How to Make a Logistics Pitch Deck [A Guide for Startups]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Feb 8
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 17
Our client, Andrew, asked us an interesting question while we were working on his logistics startup pitch deck.
“What makes investors believe you’re the one to solve the problem?”
Our Creative Director answered:
“Clarity of belief. And belief is built through story.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on dozens of logistics pitch decks every year. Some aim to disrupt supply chains. Others want to simplify warehousing, optimize freight, or digitize customs clearance. The industries and solutions vary, but the challenge remains surprisingly consistent: most logistics founders have a strong operational narrative, but their investor decks often collapse under complexity.
They describe the machine. They forget the mission.
So, in this blog, we’ll talk about how to create a logistics pitch deck that doesn’t just inform, but convinces. One that turns your startup into a movement. One that’s built on story, but sealed with design.
In case you didn't know, we specialize in only one thing: making presentations. We can help you by designing your slides and writing your content too.
Why Most Logistics Pitch Decks Fall Flat
Before we dive into how to make a great logistics pitch deck, let’s talk about why so many fall short.
We’ve seen founders walk into investor meetings armed with fifteen-slide decks packed with routing algorithms, block diagrams of warehouse flows, and screenshots of dashboards that look like flight simulators. And every time, we’ve seen the same outcome: polite nods, a few technical questions, and eventually… silence.
It’s not that the ideas aren’t good. In fact, most logistics startups we work with are solving real bottlenecks in broken systems. The tech is solid. The market is ripe. The traction is often impressive.
But here’s what’s missing: They don’t tell a strategic story.
They jump straight to features, models, and traction without establishing the one thing that makes all of that matter...why this moment in time demands their solution?
In logistics, that “why now” is everything. Because let’s be honest: logistics is an old, tangled beast. It’s been optimized, globalized, digitized, and disrupted a thousand times already. So, when a founder claims to have built the next big thing, investors instinctively lean back.
They’ve seen the slide before.
This is where story comes in. Not as fluff. Not as embellishment. But as a precision tool to help us frame what’s at stake, what’s broken, and why your company is the one uniquely positioned to fix it.
If we want to win the investor’s belief, we need to show them we understand the change in the world better than anyone else. The logistics pitch deck is not a product manual. It’s a battle cry.
Let’s talk about how to write that battle cry.
How to Make a Logistics Startup Pitch Deck
1. Start with the Brutal Truth (Problem Statement)
Most logistics startups make a huge mistake right at the beginning: they try to sound overly sophisticated, using industry jargon and generic phrases like “optimizing supply chain efficiency” or “enhancing last-mile delivery.” This puts investors to sleep.
Instead, start with a raw, undeniable problem—something that immediately resonates. For example:
"It’s 2024, and we still have retailers who don’t know where half their inventory is. 34% of deliveries get delayed due to outdated tracking. The supply chain is broken, and businesses are bleeding money."
See the difference? No fluff. No vague business terms. Just an undeniable problem that demands a solution.
2. Introduce Your Startup Like a Game-Changer (Solution)
Your solution slide should not be a snooze-fest with a paragraph of text explaining what you think your startup does. It should be a bold, confident statement that makes investors sit up.
Instead of: “We offer an AI-powered logistics optimization platform for retailers.”
Say:
"We eliminate inventory chaos. Our AI predicts supply chain disruptions before they happen, reducing delays by 60% and saving companies millions."
Now, they’re listening.
And here’s another secret: SHOW, don’t just tell. A well-designed visual—like a simple “Before vs. After” diagram—can drive your point home much faster than words.
3. Make the Business Model Stupidly Simple
Here’s something investors hate: decks that make them work too hard to understand how you make money. If they need to decode your business model, you’ve already lost them.
A logistics startup's business model is often B2B and subscription-based, but don’t just throw a pricing table at them. Break it down in the simplest way possible:
Who pays you? (Retailers, suppliers, e-commerce brands)
How do they pay you? (Subscription, transaction fee, revenue share)
Why will they keep paying you? (Cost savings, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance)
If your revenue model is complicated, simplify it visually. A one-slide flowchart can do wonders.
4. The Market Size Slide: Don’t Make It a Google Search Result
Too many founders treat the market size slide like a report copy-pasted from McKinsey. Investors don’t care about a generic “The logistics industry is worth $X trillion” statement. They care about YOUR actual opportunity.
Use the TAM, SAM, SOM framework:
TAM (Total Addressable Market): The entire logistics industry (too broad but necessary)
SAM (Serviceable Available Market): The specific segment your startup is targeting (e.g., last-mile delivery)
SOM (Serviceable Obtainable Market): The realistic chunk you can capture in the next 3-5 years
For example:
"The global logistics market is $10 trillion, but we are focused on last-mile delivery ($150B). With just a 1% market share, we hit $1.5B in revenue potential."
That’s the level of clarity investors want.
5. Traction: Show Momentum, Even If You’re Early
If you’re a logistics startup, traction doesn’t always mean revenue. Maybe you have:
Pilot programs with major retailers
Partnerships with shipping carriers
A waitlist of 500+ companies
Whatever it is, put it front and center. Numbers talk. If you're pre-revenue, highlight early signals of demand.
For example:
"We’ve run three pilots with major retailers, reducing delivery costs by 22%. Our beta user signups have grown 4x in the past six months."
This tells investors: "People want this, and it’s working."
6. Your Competitive Advantage Slide: Don’t Be Generic
The worst way to present competition is with a cluttered table comparing feature checkboxes. No investor takes those seriously.
Instead, use a Competition Matrix with two axes. Pick two key differentiators that actually matter. For example:
X-Axis: Delivery Speed (Slow vs. Fast)
Y-Axis: Predictability (Unreliable vs. AI-Driven Optimization)
Then, place yourself at the top-right corner and competitors where they actually stand. This visual makes it immediately clear why you're different.
And please, avoid saying “We have no competition.” That’s a red flag. If there’s no competition, there’s likely no market.
7. Team Slide: Make It More Than Just LinkedIn Profiles
Your team slide should convince investors that YOU are the right people to solve this problem. Instead of listing job titles, highlight:
Relevant past experience (e.g., “Ex-Amazon logistics lead”)
Specific skills (e.g., “10 years in supply chain optimization”)
Why you personally care about solving this problem
If you’re a founder with a deep industry background, emphasize it. If your team lacks logistics experience but is strong in AI, acknowledge that and mention how you’re solving the gap (e.g., by hiring industry advisors).
8. Financials: Give Investors What They Actually Want
Investors don’t need a 10-year revenue projection with perfect-looking hockey-stick growth. They do need to see:
Revenue projections for the next 3-5 years
Key cost drivers (software development, operations, sales)
Path to profitability
Instead of dumping spreadsheets onto a slide, show a clean, visualized revenue vs. cost chart. Investors don’t expect perfection—they expect a clear plan.
9. The Ask Slide: Be Precise, Not Vague
Too many startups ruin their pitch at the end by saying:
"We are raising $5M to scale operations."
That’s way too vague. Investors want specifics. Try this:
"We’re raising $5M to expand into three new cities, onboard 50 new enterprise clients, and double our engineering team. This will take us to $10M ARR within 18 months."
Now they know exactly where their money is going and what it will achieve.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.
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