Around 95% of founders get the ask slide wrong when crafting their pitch decks. It seems quite simple—just name the amount of money you want to raise, right? Yet, it’s almost universally a struggle to get this slide right.
Here, it’s not only about showing the amount you need—it’s about demonstrating how you’ll use that money and which milestones it will help you hit. And that’s where many founders stumble—either relying on vague claims or, worse, missing out on this slide at all.
The bad news is that the use of funds slide is the most painful to get wrong. It’s not just about being good at sales, marketing, or development—you must show you actually can run a business. The ask slide in a pitch deck is your chance to prove that you understand what you’re doing and that you have a solid, reasonable, and actionable plan in place. Otherwise, investors—who see countless talented folks every day—won’t be likely to back you.
This article speaks about the use of funds slide, why it matters, and how to craft a killer slide for asking investors for money with examples.
What is the ask and use of funds slide?
If put simply, the ask and use of funds slide is about the money you want to get from investors.
This slide comes at the end of your investment pitch deck and typically combines:
The ask—a clear statement of a funding amount you want to raise and for what purpose;
The use of funds—a breakdown of how this amount will be allocated.
By combining these two components, you save your pitch deck’s space (most VC presentations are around 10-20 slides) and give investors immediate context—what you need, why you need this, and which outcomes will be driven.
Why does the ask and use of funds slide matter?
“Compared to the problem-solution slide, competition slide, or even the team slide, what could be easier than stating how much money you want? Just name the amount, and you’re done, right?” Many founders think this way, but that’s exactly where they go wrong.
The use of funds slide only seems so easy, but it needs much attention and effort.
Why?
Because a poorly-crafted ask slide may leave investors unclear about how their money will be used or how it connects to your goals. And if they don’t understand this, they are less likely to invest.
A well-crafted use of funds slide does more than just show how much money you need. It explains how you’ll allocate this money to hit specific milestones and arrive at certain outcomes. This slide also shows your ability to plan, prioritize resources, and link financial needs to your business goals. With a killer ask slide, you’ll build trust and help investors visualize the value their investment will bring to your startup.
Note that if you want investors to say “yes” faster, craft a solid investment pitch deck, paying attention to each slide, not just to the use of funds slide.
How to create a killer use of funds slide: elements, best practices, and startup use of funds examples
In this section, we’ll talk about how to craft a winning ask and use of funds slide. Yet, unfortunately (or fortunately), there’s no one single way to do it. Approaches can be different and we’ll show you some of the common ones with examples.
But before we get to startup use of funds examples, check out some tips first:
✅ Point out your investment ask. It’s not enough to say, “We’re raising money to scale fast.” You must tell investors how much you need to get and what for. For example, “Raising $XM to become the market leader in {Region}.”
You also need to make sure you’re asking enough (not too much and not too little—just the right amount). If you want to raise $5 million when you’re pre-revenue, it will definitely be a red flag for investors. High investment asks may say to VCs that something is wrong with your startup—either you’re overspending, losing too much ownership, lacking a clear plan, or even don’t understand your business.
That’s why you have to keep the ask realistic and well-thought-out.
✅ Pack your ask and use of funds slide with details and breakdowns. Show investors how you’re going to use their money, splitting your budget into categories such as Operations, Product Development, HR, Marketing and Sales, etc. The breakdown should be specific, with percentages and dollar amounts. In this way, investors will clearly see where their money will flow.
✅ At the same time, try to keep your slide simple and concise. Don’t make investors cut through the clutter of information—they are checking lots of pre-seed, seed round pitch decks during the day, so let them understand your financial situation at a glance.
✅ Use visuals to help investors digest the information. Pie charts, bar charts, or graphs are all good choices for the use of funds slide. By giving your numbers clearly, you help investors understand your spending plan and your current financial situation in a couple of seconds—especially important nowadays, as investors spend 20% less time per presentation than before. And the time spent is likely to keep getting shorter.
As the ask and use of funds typically go on one slide, try to keep a visual balance between the two. Additionally, try to use clear headings and consistent branding.
✅ Make sure your investment ask matches your business goals. Start by identifying your SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) business goals. Then, create a timeline with milestones and connect your objectives directly to your use of funds slide. For example, “Raising X million to prove product market fit and scale the business within X time” or “Seeking X million to take the proven R&D tech into a live application.” In such a way, you show investors that you have a clear plan on how to turn their capital into results.
Don’t forget to detail the specific gains investors will get. For example, if you have a rock-solid financial model, you may include a financial forecast graph with metrics such as Gross Margin, Revenue, and EBITDA Margin.
