Agenda Slide Examples: Table of Contents Slides in Pitch
When a pitch deck needs an agenda or table of contents slide, and how to make each line say something. Five real agenda slides compared.
Agenda Slide Examples: Table of Contents Slides in Pitch Decks
Five agenda and table-of-contents slides from real pitch decks, shown in full, compare when a contents slide helps the reader and when it only uses up a slot.
TL;DR
An agenda slide helps in a long deck or a structured meeting, and it helps most when each line says something rather than naming a generic section. BuzzFeed's table of contents gives page numbers for six sections in a deck that runs past slide 36, so a reader can jump to the financials. Chartmetric gives each of its four sections a one-line point, such as "Music Industry's Biggest Dilemma". Belong Health numbers seven sections and highlights the one being presented. AppNexus lists five short sections and puts the founders first. Cardsly lists eight generic labels, which tell the reader nothing the slides won't.
Agenda slides from real pitch decks
Each example shows the exact stored slide above its analysis and links to the full teardown. Stage and year are given only where the deck states them.
BuzzFeed executive summary slide — slide 4
Digital media. Investor presentation for BuzzFeed's merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), marked "Strictly private and confidential".
BuzzFeed deck, slide 4. Exact stored slide matched to this analysis.
Our analysis: In a deck of more than 36 slides read by many investors, page numbers let each reader go straight to the part they care about, such as the financials or the deal terms.
Evidence and limitation: Section names like "Introduction" and "Foundations for Growth" don't say anything on their own. For a startup deck of 12 slides, this slide would be a wasted slot.
What a founder can adapt: If your deck is long or will be read without you, add page numbers to the agenda.
Supporting analysis
What the deck claims: "Table of Contents": Introduction 5; About BuzzFeed 9; Foundations for Growth 17; Financial Highlights 27; Transaction Overview 31; Appendix 36. Brand badges ("LOL", "win", "cute", "omg") fill the right side.
Presentation choice: In a deck of more than 36 slides read by many investors, page numbers let each reader go straight to the part they care about, such as the financials or the deal terms.
When it does not fit: Section names like "Introduction" and "Foundations for Growth" don't say anything on their own. For a startup deck of 12 slides, this slide would be a wasted slot.
Music industry data and analytics. Stage and year not stated. The music problem guide uses a different slide from this deck.
Chartmetric deck, slide 2. Exact stored slide matched to this analysis.
Our analysis: Each section has a short line under its name, so the agenda previews the argument: there is a big problem, data solves it, the market is large, and the model grows.
Evidence and limitation: The lines are still general. "Music Industry's Biggest Dilemma" would be stronger if it named the dilemma; "Opportunities and Growth" could be any company.
What a founder can adapt: Put one short line under each section name that states your point for that section.
Supporting analysis
What the deck claims: "Table of Contents", four numbered tiles: 01 Challenge, "Music Industry's Biggest Dilemma"; 02 Product, "Data Provides Insights and Solutions"; 03 Market, "Market size and Competition"; 04 Business Model, "Opportunities and Growth".
Presentation choice: Each section has a short line under its name, so the agenda previews the argument: there is a big problem, data solves it, the market is large, and the model grows.
When it does not fit: The lines are still general. "Music Industry's Biggest Dilemma" would be stronger if it named the dilemma; "Opportunities and Growth" could be any company.
Healthcare services. The footer reads "Belong Health Series A Financing". The reimbursement guide uses a different slide from this deck.
Belong Health deck, slide 3. Exact stored slide matched to this analysis.
Our analysis: Numbering and highlighting the current section suit a structured meeting where the agenda is shown again between sections. "Anchor Launch" and "Pipeline Update" also hint at specific content beyond the usual headings.
Evidence and limitation: Seven sections plus an appendix is a lot to preview. Only "Anchor Launch Overview" and "Pipeline Update" say anything specific about the company.
What a founder can adapt: If you present in sections, repeat the agenda with the current section highlighted.
