How to Make Great Startup Pitch Deck Presentations in Apple Keynote

Apple's founder, Steve Jobs, made some of the most famous keynote presentations of all time. Compelling narratives and striking visuals made his Apple Keynote presentations memorable. Learn what how to make a great Apple pitch deck in this article.

If you're a novice or a budding entrepreneur, how can you build success into your startup pitch deck presentation? To help you win over potential investors, we’ve created six practical steps on how to make a great presentation in Keynote.

Plus, we’ve also curated some of the best looking startup keynote templates from Envato Elements. So, you won’t have trouble creating a pitch deck from scratch.

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  Keynote
  
  
  30 Best Keynote Pitch Deck Templates (Business Plan Presentation Designs 2021)
  
  
  Andrew Childress

Let’s start getting your funding!

Why You Need a Standout Pitch Deck Design

To help you launch, scale, and expand your business, you must have interested investors lined up to support your financial needs. And because a large sum of money is involved, you can't just easily get potential investors to open up their wallets for you.

That's why a startup pitch deck is crucial to persuade future investors to bet on your business. When you present your business idea, you need a visual guide that your audience can easily grasp and understand.

A great pitch deck keynote presentation will help you create a gripping narrative. Hook your potential investors and keep them focused along the way. It'll also convey your thoughts and message much more effectively. But how exactly do you create a pitch deck that stands out using Apple Keynote?

How to Make the Best Keynote Presentation

There are many ways on how to make a great presentation in Keynote. While you can build your Keynote presentation from the ground up, there are already amazing templates that you can change using our step by step guide below.

To get you started, we’ll use this high-quality pitch deck template, Manola Pitch Deck Keynote Presentation, and make a few tweaks along the way. This will help you better suit your startup pitch deck according to your brand.

Here are six steps to follow:

1. Hook Your Audience From the Start

The first two slides of your Apple Keynote presentation are where you'll create your first impression. It's an all-crucial rapport builder. Early at this stage, hook your potential investors with a compelling introduction to hype their interest as you proceed with your presentation.

To have your audience's full and undivided attention, stir their interest by enticing them with how your startup business can benefit them. Answer this top question of your investors: what's in it for me? You can also use this part to define the problem or problems you want to address with your new business venture.

For example, Airbnb’s startup pitch deck commenced with a simple cover slide of their logo and tagline. Then they immediately follow it up with three short sentences analyzing the current gaps in the hospitality industry.

A problem statement immediately stirs the interest of your audience. What do you want to address? What are the current pain points of the market? 

With a problem statement, your audience would instantly get curious as to how your startup business can solve these problems. You can easily incorporate this approach into your own Keynote presentation:

Simply tweak the Manola Pitch Deck Keynote Presentation template to list down your problem statements. To make it more visually appealing, you can use icons beside each problem statement.

2. Build a Cohesive Visual Story and Structure

A recipe to a great Keynote presentation is a narrative that your audience can easily follow. But this story should be paired with a riveting visual journey as well.

Usually, you can use a progressive plot: setting, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement, and end. A progressive plot follows a chronological structure. It begins with the setting and conflict, then the rising action to a climax, and culminates with a denouement—just like in literature.

To translate this principle to your startup pitch deck content, you can use the following:

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  Setting = Cover Slide. Introduce your company. Include logo, tagline, etc.

  
  


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  Conflict = Problem Statement. Describe the existing gap(s) in the market that you want to address.

  
  


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  Rising Action = Solution. How can your business solve the problem(s)?

  
  

When Uber was still looking for investors, they made a startup pitch deck that follows a progressive plot. The most incredible part of this pitch deck was their “UberCab Concept” slide. It summarizes how their business idea can solve the transportation problem.

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  Climax = Benefits & Competitive Advantage. What makes you different from similar businesses? What’s your edge?

  
  


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  Denouement = Forecasts. What’s your potential return on investment? What’s the future outlook of the company?

  
  

An example of the use of denouement is this pitch deck from BuzzFeed. Two slides before it ends, it's got this “How Big Can This Get” headline. It lists all the future outcomes that the company envisions to achieve and why it would be the next big thing.

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  End = Call to Action. What should the audience do after your presentation?

For each part, you can also assign different slide layouts. Move the positioning of your logo, texts, images, or add some graphics. This way, you can easily differentiate individual ideas and categorize related parts of your Keynote presentation. 

In another example, the original startup pitch deck of LinkedIn is a perfect example of how to make a pitch deck that combines a seamless narrative and visuals. It started with actual data on how people search for jobs.

Then it goes on to a slide explaining the implications of those data. It displays a problem statement and the existing gaps brought about by this problem.

To learn more about writing your cover slide, problem statement, and more, just study these five examples of great pitch decks.

3. Simplify Text With Typography and Iconography

While your content is a highly crucial element of your startup Keynote pitch deck, you may go overboard by adding too many texts in one slide. Instead of long sentences, only put phrases to simplify your messages. You can just further explain these short phrases during your presentation.

You can also use typography to make texts more appealing. Typography is the art and technique of arranging texts to transform written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed on your Apple Keynote presentation.

