$500K pre-seed raise for a beauty brand
A pitch deck that helped the brand close an oversubscribed round
within 3 weeks.
The challenge
The global beauty market is experiencing rapid growth, with consumers investing billions annually in skincare and body care products. In this highly competitive landscape, hundreds of brands are vying to raise funds for new products.
Our client, a revolutionary brand from the Middle East, sought to secure $400k
in pre-seed capital to launch their facial skincare product. However, their initial beauty startup pitch deck failed to captivate the investors. We took on the challenge to redefine their investment narrative and deck’s look & feel to help increase engagement and ultimately secure the funds.
What we achieved
8 days
to fully rebuild content & design
20 slides
pre-seed deck
3 weeks
from the first meetings to the closed
round
$500K
raised against the initial
$400k goal
Our approach
Key issues identified in the initial deck
- Difficult to digest slides with excessive text and convoluted messages
- Outdated aesthetics that failed to create an impression of the ground-breaking product
- Lack of a persuasive, compelling story on why invest in this brand, this team, and their <br> vision – and why this company will ultimately will a category winner
Our approach to the story
1. Start with a powerful opening slide
In order to instantly position the brand as a category-defining company with bold ambition, we opened the deck with a strong opportunity slide.
Instead of immediately delving into the problem and solution, we emphasized the massive market and the perfect timing for the product built, with the goal of setting the right tone and instilling investors with the ‘fear of missing out’ on the opportunity.
2. Demonstrate the massive market potential
To showcase the untapped potential in the skincare category, we presented a well-researched slide demonstrating the lack of innovation in the segment. Quotes and validation were strategically incorporated to create a sense of urgency and momentum.
We also introduced the problem with supporting statistics and customer testimonials, underscoring the significance of our client’s solution in addressing consumer pain points.
3. Redefine solution and value proposition
In order to capture investors’ interest, we have drastically simplified the solution slides, reducing the amount of content and presenting the product in a more impactful and impressive way. We have also drafted strong value proposition slides that used the stats and early customer testimonials to support the value the product delivers to the users.
4. Showcase the market and existing momentum
The initial deck outlined the market stats in a rather dry format. We took a different approach, using compelling statistics to demonstrate the overall potential and growth trends. We also dedicated a separate slide to how buying habits have evolved in today’s landscape, strategically linking our client’s brand to meet the specific needs of the customers.
To solidify our case, we presented evidence from other successful companies in similar spaces that dominated their niches and were either acquired or significantly thrived. This positioned our client as a promising player and a strong investment guaranteeing a promising ROI further down the road.
5. Rebuild the business model
We revamped the revenue model slide, prioritizing the presentation of attractive unit economics over intricate pricing and margins. This emphasized the business’s overall potential and profitability.
Before
After
6. Effectively present the financials, GTM strategy, and the ask
Instead of the dry presentation of the forecast numbers and the use of funds pie chart, we presented a clear roadmap for revenue expansion, outlining specific milestones for the next 18 to 24 months to build an impression of the thorough execution plan.
Similarly, in the go-to-market strategy slide, we swapped meaningless marketing tactics for a cohesive, structured expansion plan that also effectively showcased progress and milestones achieved to date.
Before
After
7. Build confidence with a revamped team slide
Rather than a generic team slide, we emphasized the expertise and achievements of our client’s leadership. Specific traction points and notable accomplishments were added, highlighting their ability to scale the company and build it into a household name brand.
8. Redesign the deck to create a modern, minimalistic look
The initial deck has a messy, outdated look that didn’t do justice to the amazing product. We tackled this by developing a clean and modern design that radiated modernity and class, projecting an image of a brand that has already conquered the market.