✅ If you’re NOT crafting a pre-seed pitch deck, show traction. Use your ask slide to show how you allocated previously raised funds or how capital-efficient you’ve been. You may add logos and names of prominent VC funds or angel investors to build credibility and show that others believe in your vision.
Let’s sum everything up.
A solid ask and use of funds slide in a pitch deck typically boils down to THREE things—the funding amount, the use of funds & milestones, and traction (if it’s not your first round).
Other important aspects are the purpose of the funding, the connection to milestones, and the expected outcomes. And remember, it’s not only about what you show but also how you show it. Thus, be sure to use good visuals.
Top startup use of funds examples
“You should always be learning from others,” that’s how one of the famous quotes goes, meaning that it’s always a good idea to take a look at the investment pitch decks of successful startups as they’ve already raised money and may help you understand what investors pay attention to. Below you’ll find use of funds slide examples with an explanation of how you can organize your capital slides.
- Another way to organize your ask and use of funds slide is to combine your funding breakdown with milestones for the next months (period the round is typically raised for). When you include KPIs, dates, and goals, you show investors that you know what you will do and when you will do it.
- The secret sauce of this startup use of funds example is its focus on extreme capital efficiency. If you have achieved something with money from previous rounds, why not show this? For example, you raised $6 million but used only $4.5 million. Or you raised $300 thousand, but your revenue rose to $3 million during this time. Show how capital-efficient you are! Investors like this, especially nowadays, when the investment climate still remains tough.
Common mistakes to avoid when crafting an ask and use of funds slide
As we talk to founders every day, we want to share some common mistakes we often notice in their investment pitch decks.
❌ Asking too much
When you’re asking investors for too much money, they may think you have problems. Maybe you have a high burn rate and you’re overspending or you lack planning skills and clear milestones. You may even think too optimistically about the potential of your business, so that you may overvalue your company. These are all red flags for investors and to avoid any misunderstanding investors want to see reasonable investment ask with proof and logic.
Also, asking too much bears negative connotation for ownership—if you’re losing too much equity at the start, you’re losing control over your company and maybe you’ll lose motivation, which isn’t good for investors.
However, when you ask too little, it’s not good either—what if you run out of money before hitting all your milestones?
How to fix: You must get the amount of money that will keep your business running during the next 12-18 months and show it on your use of funds slide. To get it, calculate your one-time costs (CapEx), your ongoing costs (OpEx), and your daily cash needs (NWC). However, it’s not always easy to calculate everything right.
❌ Including valuation or deal terms
We saw many pitch decks, where founders stated valuation and deal terms on a use of funds slide. You’d better not do it.
If you put your terms upfront at once, you kill the chance to negotiate with investors, who may expect to get a bigger slice. Also, you may give up more equity that you could have. What if investors are ready to suggest a higher valuation, but you’ve already set it low? It’s always better to negotiate. At the end of the day, fundraising takes two to make a deal.
How to fix: Try not to mention valuation, instruments (preferred shares, convertible notes), or terms on your use of funds slide. It’s better to focus on the funding amount and how this money will be used. Instead of “We’re raising $5M at a $20M valuation,” say “We’re raising $5M to scale operations and enter new markets.” Save the conversation about valuation and terms for follow-up conversations after the pitch.
❌ Having no milestones or timeline
When you demonstrate clear milestones and the time within which you plan to hit them on your funding ask slide, investors aren’t left guessing how their money will be used. They understand that you have a well-thought strategic growth plan which you’ll put into action. Investors want to clearly see that their money can help you arrive at tangible outcomes such as user growth, product launches, or market expansion. Otherwise, they won’t be able to assess the potential return on their investment.
How to fix: The advice is pretty simple—include milestones and timeline. Your use of funds slide must show how the money you’re asking investors for will be used to achieve the milestones you’ve planned, along with how long it will take.
Yet, these are not all.
Some other mistakes include overloading a use of funds slide with too many details and visuals and failing to connect the ask with the use of funds. In the first case, investors won’t know where to focus.
In the second case, investors may question your planning skills and whether you understand your business needs at all. You can’t just throw milestones on your ask slide. You have to explain how they are connected to the funding amount you’re asking. Or how else will investors know whether you’re asking for too much or maybe you’re spending money poorly?
Wrap-up: Make your investment ask clear and smart
As it turned out, the ask and use of funds slide isn’t as easy as many founders think it to be. Just like other slides, it requires effort and attention to detail. You can’t simply put any amount you want to raise; you have to prove to investors that this amount is reasonable. You also have to show how well you can manage resources, hit milestones, and, actually, run a business.
If you need help with your ask slide or your VC presentation in general, contact our expert team for assistance.