This guide will help you navigate how you can reduce text-overload Keynote presentation by using typography and iconography effectively.

It’s also a good idea to replace texts with icons. The use of iconography in your presentation keynote design will make it more memorable and easier on the eyes.

4. Use a Consistent Color Palette

Don’t be afraid to use colors in your Keynote business presentation. Colors influence human perception and emotions which gives them great impact on the decisions we make. It's an essential aspect of how to make amazing Keynote presentations. This is because colors give life and personality to your pitch deck.

It's recommended to use a color palette that aligns to your branding. This is to avoid association with your competitors. You want to stand out from your direct competitors and at the same time instill brand recall.

According to WebsiteSetup, here are the main factors to consider when picking color schemes:

• your key demographic


• gender of your audience members


• your audience’s age


• industry you operate in

To sum up: base your decisions on facts and data instead of intuition.

You can also use colors to categorize different bodies of your keynote presentation. This also gives variety to your audience to ensure that they won’t get bored with a monotonous color. Using the Manola Pitch Deck template, you can easily alter the colors on each slide and design a harmonious color palette.

5. Visualize Your Data

From revenue figures, expense breakdown to supporting facts — you'll always encounter data when you're creating your startup Keynote presentation. You don’t want to simply put numbers in there.

Some of the best startup pitch presentations visualize their data to communicate insights from data through charts and graphs. This will also enable your audience to look at and explore your data from different perspectives. Visualizing data can help you identify patterns within that data and understand large amounts of information very quickly.

Read more about visualizing your data with this tutorial on customizing charts, maps, and other data.

6. Close With an Actionable Ending

Unlike a fairytale story where you’ll read “...and they lived happily ever after,” you should end your Apple Keynote presentation with a clear and compelling call to action (CTA). You want your potential investors to make a favorable response after your Keynote presentation.

This is the last chance for you to seal the deal. So, make this section count. Create a memorable CTA that'll continue the conversation between you and your future investors. For example, you can direct them to your website, sign up to your newsletter, or download your latest app.

This is exactly how Foursquare ended its startup pitch deck when they were looking for more investors. They've included some exciting trivia that'll surely make their exit more memorable. Plus, they closed it by encouraging their audience to sign up by visiting their website.

5 Top Modern Pitch Deck Apple Keynote Templates for 2021

Designing your Apple Keynote presentation from scratch can be tedious, especially if you’re not a designer yourself. Instead of spending days or hours perfecting your presentation, why not just get a professional startup pitch presentation template?

You've got a variety of startup pitch presentation templates out there. Envato Elements curates some of the most amazing Startup pitch deck Keynote templates to create a winning startup pitch presentation. With just a single subscription, you already have unlimited access to 1,300,000+ digital assets. We repeat: that’s unlimited download for one subscription.

You now have the freedom to play, experiment and create your next startup pitch deck or any business presentation you may need in the future.

To get you started, we've carefully handpicked the following three best premium startup Keynote templates:

1. Pitchus - Pitch Deck Presentation 

Want to know how to make a great presentation in Keynote? Starting with an Apple pitch deck like Pitchus is a great way to begin. This one has five dozen sleek modern slides to help pitch your big idea.

With vector graphics throughout, you’ll find this one to be stylish and easy to customize. That’s the perfect combo to help you make a great impression.

2. Ambize - Pitch Deck Keynote 

Ambize is another winning pitch Apple deck option for 2021. It's got a modern vibe, using black and white tones throughout. The widescreen slide designs look great on any large display.

Text and other content can be edited quickly, saving you precious time. You’ll be able to focus solely on your message, rather than the tedious work of slide design.

3. Reven - Pitch Deck Keynote Presentation

Make a winning startup pitch deck presentation with the Apple Keynote template. Its bold color and striking visuals can help you deliver your business idea much more impactful. From resizable shapes up to editable texts, this template is 100% customizable.

This template is highly recommended for startup businesses in the banking, financial, information technology, digital, advertising, marketing, and business process outsourcing industries.

4. Union – Pitch Deck Keynote Template

This startup keynote template combines all the necessary elements for you to build a great presentation for your startup business. From color variation, typography up to visual assets such as icons, you can fully customize this template for a memorable Keynote presentation.

Ideal for organizations such as advertising, marketing, government, agency, manufacturing, insurance, outsourcing, branding, public relations, law, public office, telco provider, transportation, and the likes.

5. Pitch Deck Start Up Keynote Template

With a modern finish, this Keynote presentation template embodies both functional and aesthetic features. Its versatile design can perfectly be applied to any industry out there. Choose from a variety of easily editable slides.

This Keynote presentation template is perfect for health service, insurance, investment, environmental, hospital, medical, telecommunications, financial, eCommerce, and fashion industries.

You can also find more templates in this article, 25 Best Keynote Pitch Deck Templates (Business Plan Presentation Designs). It contains some visually stunning Keynote presentation templates for your next startup business.

More Great Templates for Apple Keynote Designs

Keynote pitch decks are so much easier when you use templates like the ones you saw in this article. We love sharing great templates that make it easier to build a pitch that launches you to success.

