Terra One goals to scale back the amount of fresh power created considerably after which misplaced from the German grid owing to a scarcity of storage capability. Missing storage capability is a completely urgent want and one determined for options, so it’s nice to see firms considering up methods to repair it and going after the funding to make it occur.
Recent from its April fundraiser, the place it raised $7.5 million to scale its battery storage system, Germany-based Terra One has shared its pitch deck with TechCrunch for a teardown. Let’s get in there and see the way it gained over its buyers!
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Slides on this deck
Terra One’s 13-slide deck is brief, however it may, in idea, embody every thing a pitch deck wants. The corporate features a buffet menu of insights, designed to inform its story and sweep buyers off their toes. Some slides did not reside as much as their billing, leaving me scratching my head and asking, “Really? That’s it?”
After Terra One opened with a bang on its drawback, answer and product slides, I used to be prepared to offer it a standing ovation, confetti and ticker tape parades on standby. However then got here the disappointing slides, dashing my hopes like a dropped ice cream cone on a global-warming-fueled summer time’s day.
So seize your popcorn and put together for a rollercoaster of feelings as I stroll you thru this presentation. You’ll see why I went from enthusiastic cheerleader to cautious critic within the span of 13 slides.
The corporate says it submitted the entire deck, bar “a couple of pages of financial modeling, which remains under NDA,” so a few of my suggestions might have been lined by these slides. As all the time, take that with a pinch of salt!
Right here’s a desk of contents for the corporate’s deck:
- Cowl slide
- Downside 1
- Downside 2
- Downside 3
- Resolution
- Requirement
- Product
- Enterprise mannequin
- The way it works 1
- The way it works 2
- The way it works 3
- Workforce
- Closing slide
Three issues to like about Terra One’s pitch deck
Terra One’s deck had some obvious misses and slides that desperately wanted work; we’ll get to that later. However some hit the nail on the pinnacle, so let’s begin there:
Yeah, that looks like an issue …
Alright, let’s speak about slide 3 of Terra One’s pitch deck. This drawback assertion is sort of a punch within the face, however, , in a great way. It hits arduous, quick, and leaves you questioning what simply occurred. What I like is that the corporate doesn’t pull its punches; the slide throws some spectacular numbers proper at you, making it crystal clear that this drawback is not only a minor inconvenience. It’s a five-alarm hearth.
Now, I often roll my eyes on the considered a number of drawback slides: In case you want a couple of slide to clarify “we’ve got a problem,” it’s often a symptom of narrative confusion. However on this case, Terra One does one thing magical right here. The 2 slides following this one aren’t fluff; they really add some critical weight to the preliminary drawback assertion. These slides don’t simply inform you that the home is on hearth; they present you the arsonist, the gasoline can, and why it’s not going to rain anytime quickly.
The extra slides do one thing much more essential: clarify why this drawback isn’t going to unravel itself. This isn’t only a drawback, it’s a beast that’s getting hungrier. That is the half the place you understand there’s some critical development potential right here. Fixing this challenge isn’t only a noble endeavor; it’s a ticket to the large leagues.
I want the corporate had made do with simply the one slide, however one way or the other, Terra One’s drawback slides are a chic presentation of the issue. It’s sharp, it’s clear, and it’s backed by stable numbers. Properly executed.
A stable, strategic tackle the answer
Terra One’s answer slide is a refreshing tackle methods to do it proper. It’s strategic, which is a pleasant change from the same old deep product dives that make everybody’s eyes glaze over. Startups, take observe: Buyers don’t care about your product as a lot as you suppose they do. They wish to see the large image, and this slide nails that.
OK, so I like the slide, however I do have some ideas for methods to make the entire story movement higher.
First off, the “proven technology” bit is nice, however it actually belongs on a moat/dependability slide. In case you’ve bought patents or every other IP, flaunt them there. It’s like saying, “Look at us, we’ve got a fortress and a moat full of crocodiles. Good luck to the competition!”
Then there’s the “profitable without subsidies?” line. In case you’re hinting at income, that’s an enormous deal and deserves its personal traction slide. Keep in mind: Buyers love traction.
And what about these “lower costs”? That’s a stable worth proposition proper there, however it feels prefer it’s hiding within the shadows. Give it the highlight it deserves on a devoted worth proposition slide. Inform us extra about the way you obtain these decrease prices and why it issues to your clients.
On the one hand, I can see how the Terra One’s Resolution slide could possibly be a great define to speak about how the corporate approaches this, however it it additionally serves as a reminder of what’s lacking.
Nailing the product
Alright, let’s discuss in regards to the product slide. First off, hats off to Terra One for not falling into the same old lure of drowning us in technical mumbo jumbo. This slide truly explains what Terra One does with out making me wish to gouge my eyes out.
However right here’s the place it will get attention-grabbing — or slightly, the place it doesn’t. This slide contains what Terra One does after which leaves us hanging. It’s like getting all overestimated for a blockbuster film, just for it to finish proper when it’s getting good. We’d like extra! Who’s utilizing this factor? How is it getting cash? And the place’s the grand plan to take over the world? I wish to know who’s on the market utilizing your product. Throw in some goal clients or consumer personas. Present me the people who find themselves so in love along with your product they’d tattoo it on their foreheads.
Buyers might marvel: The place will we go from right here? What’s the grasp plan for creating this product? The place’s the roadmap? Give us a sneak peek into the longer term. Inform us in regards to the upcoming options, enhancements, and the large, daring plans which can be going to make this product the following massive factor.
The product slide does a great job of explaining what the product is, however it’s steak with out the sizzle. To actually wow an viewers, we’d like slightly bit extra meat on this specific bone.
