{"id":1071,"date":"2025-05-20T08:16:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T08:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/?p=1071"},"modified":"2025-05-21T16:47:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T16:47:22","slug":"what-30000-pitch-decks-tell-us-about-uk-entrepreneurship-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/20\/what-30000-pitch-decks-tell-us-about-uk-entrepreneurship-today\/","title":{"rendered":"What 30,000 pitch decks tell us about UK entrepreneurship today"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If it feels like every new startup calls itself an AI company, you&rsquo;re not imagining it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">New analysis of over 30,000 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/funding\/effective-pitch-deck\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">pitch decks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, conducted by venture capital firm Fuel Ventures, has found that <\/span><b>86% of all pitches mention AI,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> often without actual AI tech.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s one of a number of trends that have taken over pitching decks in the past year, according to Fuel Ventures.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With <a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/funding\/investors\/venture-capital\/\">venture capital<\/a> currently in short supply in the UK, we unpack the rest of the findings below to give you a full pitching cheat sheet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Every startup is an AI startup now<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Careful word choice is important for any catchy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/setting-up\/how-to-choose-a-business-name\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">business name<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. One of the standout findings from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fuel.ventures\/what-30-000-pitch-decks-taught-us-after-a-decade-in-venture-capital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fuel Ventures&rsquo; latest report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is just how prevalent AI has become in startup pitches.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A huge 86% of the 30,000 pitch decks analysed mentioned AI, up 20% from last year.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Interestingly, not all of these startups are actually using AI in their products or operations, but they mention it anyway. Other popular buzzwords popping up include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&ldquo;Disruption&rdquo; &ndash; 61%<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&ldquo;Scale&rdquo; &ndash; 52%<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&ldquo;Sustainability&rdquo; &ndash; 45%<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&ldquo;Pivot&rdquo; &ndash; 32%<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Buzzwords can be tempting. They help show that you&rsquo;re tapped into trends and often pack a punch. After all, they became popular for a reason.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But increasingly, they&rsquo;re being used as bait, and seasoned <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/funding\/investors\/venture-capital\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">venture capitalists<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can tell the difference between performative and authentic use. Overreliance on hot terms like AI might help you get a foot in the door, but it can also make you blend into the crowd.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If everyone&rsquo;s claiming to be &ldquo;disruptive&rdquo; and &ldquo;AI-powered,&rdquo; how does anyone stand out?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A better approach is to be specific. If you&rsquo;re genuinely an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/news\/top-ai-startups-2025\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">AI startup<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, make sure to back up your claims with clear use cases, measurable achievements, and a unique angle.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What do successful pitches have in common?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The report also shows that <strong>76% of funded decks came from teams with co-founders,<\/strong> not solo founders. This suggests investors are valuing collaboration, whether that means bringing on a co-founder, advisory partner, or simply building a strong support network.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pitches from<strong> entrepreneurs over 40<\/strong> are up 35%, challenging the stereotype that only <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/news\/peter-jones-competition\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">younger founders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> get funded. This is encouraging news for more experienced business owners. Well-earned insight, network, and lived experience are real assets, and investors are starting to recognise that.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The number of <strong>female-founded pitches<\/strong> has grown 45% overall. While <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/news\/gender-experience-gap\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">there&rsquo;s still progress to be made<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, this shift shows a clear desire for more diverse leadership in the startup space.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Startups outside London are booming.<\/strong> This suggests that regional innovation is being taken seriously, and many investors are broadening their search across the UK.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Pitch submissions spike in January and September<\/strong> (+9% and +10%), likely because founders treat these months as natural fresh starts. If you&rsquo;re planning to launch or pitch, aligning with these rhythms could put you in the best position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Talking of timing, <strong>Tuesdays are your best bet.<\/strong> Pitches sent on a Tuesday are 18% more likely to get a follow-up than those sent on a Friday. It makes sense. Most people are more in work mode on a Tuesday versus a Friday, and investors are clearly no different.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fun fact: the shortest pitch deck was just three slides, and the longest was 127 &mdash; neither got funded. The takeaway? It&rsquo;s not about how much you say, but how you say it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ultimately, the report shows that investors are increasingly opting to back founders with experience, strong partnerships, and diverse backgrounds, not just flashy slides or trend-chasing.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The venture capital situation today<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While the report on pitch decks reveals plenty of positive trends, there&rsquo;s a more worrying take on the state of venture capital today if we look at the bigger picture.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Venture capital funding is on the decline, both in the UK and globally. Economic uncertainty, higher interest rates, and cautious investors have created a tighter funding environment.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This has hit UK tech startups particularly hard, with high-profile examples like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/news\/doordash-acquires-deliveroo\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Deliveroo&rsquo;s sale to DoorDash<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, highlighting how difficult it can be to scale on home soil.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Still, all is not lost. Investors may be more selective, but they haven&rsquo;t lost faith in UK entrepreneurship. This shift could lead to more thoughtful, resilient businesses built on substance over hype.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">On the topic of successful pitching, Mark Pearson, founder of Fuel Ventures, says: &ldquo;Every pitch deck tells a story, some better than others.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We&rsquo;re fortunate to have a front-row seat to the ambition, creativity, and resilience amongst the next generation of entrepreneurs &ndash; it&rsquo;s something that really doesn&rsquo;t get old.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\/news\/pitch-deck-insights\/\">What 30,000 pitch decks tell us about UK entrepreneurship today<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/startups.co.uk\">Startups.co.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If it feels like every new startup calls itself an AI company, you&rsquo;re not imagining it.&nbsp; New analysis of over 30,000 pitch decks, conducted by venture capital firm Fuel Ventures, has found that 86% of all pitches mention AI, often without actual AI tech. It&rsquo;s one of a number of trends that have taken over&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1071"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1071"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1072,"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1071\/revisions\/1072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/portraitsbylorie.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}