Email attachments create zero investor visibility—founders don't know if decks were viewed, which slides interested investors, or when to follow up. According to First Round research, founders using tracked links achieve 32% higher response rates and close rounds 25% faster than those emailing PDFs.

Peony modernizes pitch deck sharing: generate secure links, track page-by-page engagement, identify interested investors, perfect follow-up timing, and protect IP with watermarks. Purpose-built for startup fundraising.

Here's your complete guide to sending pitch decks to investors in 2025.

Why Never Email Pitch Deck Attachments

Problems with PDF attachments:

❌ No visibility (was it viewed?)
❌ No engagement data (which slides?)
❌ Can't revoke access
❌ Can't update without resending
❌ File forwarded uncontrollably
❌ No follow-up intelligence

Link-based sharing advantages:

✅ Know who viewed
✅ See which slides interested them
✅ Track time spent
✅ Identify hot investors
✅ Update without new links
✅ Revoke access anytime
✅ Perfect follow-up timing

Step-by-Step: Sending Pitch Deck

Step 1: Prepare Your Deck

Ensure deck is investor-ready:

Create versions:

Teaser deck (5-7 slides): Initial outreach
Full deck (12-15 slides): First meeting
Detailed deck (20 slides): Deep dive

Step 2: Upload to Peony

Process:

Log into Peony
Click "Upload Document"
Select pitch deck PDF
Wait for processing (10 seconds)
Deck ready to share

Step 3: Configure Security Settings

Essential settings:

Access control:

✅ Email verification required
✅ Investor email allow list (optional)
✅ Expiration date (30-90 days)
❓ Password (usually unnecessary)

Content protection:

✅ Dynamic watermarks (investor email + timestamp)
✅ Screenshot protection (for sensitive slides)
✅ Download blocking (view-only mode)
✅ Print controls

Legal:

❓ NDA requirement (seed stage: rarely; Series A+: sometimes)
✅ Confidentiality notice

Step 4: Generate Sharing Link

Link options:

Generic: peony.ink/abc123
Branded: yourcompany.peony.ink/deck
Custom domain: pitch.yourcompany.com

Configuration:

Enable notifications (view alerts)
Set link name (e.g., "Seed Round Deck Q1 2025")
Configure analytics

Step 5: Share with Investors

Email template:

Subject: [Your Company] - Seed Round Deck

Hi [First Name],

[Reference warm intro or previous conversation]

I'm sharing our pitch deck for our $2M seed round.
We're [one-sentence value prop] serving [target market].

View deck: [secure link]

Key highlights:
- [Traction metric]
- [Customer win]
- [Notable milestone]

Happy to discuss—when works for a 30-min call?

Best,
[Your name]

Timing:

Send Tuesday-Thursday
8-10am or 2-4pm recipient timezone
Not Mondays, Fridays, or weekends
Follow investor's schedule if known

Step 6: Monitor Engagement

Real-time notifications:

Deck viewed → Alert within seconds
New investor accesses → Email notification
Return visit → Engagement signal
Specific slides viewed → Interest indicators

Analytics dashboard shows:

Who viewed (name, email, company)
When accessed (date, time, timezone)
How long spent (total and per slide)
Which slides viewed
Return visit count
Device and location

Step 7: Follow Up Strategically

Based on engagement data:

High engagement (80%+ completion, 3+ minutes):

Follow up within 4-24 hours
Reference specific slides they viewed
Suggest meeting time
Priority prospect

Medium engagement (50-80%, 2-3 minutes):

Follow up within 2-3 days
Ask if questions
Offer more information
Moderate priority

Low engagement (less than 50%, less than 2 minutes):

Wait 5-7 days
Check timing
Offer alternatives
Lower priority

No engagement (not opened):

Follow up after 5-7 days
Verify receipt
Confirm interest
Consider moving on

Best Practices for Pitch Deck Sharing

Investor Targeting

Build tiered list:

Tier 1: Dream investors (5-10)
Tier 2: Strong fits (15-25)
Tier 3: Acceptable options (20-30)

Targeting criteria:

Stage match (seed, Series A, etc.)
Sector focus
Geographic preference
Check size alignment
Portfolio fit (non-competitive)

Outreach strategy:

Start with Tier 2/3 (practice)
Refine pitch based on feedback
Move to Tier 1 when polished
Run parallel conversations
Create competitive dynamics

Message Personalization

Research each investor:

Portfolio companies
Recent investments
Investment thesis
Twitter/LinkedIn activity
Interview/podcast appearances

Personalize outreach:

Reference specific portfolio company
Mention relevant investment
Connect to thesis
Show research
Authentic connection

Don't:

Generic mass emails
"Dear investor"
No research evident
Copy-paste messages

Tracking and Optimization

Measure outreach effectiveness:

Open rate (target: 40%+)
Deck view rate (target: 60%+)
Response rate (target: 15%+)
Meeting conversion (target: 30%+)

Optimize based on data:

Test subject lines
Refine messaging
Improve targeting
Update deck based on feedback
A/B test approaches

Protecting Confidential Information

Always enable:

Email verification (know who viewed)
Watermarks (identify leaks)
Expiration dates (time-limit access)
Access logging (audit trail)

For particularly sensitive:

Download blocking
Screenshot protection
View-once links
NDA requirements
Investor-specific watermarks

Version Control

Best practices:

Update deck weekly with latest metrics
Use same sharing link (update file)
Version clearly in filename
Note major changes in follow-ups

Peony advantage:

Update deck file
Link stays same
All viewers see latest
No broken links

Common Pitch Deck Sharing Mistakes

Mistake 1: Emailing PDF attachments

Zero visibility
No control
Forwards freely
Solution: Use trackable links

Mistake 2: No security

Anyone can access
Forwards without attribution
No leak prevention
Solution: Enable watermarks, verification

Mistake 3: Not tracking engagement

Don't know who's interested
Miss follow-up opportunities
Waste time on cold prospects
Solution: Use analytics platform

Mistake 4: One-size-fits-all

Same deck to everyone
Generic messaging
No personalization
Solution: Customize per investor tier

Mistake 5: Poor follow-up

Random timing
Generic messages
No engagement reference
Solution: Data-driven follow-up

Pitch Deck Sharing Checklist

Before sending:

Setup:

Outreach:

Follow-up:

How Peony Improves Pitch Deck Sharing

Peony provides complete pitch deck intelligence:

Know what matters:

Which investors viewed
Which slides they spent time on
When they accessed it
If they shared with team
When to follow up

Protect your IP:

Watermark with investor info
Block screenshots
Prevent unauthorized sharing
Revoke access anytime
Complete audit trail

Professional presentation:

Custom branded domain
Mobile-optimized viewing
Fast page loads
Clean, modern interface

Accelerate fundraising:

Prioritize engaged investors
Perfect timing for follow-ups
Personalize based on interests
Close rounds 25-35% faster

Result: Turn pitch deck into fundraising intelligence tool.

Conclusion

How you send your pitch deck significantly impacts fundraising success. Email attachments provide zero visibility, while link-based sharing with platforms like Peony delivers complete engagement intelligence, IP protection, and professional presentation.

Successful founders track investor engagement, protect confidential information, personalize follow-ups based on data, and maintain professional presentation—achieving higher response rates and faster fundraising timelines.

Modernize pitch deck sharing: Try Peony

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How to Send Pitch Deck to Investors: Complete Guide for Founders in 2025