Three issues that Terra One may have improved
Alright, Terra One, let’s get actual: This pitch deck has extra holes than Swiss cheese (ironic, actually, for a German startup), and it’s time to plug them up. I’ve already harped on the necessity for extra slides based mostly in your Resolution slide, however let’s recap and broaden:
- Moat slide: How is Terra One going to cease different firms from coming in and consuming its lunch? Consider this slide as your citadel’s defenses. Buyers wish to know you’ve bought a moat crammed with crocodiles, not only a picket fence.
- Traction slide: Buyers wish to see that you simply’ve turned your shiny thought right into a practical firm. Do you have got clients who’re truly paying, or is it simply your mother downloading the app? Present us the numbers, the customers, the thrill!
- Worth proposition slide: What’s in it for Terra One’s customers? We’d like extra than simply obscure guarantees. Lay out the exact advantages. Make it clear why folks ought to flock to your product prefer it’s the final live performance earlier than the apocalypse.
However wait, there’s extra! Right here’s a laundry listing of different essential data that’s not on this deck (and ought to be):
- Competitors: Who’s already on the market attempting to do what you’re doing, and the way are you going to crush them? Buyers wish to see you’ve scoped out the battlefield and know the place the landmines are.
- Goal clients: Who precisely goes to be utilizing this product? Paint an image. Is it tech-savvy teenagers, disgruntled workplace staff, or retired alpaca farmers? We have to know!
- Advertising technique: When you’ve painted an image of who the viewers is, how are you going to succeed in these clients? You’ll be able to’t simply sit round and hope they come across your product. Present us the grand advertising and marketing plan.
- Income mannequin: How does Terra One plan to make cash? Buyers are allergic to uncertainty. Lay it out clearly — subscriptions, advertisements, promoting artisanal cleaning soap on the facet — no matter it’s, make it specific.
- Funding ask and use of funds: How a lot money are you seeking to increase, and what are you going to do with it? This isn’t nearly getting a brand new foosball desk for the workplace. Break down the price range such as you’re attempting to persuade a stingy father or mother to double your allowance.
Now, in regards to the slides that did make it into the deck; they want some love, too. They’re like a great band taking part in and not using a soundcheck: promising, however not fairly hitting the mark. Every slide must be polished, expanded, and introduced in a manner that screams “invest in us or regret it forever.”
So, Terra One, let’s see you’re taking this suggestions and switch that Swiss cheese right into a stable block of Allgäuer Bergkäse. Listed here are some pointers:
So that you say enterprise mannequin, however …
Alright, Terra One, it’s time for a chat about Slide 8, the enterprise mannequin slide. Proper now, it’s lacking extra items than a toddler’s jigsaw puzzle. Right here’s what must be fastened:
Enterprise operations: The slide doesn’t clearly outline how Terra One operates as a enterprise. Buyers want a crystal-clear rationalization of how the corporate interacts with clients and makes cash. At present, it seems like fixing a thriller. It ought to lay out merely: How does Terra One discover clients, and what’s the gross sales course of?
Pricing data: The slide lacks pricing data. Is Terra One charging clients premium costs, or is it the budget-friendly choice? Buyers want to know the pricing technique to gauge market positioning. With out this, it’s like attempting to guess the worth of a meal at a restaurant and not using a menu. Spoiler alert: Nobody likes that.
Unit economics: The slide is screaming for some unit economics. How do prices change as the corporate hits scale? Buyers wish to see how prices evolve as the corporate expands and handles extra power. Will it turn into extra environment friendly and worthwhile, or are there hidden prices lurking? Terra One ought to break down the prices per unit and clarify how these prices lower (or improve) with scale. This may present whether or not the corporate is sitting on a gold mine or a cash pit.
Including this data will rework the enterprise mannequin slide from a head-scratcher to a showstopper — and helps contextualize what you’re attempting to do, in addition.
It’s the folks! Properly, footage of the folks, no less than.
Woof. Properly, let’s rip off the band-aid: Terra One’s group slide is a catastrophe. It’s like a textbook instance of what to not do. Right here’s the breakdown:
Names, titles and images with out context: Congratulations, they’ve bought names, titles and images. However with out context, this tells us nothing. It’s like giving somebody the substances listing with out the recipe. Who’re these folks, and why ought to anybody care?
The logos on the backside of the web page are a pleasant contact, however they increase extra questions than they reply. Who labored at these firms? When did they work there, and what did they do? Simply tossing in some logos with out context is about as helpful as a display door on a submarine. Buyers want specifics. Clarify which group members had been at these firms, what their roles had been, and what related expertise they gained. There’s an enormous distinction in how related the OpenAI expertise is, for instance, relying on which enterprise unit the folks had been related to.
Lack of expertise and expertise particulars: There are not any clear examples of what expertise every group member brings to the enterprise. Buyers wish to see why this group is the A-team, not only a random assortment of faces. Spotlight the distinctive expertise and experiences that make every member indispensable to Terra One and the way this group turns into a sure-fire guess.
Actually, I’d bin the entire slide and begin over. Right here’s what buyers can be on the lookout for:
Let’s depart ’em wanting extra!
Each slide within the deck ought to enhance Terra One’s probabilities of elevating funding. It shouldn’t be impartial; heaven forbid ought to or not it’s detrimental to your fundraising efforts. A photograph alone is a wasted alternative. Each slide must work arduous, pushing the narrative and reinforcing why buyers ought to get enthusiastic about Terra One. This slide fails to do this.
So, how will you get extra out of your final impression? Properly, the corporate may have put its contact particulars on there. And no, it’s not only a generic e mail tackle. It ought to be a named e mail tackle so buyers know precisely who to succeed in out to. That is essential for follow-up conversations.
A very good closing slide wants a memorable closing assertion; perhaps a reminder of the corporate’s function, or paint a imaginative and prescient of the world you’re attempting to construct.
The total pitch deck
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