Pitch videos for startups: what they are, what to say and how to make one for investors

What a pitch video is and who asks for one

A pitch video is the video version of the presentation a startup gives to investors. It lasts between one and three minutes and sums up the essentials: the problem, the solution, the market, the business model, traction and the team.

More and more players in the ecosystem ask for one. Accelerators and incubators use it as a first filter in their calls. Many public grant and seed funding programmes require it as part of the application. Funds and angel investors appreciate it because it gives them a sense of the project before a meeting. And startups themselves use it on their website, on LinkedIn and in crowdfunding campaigns.

The reason is practical. Evaluators receive hundreds of projects and cannot meet them all. A two-minute video tells them something the deck does not: what the team is like, how they talk about the project and whether they convey that they know what they are doing.

There is a well-known variant, the elevator pitch, which is even shorter: what would fit into a lift ride, around thirty to sixty seconds. It works as a hook on social media or as the opening of a longer presentation.

In an ecosystem like Barcelona's, with plenty of startups, accelerators and investment events, a good pitch video is one of the most reused pieces: in the application, on the website, in the email to an investor and on a trade fair stand.

What a pitch video should say: the structure

Almost every pitch video that works follows a similar structure. It is not a rigid rule, but it helps you not forget anything.

The hook. In the first ten seconds, a line or an image that makes clear why this matters. A fact about the problem, a recognisable situation or a question.

The problem. What hurts, for whom and how much. The more specific, the better: one person with a real problem is understood faster than an abstract market.

The solution. What you have built and how it solves that problem. Showing it helps here: the product working, a demo, a simple animation.

Why now and why you. What has changed to make this possible today, and what the team has that makes it capable of pulling it off.

Traction. Clients, users, pilots, agreements, awards. What proves it is not just an idea. Only real, verifiable data.

The business model. How you make money, in one sentence.

The ask. Investment, a place on the programme, partners, pilot customers. What you expect from whoever is watching.

And the close. A line that sums up the project's ambition and a clear way to get in touch.

Not everything fits into two minutes in detail, and it does not need to. The aim of the video is not to close an investment; it is to get the meeting. Whatever does not fit goes in the deck.

Common mistakes in a pitch video

We have seen many pitch videos and the mistakes repeat themselves.

Explaining the technology before the problem. It is the classic mistake of technical teams. Investors do not care how it works until they understand why someone needs it. Problem first, then solution, and only as much technology as needed. We explain it in how to explain a technology product on video.

Reading a script. It shows immediately. The eyes move, the voice flattens and the conviction disappears. Better to have the points clear and speak naturally, even if it is not perfect. There are techniques for this, which we cover in how to speak to camera naturally.

Running too long. If the call asks for two minutes, it is two minutes. Going over suggests the team cannot prioritise.

Bad sound. A simple image is forgiven, but echoey or noisy audio is not. If people cannot understand what you say, there is no video.

Overstating. Lines like "we are going to revolutionise the industry" or inflated market figures breed distrust in people who read projects every day. Specific, modest data beats big promises.

Forgetting subtitles. Many people watch videos without sound, especially on mobile. We explain why they matter in video subtitles.

And not showing the team. Investors invest in people. If the team does not appear, the most important thing is missing.

How to film a pitch video: on a phone or with a production company

It depends on what it is for.

If it is for a call that asks for a simple video, filming it well on a phone is often enough. There are three keys: good light from the front, ideally from a window; a lavalier microphone plugged into the phone, because the built-in mic picks up the room's echo; and a clean background that does not distract. With that, a video of one or two people talking to camera can look fine.

If the video will be used a lot, on the website, with investors, at events or on social media, it pays to produce it with a professional team. Not as a luxury, but because it shows the project is taken seriously. A polished video, with good image, good sound, the product well shown and an edit with pace, says something about the team before anyone speaks.

In a professional production, the work starts before filming: the message is shaped with the team, a structure is written, the speakers are prepared and the supporting footage is decided. The shoot usually fits into one day: interviews in a controlled space and shots of the product, the team at work and the office or lab.

In the edit, the graphics needed to explain data or processes are added, with simple motion graphics, and versions are prepared: the long one for investors, a short one for social media and, if needed, one in another language.

A real case: communicating a deep tech startup in Barcelona

One of the projects where we have done most of this kind of work is Qilimanjaro, a European quantum computing company based in Barcelona. We are its audiovisual partner and have produced more than fifteen videos, including branded content designed for its investment rounds.

The challenge for a deep tech company is twofold. It has to convince institutional investors that the technology is real and has a future, and it has to do so without oversimplifying to the point of losing rigour. A scientist watching the video has to recognise that what is said is correct; a non-technical investor has to understand why it matters.

We solved it with several pieces that complement each other. A short documentary with its CEO, Marta Estarellas, explaining why the company exists. A product piece, SpeQtrum, explained with motion graphics. A piece with Dídac, who runs its lab, putting a face to the scientific work. And coverage of international events and awards that shows traction.

None of these pieces is a classic pitch video, but together they do what a good pitch does: explain the problem, the solution, the team and the ambition, each for the audience that needs it. For a growing startup, thinking in terms of a system of pieces rather than a single video usually pays off more in the medium term.

How we do it at Bostak

At Bostak Films we help startups and technology companies tell what they do on video, from the first pitch to ongoing communication of every milestone.

The process starts with a session with the founding team to shape the message: what problem, for whom, what proof you have and what you are asking for. Often that session alone already improves how the team presents the project. Then we prepare the speakers, film at your offices or in our studio in Viladecans, twenty minutes from Barcelona, and edit with the pace and graphics each version needs.

We work in Spanish and English, which for a startup with international ambitions is usually essential. And we deliver the main video and its short versions for LinkedIn, the website and emails to investors.

At Bostak, Albert Murillo's production company, we do technology communication on video for startups and tech companies in Barcelona and across Europe. If you have a funding call, a round or a launch ahead and need to tell it well, book a free diagnosis and together we will work out which video would help you most.

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