What goes in investor update slides, and how do you make them with AI?
Updated 2026-11-07
An investor update deck needs about 8 slides: the headline, KPIs against plan, growth, cash and runway, wins, misses, what is next, and the asks. Attach your KPI spreadsheet, choose the audience "Investors" and the scenario "Work report", write the slide count, check the outline cards, and export an editable PowerPoint (.pptx) or a PDF to send.
An update is not a pitch deck: the investor already owns part of the company and wants to know what happened, how the cash is, and where you need help. Below: the 8 slides as a table, how to work out and show runway, a table of how an update differs from a pitch deck, and how to reuse last month's file. The structure is our suggestion, not a recording: we have no recorded investor update, and the KPI table on the example slide belongs to a made-up coffee launch.
Five steps from your numbers to an update deck
Put this period's numbers in one file
For each KPI: last period, this period, the plan or target, and one line on why it moved. Add the cash balance, the month's cash in and out, and your list of asks. An Excel sheet or a Word or text file works, up to 25 MB; attach it with "Add files".
Write the request
For example: "Make an 8-slide investor update for [month] from the attached file. Use only the figures in the file; don't add outside figures; mark any missing figure as TBD. Slides: headline, KPIs against plan, growth chart, cash and runway, wins, misses, next month, asks." Under "More" choose the audience "Investors", the scenario "Work report" (the AI is told it is results, problems and next steps) and a tone such as "Professional".
Click "Next" and check every number
Compare the cards with the table below. The KPI card must carry your figures, with the same units and periods. Edit, reorder, delete. Nothing is charged until you click "Generate presentation".
Generate and fact-check
Open the sources drawer and use the "Fact-check" action to see where each figure came from, then compare the KPI, cash and runway slides with your own books. Ask for changes in plain words (1 credit each).
Export, send, and keep the file for next month
Export PDF to email (it keeps the layout) or PowerPoint (.pptx) to edit. Exporting is free. Next month, upload this month's PPTX under "Your PowerPoint" and ask for the changes instead of starting again: see the last section.
The 8 slides of an investor update, and how runway is worked out
The table is our suggested order for a monthly or quarterly update that is read in a few minutes. Layout kind is what the outline step would usually suggest for the content; the AI may choose another.
| # | Slide | What goes on it | Layout kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headline | The period and three lines: the one result, the one problem, the one ask | Statement |
| 2 | KPIs against plan | Four to six metrics: last period, this period, plan, and a one-line reason | Table |
| 3 | Growth | The main metric over the last six to twelve periods | Chart |
| 4 | Cash and runway | Cash in the bank, net burn, runway in months | Stats |
| 5 | Wins | Two or three things that went well, each with a number | Cards |
| 6 | Misses | What went wrong or slipped, and what you are doing about it | Bullets |
| 7 | Next period | Goals and the dates that matter | Bullets or timeline |
| 8 | Asks | Specific help: an introduction to a named kind of company, a hire, advice on one decision | Cards or closing |
Runway is, in the common definition, the cash you have divided by your net burn, which is the cash going out minus the cash coming in per month. With $480,000 in the bank and a net burn of $40,000 a month, runway is 12 months. Write the inputs on the slide (cash, net burn, date), not only the answer, and work the number out yourself: do not leave arithmetic to the AI. This is our summary of the usual definition, and your accountant's may differ (for example, if you expect burn to change).
The picture is a real KPI table slide of the layout kind used for slide 2, from our recorded launch-plan deck (made-up coffee brand, October 2026). It has targets and a weekly pace; an investor update needs a column for the actual result as well.
Prompt (English)
Monthly investor update, 8 slides
Make an 8-slide investor update for [month, year] from the attached file. Use only the figures in the file; don't add outside figures, and mark any missing figure as TBD. Slides in this order: headline (one result, one problem, one ask), KPIs against plan as a table with columns last month, this month, plan and reason, growth chart of [metric] over the last [number] months, cash and runway (cash, net burn, runway in months), wins, misses, next month, and the asks.
(Fill the brackets. Choose the audience "Investors" and the scenario "Work report".)
- One row per metric, one column per figure: the form for slide 2. Add a column for the actual result and one for the reason it moved.
- The four rows are a made-up coffee launch. Your KPIs and figures come from your file.
- Keep it to four to six rows: investors read this slide first.
How is an investor update different from a pitch deck?
| | Investor update | Pitch deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Reader | A current investor | A possible investor |
| Question | What happened and how is the cash? | Is this worth funding? |
| Length | 6 to 10 slides, read in a few minutes | 10 to 12 slides, presented |
| Numbers | This period against last period and plan | Market size, traction, projections |
| Ends with | Specific asks for help | The ask: amount and use of funds |
| Tone | Plain and candid, misses included | Persuasive |
| How often | Every month or quarter | Once per round |
For the pitch deck use the scenario "Investor pitch" and see the pitch deck guide; for an update use "Work report".
What should the "asks" slide say?
Name what would help and who can give it: "an introduction to a head of operations at a regional grocery chain", "feedback on our pricing change before the 15th", "referrals for a senior backend engineer". A request that names a kind of person or a date gets answered; "let us know if you can help" does not. This is our advice and it comes from no measurement.
Should the update include bad news?
Yes: a "misses" slide, with what you are doing about each. An update that only reports wins is hard to trust, and the AI will write what you give it, so give it the misses too. Put your own numbers in the request; do not ask the AI to judge how bad something is.
Can I reuse last month's deck?
Yes. Under "Your PowerPoint" the product changes the file you upload in place (add, delete and reorder slides, change existing text), with no rewriting and no template, at one credit per change. Upload last month's PPTX, attach this month's numbers or type them, and ask for the figures to be updated: the layout stays yours. See the guide on editing a PowerPoint with AI for what a change can and cannot do, and check every figure afterwards.
Can it pull my numbers from my accounting or analytics tool?
No. There is no live connection to other tools: you attach a file (Excel, Word, PDF or text) or type the figures. Export a sheet from your tool and attach that.
Questions
What should an investor update include?
Our suggestion is 8 slides: headline, KPIs against plan, growth, cash and runway, wins, misses, next period and asks. It is a structure we propose, not a standard.
Can AI make investor update slides?
Yes, the slides. Attach your KPI file, choose the audience "Investors" and the scenario "Work report", and it drafts an outline you can edit and then the slides, as PowerPoint or PDF. It cannot know your numbers: they come from your file, and you must check them.
How do I calculate runway for the slide?
Divide the cash you have by your net burn per month, which is cash out minus cash in. With $480,000 and a net burn of $40,000 a month that is 12 months. Show the inputs, the date, and work it out yourself instead of leaving the arithmetic to the AI.
What is the difference between an investor update and a pitch deck?
An update reports to a current investor on a period: KPIs against plan, cash, wins, misses and asks for help. A pitch deck persuades a possible investor and ends with an ask for funding.
Can I reuse last month's deck?
Yes: upload it under "Your PowerPoint" and ask for the figures to be updated; it is changed in place, at one credit per change. Check every figure afterwards.
How much does it cost?
Writing the outline is free. Quick mode costs 1 credit per slide, deep mode 3, each AI edit 1, and exporting is free. New accounts get 20 free credits; credit packs are one-time purchases (for example $5.99 for 40 credits plus 10 bonus) with no subscription, and credits never expire. See the Pricing page.
Start with this period's numbers
Attach your KPI file, choose "Investors" and "Work report", and check the KPI card against your own books before any slide is made.
Make my investor update