Supporting analysis
What the deck claims: "Agenda": 01 Introduction (highlighted); 02 Market Overview; 03 Belong Health Offering; 04 Anchor Launch Overview; 05 Pipeline Update; 06 Financial Forecast; 07 Appendix.
Presentation choice: Numbering and highlighting the current section suit a structured meeting where the agenda is shown again between sections. "Anchor Launch" and "Pipeline Update" also hint at specific content beyond the usual headings.
When it does not fit: Seven sections plus an appendix is a lot to preview. Only "Anchor Launch Overview" and "Pipeline Update" say anything specific about the company.
Advertising technology. Early deck; stage and year not stated on the slide.
AppNexus deck, slide 2. Exact stored slide matched to this analysis.
Our analysis: Five sections is short enough to take in at a glance, and leading with the founders tells investors the team is the main point of the pitch.
Evidence and limitation: "Why AppNexus?" is a question the slide doesn't answer. A few words on each item (for example what sets it apart) would make the list a preview rather than a menu.
What a founder can adapt: Order your agenda by strength, and keep it to five or six items.
Supporting analysis
What the deck claims: "Contents": Founders; Why AppNexus?; Differentiation / Competitive Analysis; Timeline; Financials.
Presentation choice: Five sections is short enough to take in at a glance, and leading with the founders tells investors the team is the main point of the pitch.
When it does not fit: "Why AppNexus?" is a question the slide doesn't answer. A few words on each item (for example what sets it apart) would make the list a preview rather than a menu.
Business card design and printing. Stage and year not stated.
Cardsly deck, slide 2. Exact stored slide matched to this analysis.
Our analysis: It is clear and tells the reader the deck follows the usual order.
Evidence and limitation: Eight generic labels say nothing the following slides won't, and they use the second slide, where an investor's attention is highest.
What a founder can adapt: If you keep an agenda like this, cut it to the sections that matter most and add a point to each.
Supporting analysis
What the deck claims: "agenda": Team; Problems and Solutions; Market; Cardsly; Traction; Business Model; The Road Ahead; Raising Money.
Presentation choice: It is clear and tells the reader the deck follows the usual order.
When it does not fit: Eight generic labels say nothing the following slides won't, and they use the second slide, where an investor's attention is highest.
What improved: Our illustrative rewrite, not Cardsly's text. Bracketed parts are placeholders, not company facts. It turns section names into previews.
How this guide relates to the executive summary guide
The executive summary guide says a summary slide is not a table of contents: each line should state a fact an investor would otherwise have to hunt for. This guide covers the agenda slide itself, for the decks that do use one: when it earns its place and how to make it more than a list of section names.
Common mistakes
Agenda in a short deck. Ten slides don't need a contents page.
Generic labels. Add a point to each line.
Too many sections. Keep to five or six.
Weakest point first. Order by strength.
No navigation in a long deck. Add page numbers when readers skim.
Diagnostic checklist
The deck is long enough, or the meeting structured enough, to need an agenda.
Five or six sections at most.
Each line says something specific.
The strongest section comes first.
Page or section numbers help navigation.
Frequently asked questions
How we chose these examples
Corpus: published pitch deck teardowns on StartupFundraising.com. Founder-uploaded private decks are excluded.
Selection (2026-09-28): we searched extracted slide text for slides whose opening words include "agenda", "contents" or "table of contents" and that have a stored slide image. Excluded: design templates, investor-education decks (for example DocSend's guide), meeting agendas that are not investor pitches, and near-duplicate deck versions.
Overlap check: the executive summary guide mentions tables of contents only to say a summary is different. No other guide covers agenda slides. Chartmetric and Belong Health appear in other guides with different slides.
Review: all five stored slide images were inspected on 2026-09-28 and matched to company, deck and slide number (editorial model review). No person has yet completed an editorial review of this page.
We make no claim that any slide caused a fundraising outcome.
