A pitch deck is more than a formality in digital health—it’s your first real diagnostic test. If investors can’t quickly grasp what you’re building, how it fits into the ecosystem, and why your team is qualified to pull it off, they’ll mentally swipe left in 90 seconds or less.
Worse, if you miss the critical healthcare-specific elements (think regulation, reimbursement, clinical validation), they’ll assume you don’t know what you’re doing.
This isn’t SaaS. It’s digital health. And your pitch needs to reflect that.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
- What makes a digital health pitch deck different
- Slide-by-slide guidance for early-stage founders
- What experienced health investors expect (and what annoys them)
- Tips to make your deck clinically credible, not cringe-worthy
What Makes Digital Health Decks Unique
Healthcare is not just another vertical. It’s a regulated, risk-averse system where your go-to-market might involve selling to hospitals, navigating FDA pathways, or surviving a year-long pilot with no revenue.
In this world, a good pitch deck doesn’t just highlight vision and market—it de-risks the business.
You need to:
- Show you understand the complexity (without getting lost in it)
- Present a clear regulatory and/or clinical validation plan
- Explain your path to reimbursement (if relevant)
- Prove you can earn trust—from clinicians, patients, and partners
Slide-by-Slide: What to Include (and Why)
1. The Problem (But Make It Sharp)
- Avoid fluffy “healthcare is broken” statements. Be specific.
- What clinical, operational, or patient-facing pain point are you solving?
- Use real data—ideally from peer-reviewed sources or validated studies.
2. Your Solution
- Clear, one-sentence description of what you actually built.
- Who uses it, and what outcome improves?
- Is this a tool, a platform, a full-stack service?
3. Clinical Impact
- What does the solution improve—outcomes, cost, efficiency?
- Back it up with early pilot data, expert testimonials, or peer-reviewed logic.
- If you’re pre-data, lay out your validation plan (timeline, partners, endpoints).
4. Regulatory & Compliance
- Do you fall under HIPAA? GDPR? FDA? MDR?
- Investors want to see:
- You know what frameworks apply
- You’ve taken first steps (e.g. privacy policies, BAAs, consultations)
- You aren’t “just a wellness app” if you’re clearly not
5. Reimbursement (If Applicable)
- If insurers or government programs are in your future, say so.
- Mention relevant CPT codes, partnerships with payers, or alternative paths (employer coverage, cash pay, etc.)
6. Market Size (But Be Real)
- Avoid the trap of claiming $4T “healthcare market” TAM.
- Break it down by targetable market: specific segments, geographies, use cases.
- Bonus: show how this expands over time (e.g. chronic care → population health)
7. Business Model
- Who pays? How often? How much?
- Is it B2B, B2C, B2B2C? Are there any regulatory implications?
- For health tech, showing potential margin + scalability matters.
8. Go-to-Market Strategy
- Do you have access to providers, systems, or distribution channels?
- Any pilots, letters of intent, or beta testers?
- Show you understand long sales cycles and how to navigate them.
9. Traction
- Pilot results, user growth, partnerships, or signed deals.
- Highlight what’s credible to a healthcare investor—users in a hospital system mean more than 10k downloads.
10. The Team
- Who are you, and why are you qualified to win in this space?
- Health backgrounds? Startup experience? Regulatory knowledge?
- Advisors? Domain experts?
11. The Ask
- How much are you raising?
- What are the milestones you’ll hit with that capital?
- Clarity here shows maturity.
Pro Tips That Set You Apart
- Use healthcare-specific visuals—Dashboards, patient flows, and workflow diagrams land better than abstract metaphors.
- Include logos of hospitals or systems you’ve worked with.
- Address risk upfront—Show that you’ve thought about regulation, security, and privacy from Day 1.
- Use footnotes or appendix slides for deep-dive data (don’t overcrowd your main deck).
What Not to Do (According to Actual Investors)
- “We’re not under HIPAA.” (You probably are.)
- “We’re just a platform.” (Says nothing.)
- Fake science or exaggerated outcomes without data
- Quoting billion-dollar TAMs with no breakdown
- Pitching before your story is coherent
Final Thoughts: Make It Easy to Believe
Investors don’t need a perfect deck. They need a clear, credible, and compelling story that makes them want to lean in.
In digital health, that means:
- You understand the system
- You’ve thought about the hard stuff (regulation, trust, adoption)
- You’re coachable, but prepared
A strong pitch doesn’t close the round for you—but it absolutely gets you in the room.
Want to see what investors expect next? Read:
- What Digital Health VCs Look For in Startups
- Digital Health Due Diligence Checklist
- Digital Health VC List
- Top Pitch Mistakes Founders Make
He has invested in startups including American Well, Neuronation, Mimi, and most notably mySugr – which was recently acquired by Roche. Min-Sung is also a contributing writer for mediums including TechCrunch and Tech.EU and studied Business Economics at Witten/Herdecke, Harvard, St.Gallen, and in Seoul.