See more of the best Apple premium deck templates below. Each of the designs gives you new options for Keynote presentations, and some might even work as Keynote pitch decks!

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Where to Find the Best Startup Keynote Pitch Deck Templates in 2021 (Envato Elements vs. GraphicRiver)

Envato Elements and GraphicRiver offer amazing Keynote pitch deck templates with beautiful modern designs. So, which site should you choose? It helps to consider the key advantages of each:  

1. Top Benefits of Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a membership-based resource for creative assets. For a flat monthly rate, you unlock unlimited downloads. That’s a compelling offer.

Download as many Keynote pitch deck templates as you want. Plus, you’ll also find fonts, stock photos, music, and much more. With thousands of options for Keynote templates, you’re sure to find the perfect one for your project.

2. Top Benefits of GraphicRiver (& Envato Market)

GraphicRiver offers single downloads for purchase. That means you can find an Apple deck template and buy it—no membership required. You’ll also find a vast array of other creative content.

As a single-use marketplace, GraphicRiver helps you start projects quickly. Check out the top Keynote templates trending on GraphicRiver today.  

Your Choice (Which Site to Choose?)

If you build Apple decks often, or need a lot of creative flexibility, Envato Elements is the best choice. Unlimited downloads offer unlimited opportunities to explore and customize new layouts. Join Elements today!

If you simply need to build a stunning Keynote pitch deck for your company, check out GraphicRiver. It offers amazing content at great rates. 

Learn More About How to Make the Best Keynote Presentations and Pitch Decks

To learn more about making great pitch decks, this guide, How to Make Great Pitch Decks (Startup Presentation Guide), curates all your need-to-know tips and practical recommendations.

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  What Is a Pitch Deck? (Startup Business Presentations for Investors in 2019)
  
  
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  30 Best Keynote Pitch Deck Templates (Business Plan Presentation Designs 2021)
  
  
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  23 Best Startup Pitch Deck Examples: Famous in Tech (For 2020)
  
  
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How to Quickly Customize Startup Pitch Deck Keynote Templates (For 2021)

We’ve explored the best Keynote pitch deck templates available from Envato Elements. Now it’s time to customize one to build your own startup pitch Apple deck. Let’s learn how, in just five quick steps.

Follow this mini-tutorial by downloading this beautiful premium Apple pitch deck from Envato Elements.

Let's get started:

1. Arrange Your Slides

An Apple pitch deck template is meant to be flexible. They work for all kinds of businesses. Choose only the slides you need to make your own pitch Apple deck.

In Keynote, click View and then Light Table. You’ll see every slide in your Keynote pitch deck laid out in front of you. Click and drag to reorder the slides. 

You can also hold down Command and click to select unwanted slides. Press Delete on your keyboard and they’ll be removed from the Apple deck.

When you’re finished, go back to View and click Navigator to start editing.

2. Add Your Text

Chances are your Apple pitch deck is going to include a lot of text. Luckily, it’s perhaps the easiest thing to edit in Keynote.

Begin by highlighting the text you see on any slide. From there, go ahead and start typing. Your words will replace the dummy text.

Want to change aspects like font size and color? With the Format > Text sidebar open on the right side, those options and many more are just a click away.

3. Import Images

Images should always come to mind when you think of how to make a great presentation in Keynote. An Apple deck like the one we’re using makes adding them a breeze. Begin by finding an image placeholder on a slide. You’ll recognize these by finding the photo icon in the lower right.

Then, simply drag a saved image over your slide and drop it into place. Keynote will import the photo automatically, sizing and scaling it to fit perfectly.

4. Customize Infographics

Infographics are key ingredients in any successful Keynote pitch deck. In essence, they’re visuals that help illustrate ideas. Many templates like this Apple pitch deck have them built-in! 

Infographics look like magic to your audience. Luckily for you, there’s nothing special about editing them. In fact, they’re easy to use to impress without spending extra time! 

For this one, simply change out the text and numbers to include your specific data. It’s as easy as that. Premium templates take care of the hard design work for you.

5. Change Shape Colors

Changing shape colors is a quick way to style your Apple pitch deck. It’s also a great way to create a deck that matches your branding.

With an object selected, go to the Format > Style sidebar on the right. You’ll see an array of options. To change a shape color, click on the Fill dropdown. 

From here, browse through theme colors included with the template. Or launch the full color chooser menu to apply custom colors.

Nail Your Keynote Presentation & Get That Funding

A perfectly crafted keynote presentation doesn't need a complicated process to follow. We've shown you easy-to-follow tips and best practices. From making a bold first impression to ending it with a positive response—you can create an Apple Keynote presentation that seals the deal.

You don't have to worry about making it from scratch. Feel free to use the three best pitch templates we've included above. If you want to see more Apple Keynote presentation template designs that match your brand, then visit Envato Elements. With one subscription, you get unlimited downloads of a wide variety of design assets including images, icons, templates, and more.

You can also get the right visual style for your next Apple Keynote presentation by visiting the bold and highly flexible startup pitch presentation templates from GraphicRiver for a one-time download.

Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in August of 2019. It's been comprehensively revised to include new information—with special help from Andrew Childress.