitch deck design for financial projections and metrics, using engaging isometric illustrations. It exemplifies excellent startup pitch deck design and the quality of pitch deck design services that a dedicated pitch deck agency can provide.

This clean and illustrative cover slide showcases a strong pitch deck design for Prospera, focused on monitoring financial health with innovative tools. It represents a professional startup pitch deck design, demonstrating the expertise of a pitch deck design agency that provides effective pitch deck design services.

This innovative cover slide for Vanguard.AI's Series A investor deck showcases a modern pitch deck design aimed at transforming insurance companies with AI. It represents a cutting-edge example of startup pitch deck design that a specialized pitch deck agency would create to visually convey technological impact.

This engaging cover slide features a strong pitch deck design for CyberTech, illustrating how to 'Improve your security posture' with digital graphics. It represents an effective startup pitch deck design that a specialized pitch deck agency would create to visually convey complex cybersecurity solutions through its pitch deck design services.

4. Product Focused

‍Product-focused cover slides are super effective because they immediately highlight the main subject, grabbing everyone’s attention. They bring clarity and set the tone for the entire presentation. These slides can spotlight the product’s key features, benefits, and unique aspects, making it easier for the audience to understand and remember.

Product-focused cover slides are particularly useful in the early fundraising stages, especially for series a decks. They help investors quickly grasp the value of what you’re offering. Sales decks can also leverage these slides effectively, making pitching your product to the right audience easier.

This contemporary cover slide showcases a pitch deck design for Finmax's Series B presentation on 'The Future of Payments,' featuring a modern dashboard and payment card visuals. It's an excellent example of startup pitch deck design, effectively demonstrating the impact of professional pitch deck design services from a dedicated pitch deck agency.

This modern cover slide features a strong pitch deck design for DataMint's Series A presentation on 'Revolutionizing Data with AI.' It exemplifies best pitch deck design for a startup pitch deck, clearly demonstrating the impactful pitch deck design services offered by a specialized pitch deck agency.

This detailed cover slide for IPSUM's Series A pitch deck on 'Revolutionizing Heartbeats' prominently displays a cardiac pacemaker device. It showcases a professional pitch deck design from a leading pitch deck agency, demonstrating effective pitch deck design services for a medical startup pitch deck.

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5 actionable tips to elevate your cover slide

‍Regardless of the category, certain key elements can make your cover slide stand out:

Ensure your title reflects a significant change you’re bringing to the world or your brand’s core messaging. Avoid generic titles like “Series B Pitch Deck” or “Investor Deck.”
If your website is well-designed, incorporate its hero banner image for consistency. This creates a seamless experience for investors when they visit your site.
Look for creative ideas on platforms like Pinterest to find designs that resonate with your brand’s identity. For starters, take inspiration from here.
Adding a date or month shows your deck is current and updated, leaving a positive impression on investors.
Always keep 2 to 3 types of cover slides handy. This way, you can tailor your cover page to different audiences effectively.

Make your first impression count!

‍Creating an impactful cover slide involves more than just aesthetic appeal. It’s about making a strong first impression, clearly communicating your topic, and setting the tone for the rest of your pitch deck.

By understanding the different categories of cover slides and applying actionable tips, you can design a cover slide that captivates your audience and enhances your overall pitch. These categories are just broader visual guidelines; you can always mix and match them based on your branding and presentation goals.

Remember, the cover slide is your first chance to impress and engage your audience—make it count! And, if you’re still not sure where to start or need some help in designing a winning pitch deck, we’ve got you covered.

Download our pitch deck template to design a winning cover slide that instantly builds trust and gets investors to turn the page.

Read 9 Red Flags in Your Pitch Deck Design You NEED to Fix Now — especially if you’re building a medical device pitch deck and want to avoid common mistakes that cost credibility.

Just contact us or book a discovery call, and let’s bring your story to life!